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Kwaay Paay Peak Trail

Mission Trails Regional Park, California

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3 Trip Reports
4 out of 5
Kwaay Paay Peak Trail is a hiking trail in San Diego, California. It is within Mission Trails Regional Park. It is 1.1 miles long and begins at 298 feet altitude. Traveling the entire trail is 2.2 miles with a total elevation gain of 907 feet. The Park Information is near the trailhead. There are also parkings and restrooms. Along the trail there is a cliff. The trail ends near Kwaay Paay Peak (364 m) (elevation 1,194 feet).

DirectionsTopo MapTrip ReportsPhotosGPS

Distance1.1mi
Elevation Gain907ft
Trailhead Elevation298ft
Top1,174ft
Elevation Min/Max298/1174ft
Elevation Start/End298/298ft

Kwaay Paay Peak Trail

Kwaay Paay Peak Trail is a hiking trail in San Diego, California. It is within Mission Trails Regional Park. It is 1.1 miles long and begins at 298 feet altitude. Traveling the entire trail is 2.2 miles with a total elevation gain of 907 feet. The Park Information is near the trailhead. There are also parkings and restrooms. Along the trail there is a cliff. The trail ends near Kwaay Paay Peak (364 m) (elevation 1,194 feet).

Kwaay Paay Peak Trail Professional Guides

Detailed Trail Descriptions from Our Guidebooks

Afoot & Afield: San Diego County (Wilderness Press)
Jerry Schad
"Flanked by steep walls on all sides but one, Kwaay Paay Peak’s platform-like top stands quite aloof from all else around it. The summit offers a unique vantage for tracing the lower San Diego River’s course. To the east, you’ll see the river’s willow-lined flood plain, which cuts through the flat carpet of houses and shopping centers that increasingly fill the City of Santee. In the west and southwest, you’ll see how the river’s mighty flow (in Pleistocene and earlier times, at least) carved the granite walls of Mission Gorge."
Best Hikes Near San Diego (Falcon Guides)
Lynn Goya and Alexander Goya
"A steep ascent takes you 800 feet above the valley floor, revealing the entire Mission Trails Park. Kwaay Paay Peak is more centralized and more accessible than Cowles Mountain yet also offers fantastic views. The hike takes you though sagebrush and flowering native plants before you reach the summit, from which you can look down on an old quarry."

Kwaay Paay Peak Trail Trip Reports

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Him T.
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1/5/2019
Kinda kicked my butt
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Rafaela Q.
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7/10/2018
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Matt K.
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6/14/2010
This was a fun and at time challenging trail. There is some stretches that are long and steep. Great views at the top! A great alternate to Cowels for those that dont want so much foot traffic. Starting at the Visitor's Center is a great way to add to the 2.5 trek.
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Kwaay Paay Peak Trail Photos

Trail Information

Mission Trails Regional Park
Nearby City
Mission Trails Regional Park
Parks
Dog-friendly
Accessibility
Mission Trails Regional Park
Local Contacts
USGS La Mesa; trail map available online at www.sandiego.gov/park-and-recreation/pdf/missiontrailstrailmap.pdf
Local Maps

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