San Diego Hikes: North Fortuna via Perimeter Trail
Mission Trails Regional Park introduced the 5-Peak Challenge in 2015 in order to get hikers to explore more trails. North Fortuna mountain can be accessed from both the west and east end of the park. This hike is an alternative route up the mountain along Perimeter Trail starting East Fortuna Staging Area.
- Starting Point: East Fortuna Staging Area, Equestrian Circle, Santee, CA 92071
- Length: 3.5 miles each way
- Elevation: 1,300 feet
- Type: out-and-back with recommended loop option
You can find full information on the 5-Peak Challenge at our full guide to Mission Trails Regional Park. Basically the 5-Peak Challenge was created because Cowles Mountain, the highest point in the city of San Diego, was too crowded. The idea was to get hikers climbing the four other mountains in the park.
At 1,291 feet, North Fortuna is number three in elevation. However, it is a longer hike than Cowles Mountain. The suggested route in the official Mission Trails Regional Park 5-Peak Challenge guide starts at the same point but splits midway and approaches the mountain from the south.
The Perimeter Trail is a less used option that runs north of the mountain. It can be combined with the suggested route to make a loop hike instead of an out-and-back climb.
The big downside is that much of the Perimeter Trail is on a straight service road that has many ups and downs. There are no switchbacks and the downhill portion can be treacherous. For that reason, we put this hike in for completeness sake. This is not one we will do on a regular basis.
Like the suggested route, the hike starts at East Fortuna Staging Area, directly off the Mast Blvd exit from highway 52. There is a nice parking lot, picnic tables and a new ranger station that opened in February 2020 (right before COVID-19 closed the park down in March).
From East Fortuna Staging Area there are two routes one can take to head up North Fortuna. The main route is along the Perimeter Trail road. This is on the left at the entrance to the parking lot.
The other route is along the trail in the back of the parking lot by the new ranger station. Either way the two trails meet up about a half-mile into the hike. For diversity one can do one trail on the way in and the other coming out.
The two trails meet back on Perimeter Trail and continue another half mile to a major intersection in the Grasslands Loop area. At this point the suggested route turns south, to the left. The Perimeter Trail for this hike turns right, heading north toward highway 52 and the power lines.
After climbing a hill, the trail meets up with the power lines and the freeway. From this point the trail follows the freeway along the service road. This is where the up and down sections start.
Perimeter Trail along the freeway runs about two miles with many up and down sections. The first down section goes into Oak Canyon and the intersection with the Oak Canyon Trail, one of the best hikes in Mission Trails. The section just completed is part of our Oak Canyon loop trail.
The main issue with the Perimeter Trail is the steep and hazardous downhill portions. If the first downhill section was too much make a left on Oak Canyon Trail under the bridge and head less than half a mile south until it meets with Fortuna Saddle Trail. At this point turning right puts one back on the suggested trail.
Continuing on Perimeter Trail the route goes through a series of up and down sections until ending at a fence along highway 52. At this point the only option is top turn left and head up North Fortuna Trail.
At this point the real climbing starts. A short distance up there are some trails splitting off to the right. This includes Shepard Ridge Trail which gives access to the west side of Mission Trails. The direction up the mountain continues up to the left with some steep switchbacks and stairs.
The uphill climb continues up the mountain far above highway 52. Most of the views are too the north, but as you near the top downtown San Diego and the south side of the city come into view.
The top of North Fortuna is marked by a plaque. If you want to officially complete the 5-Peak challenge take a selfie with the sign as proof.
From the top you can head back the way you came, but the main goal of this hike is to make a loop. In this case, North Fortuna Trail continues straight ahead to the south where it meets up with Fortuna Saddle Trail.
Turning left on North Fortuna Saddle Trail will head back towards the starting point. You can find a full guide to this section of the hike here.
The Perimeter Trail is one of only several routes up North Fortuna. We are doing guides to all the routes and the Perimeter Trail is our least favorite. However, for the adventurous it is worth exploring. You can see more hikes up North Fortuna here.
For more hikes in Mission Trails Regional Park be sure and check out our full guide.
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