Fortuna Mountain

OMG!!! What a beauty!
If you are fan of nature and hiking then this place is best for you.

Not the most shady nor the most green hike. Let’s be real, there was like absolutely no shade. Nilch. And the only green I saw was from the occasional bush and shrub we passed. And it was soo hot. Way to hot for my freckly prone skin. If you’re guessing, yes I’m one of those light skinned Asians who try to stay outta the sun. At least I didn’t carry around an umbrella. Lol. Buuut it was still an awesome hike! Went here for a morning hike with some good friends and we did maybe 5 or 6 ish miles. Climbed the stairs and trodded along rocky trails and thankfully there was at least a slight cold breeze. I think it didn’t help that the night before, I did a Halloween hell week gym session at Orangetheory fitness LA ( Unilocal it!) and my legs were still burning from all the burpies and squats. Although my favorite are the more shady nature-​ry hikes or the very rewarding scene at the top hikes, I do love me some hikes in general and love to explore new spots! Glad I got a workout in before I grubbed on boozy brunch !

nice! barely over crowded! spotted a heron w a big ol fish in his mouth! would visit again!

We started off from the Clairemont Mesa entrance, parked on the street instead of the parking lot because they were going to lock up the gates at 7:30 PM that day.
You cross the bridge and have the choice of going left or right. Wooden post with maps located at this intersection. We went left and followed the multi-​use road which was mostly gravel.
There are two ways you can go when you reach the power tower, the dirt path to the left will lead to North Fortuna and right will lead you to ascend to South Fortuna. The map we picked up was accurate and the trails were clearly marked.
We ascended to North Fortuna and continued to hike until we went down the South Fortuna steps and looped around to trek back to where we began. Approximately 10 miles roundtrip for we way we took.
Great views and much less crowded than the adjacent Cowles Mountain. We encountered less than 10 people the entire time. Would definitely do again!

Fantastic hike, and the 350 steps towards the top of the summit is an awesome workout!!!

I thought we wouldn’t get lost… but we did. We google mapped and I don’t think that address is correct. We ended up hiking tierrasanta trail instead of the furtuna trail.
I’d recommend googling mission trails regional park, there’s a parking lot there (albeit small) and there are clear signs for north and south fortuna summits.
We hiked north fortuna instead of South :(but we thought north was cool too! There are geo-​caches at the top!

I have been to the Mission Trails Regional Park many times, often to rock climb as well but always from the Mission Gorge Rd entrance. This time I tried the other side and I was very surprised for the scenary and the peace that this less crowded mountainside offers.

I love this hike. I love it. I love that it is close to me (15 minutes from Clairemont WHATTT), I love that it has a million different route options, I love that it is open and pet friendly. I love that is has a stair mountain. I love it.
I guess it’s not 5 stars only because it’s not THE most beautiful hike ever (I blame the drought), but this is a good hike for people of all fitness levels. It could be a nice leisurely hike if you take it slow and avoid the steep incline at the end (But that’s where the fun is!!), or could be difficult if you up the pace or beast it out like my boyfriend did and add a 20 pound backpack (brag time: he is training for Mt. Whitney. He’s the coolest).
We started at the Tierrasanta entrance and it was about 5 miles round trip and took us a little under 2.5 hours. We were going at what I feel is a normal pace. I’d recommend lots of sunscreen and water, and starting early since it can get really hot depending on when you go!
I highly recommend getting to the top of South Fortuna Mountain. The view from here is lovely – you can see roads, mountains, downtown, the ocean on a clear day – everything! It is really nice!
I haven’t yet done both mountains, but you can dip down from South Fortuna and get up North Fortuna if you want to. I am not ready for that yet. My legs and my butt were so tired after climbing all the stairs. GOOD WORKOUT. Like I have said before, it will give you a «dayum girl» butt because it’s a really steep incline at the very end (pretty short but pretty steep!)
¹⁰⁄₁₀ would do again.

First off, I do not think this hike is as hard as people say.
I thought the South Fortuna Stairs were more Challenging than the hike up to North Fortuna.
We started around noon on a sunny, warm day. Some areas are steep and rocky so you need to be careful and have good shoes.
The view from the top is nice if its not hazy.
Our time was 2 hrs and 45 mins, and that included a stop for a snack at the top.
It is a good workout, but I don’t think it should be rated as moderately strenuous.
Update– I hiked up the South side of North Fortuna. Oh my god. That is a workout! Killer on the quads, much harder than the North Side of N. Fortuna.

Located in mission trails Mt. Fortuna is a intermediate hike. Beginners may want to bring a few water bottles some snacks. Depending on where you are parked at, expect the hike to be anywhere between 3 to 6 miles. There are so many different starting points and I suggest you set your laps at your starting point to keep track. Beautiful hike once you make it to the top. Cowles mt. is on the left side and you can see the towers. I hike this mountain 3 times a week and find that the crowd of people is not quite as much as Cowles mt. Be careful during the hot and cold months of April thru October, I’ve encounter 3 to 4 rattlesnakes on every time that im out hiking during these months. If your looking for a place to hike that’s not crowded and fantastic view, I recommend you try mt. Fortuna and start at the Visitors Center.

