Lake Murray Bike Trail
Lake Murray Reservoir is part of San Diego’s massive Mission Trails Regional Park. This area is great for boating, fishing and general recreation. It also has a paved biking/jogging trail that is perfect for the entire family. This is our guide to the Lake Murray Bike Trail.
- Starting Point: Lake Murray Rest Area, 5650 Kiowa Dr, La Mesa, CA 91942
- Length: 5.9 miles
- Elevation: Flat
- Type: out-and-back
Mission Trails Regional Park is one of the largest urban parks in the United States. Most of the park is about hiking fairly rugged terrain, including Cowles Mountain and the 5-Peak Challenge. Lake Murray sits at the foot of the mountains a few miles south of the main visitor’s center.
Lake Murray sits on the border of San Diego and the city of La Mesa. The bike trail starts on the southeastern side of the lake off of Lake Murray Blvd in La Mesa. Lake Murray is a man-made reservoir with a dam at the southwest end. The dam area is blocked off.
The bike trail does a counter-clockwise loop around the lake, ending where a gate blocks the dam entrance. The bike trail goes about 3 miles around the lake until you reach the date near Del Cerro Point. At this point you need to turn around and go back the way you came.
This is a very easy bike ride, perfect for families with kids just getting started. However, it also provides a nice scenic workout and a great family outing. Lake Murray sits at the foot of Cowles Mountain, San Diego’s highest point.
Lake Murray also has boating and fishing. At the concession stand you can not only rent bikes, but boats and fishing gear. Bikes rent for about $10 an hour. There are plenty of picnic tables around the lake. There are also several bathrooms on the trail.
The trail starts in the parking lot by the concession stand. The trail is a wide paved road. Across the lake is Lake Murray Community Park. This is home to ball fields and a large playground. If your kids are tired this is a good place to stop and rest (or turnaround).
For more hikes in Mission Trails Regional Park be sure and check out our full guide. We also have a regularly updated hiking guide.
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