1.5 hrs at a bit over 4 miles up and down Mt. fortuna. north? you can see the 52 freeway from where you are. gotta watch out for bikers and it’s way less populated than cowles! probably saw about twenty friendly fellow hikers.

This mountain can be hiked either from Clairemount Mesa west entrance or from the Mission Trail Dam east entrance.
We went up from the Dam.
I suggest this hike directly after a rain. With our lack of water from the sky you may have to wait awhile.
Follow the well marked signs at the south entrance below the Dam as you cross the SD River.
You can park at the Dam. Total miles out and back around 5 miles.
Beautiful easy hike in the beginning as you follow a creek (water only visible after a recent rain).
You will start up and do a little rock scrambling as go left up the mountain.
Keep to your left on all trails you encounter as you progress upwards to the Fortuna peak.
The hard part begins as you go really rise up to the top of a median peak. Very slippery. At this point you can take the south (left) or north (right) peaks of the Fortunas.
Views to the ocean on a clear day await.
Enjoy…
Your trip down believe it or not will be super slippery and more difficult because of the steepness. I saw one guy when we were walking up slip twice and suffer a sore butt.
In summary this is a beautiful hike and very rewarding because it is so close to downtown San Diego and environs.

2^nd time is a charm! First time we got lost trying to find the south fortuna hiking path and stairs. We ended up running out of time. We came back 2 days later and conquered it. Stairs are awesome and the best part of the hike. Once you get to top no thrills but, happy we did it! Water at start and end was refreshing after a long dirty hike! Will do again! Note please pick up after your dogs, bring plenty of water for both you and keep your dogs on leash. Be responsible… I take my two labs with me on my hikes and always carry bags, please do the same. Its gross to walk upon piles of poop!

The lowdown: Park at Clairemont mesa blvd. There is trail parking (closes at 5) and street parking. There is north Fortuna, the saddle (connecting the two) and south Fortuna (all in a row) with lots of trails surrounding it.
You start off on a gray, gravel access road that follows the power lines. We followed the left side of the trail (every time it split) to get to north Fortuna first. You are less likely to get lost if you go this way. It is flat for about the first ¾ mile. The gray, gravel trail leads to the rim trail. Follow the rim trail to the base of the mountain. You’ll pick up the north Fortuna trail eventually (just head up). There are mini stairs on the north side. Once you are up, the Fortuna trail is easy to follow. You can take the access trail back once you are in the saddle (middle of the two mountains) or keep heading to the south Fortuna side. The south side gives great views of mission gorge and has the big stairs that everyone raves about. If you do the south side back– once you are at the base of south Fortuna pick up the red gravel access trail to get back (kinda follows the power lines). Use the power lines as a marker as that is where Clairemont mesa blvd starts.
Moderate hike. We made this a 9 mile hike in 4 hours with lunch at the summit but you can do it in 6.5 if you follow instructions above.
We did this in January– I am guessing it would be hot in the summer as there is not that much shade! But lovely, diverse terrain and great 360 views. You won’t be disappointed.

Some people suggest parking about a mile away. If it’s not a crowded day, there is plenty of free street Peking at the end of clairemont Mesa blvd that is right at the trail head.
Also, if you are going to hike up the south and down the north side (or vice versa) make sure you know where you are going as trails are poorly marked.
Awesome hike. Awesome workout. Great views.

Spent about 3 hours hiking the whole fortuna with friends. took a few long breaks to eat and talk. It was very confusing as it was our first time hiking here. We just kind of following the trail and asking people. Would love to come back and try it again now that we know the routes better.

Went today with my friend. When we arrived we already know where exactly we want to go. We want to hit the staircase to heaven as everyone called it. but because of lack of sign to follow. We headed in circle for like 30 minutes with no direct destination. Luckily we saw one biker and asked for direction as on what trail to follow to get to the staircase. A million thanks to her. We thought as we walked we got lost again. But Thankfully before both of us got disappointed we saw the staircase on time. It was a hard and sweaty hike. Fun looking all the beautiful rocks and view at the top of the mountain. The staircase was amazing. I loved how they manage to put it through all the way up. Kudos to the people who worked on it. Because of them it was easy for us hikers to climbed to the top. I didn’t feel any sore for now. Maybe because i already climbed the hardest mountain and this one was nothing compare to mount Woodson. But i surely recommend for people to try it because of the view.

Fun, challenging hike. Hardly anybody there on a Saturday morning. This is my new favorite hike in San Diego. You have a lot of foliage near the river and you get to cross it on rocks. The staircase part is great and the views from the top are fantastic. Our Beagle loved it!

I really enjoyed the run up to North Fortuna Mountain, though it did have it’s drawbacks. The biggest was the lack of clarity on the signs. Granted I’m good with just a good ol’ map and compass if I needed to, but I was running up, not hiking. I had to stop consistently because although there are signs, there are no arrows indicating the direction one should go. I came to many forks in the road, so I took them.
I did find the ammo cans so it was all worth it.

This is my favorite trail in sd! I’ve been a dozen times and have only repeated the same trail twice. I found a 10mile loop that love. See ya out there!