Kwaay Paay Trail and Summit

As one of the 5 peaks challenge in Mission Trials Regional Park, Kwaay Paay is less well unknown but can be considered one of the more challenging peak.
Entrance/​parking: Enter the regional park from Mission Gorge Rd and turn into Father Junipero Serra Trail. At the interception of Father Junipero Serra Trail and Bushy Hill Dr., there is a parking lot for visitors. You can also park near Kumeyaay Lake Campground which has a parking space and restrooms.
Trail distance/​difficulty: It’s about 2.5 miles around trip and 970 feet elevation gain. It is a difficult trail because the short distance with significant elevation gain. Most part of the trail is very steep and rugged.
Activity: There are two routes to summit Kwaay Paay Peak. From the East entrance, which is the one closer to the Kumeyaay Lake campground, you will soon see the trail split into left and right. Both route leads to the main Kwaay Paay summit trail. I recommend the right route since it quickly starts off with steep trail and sets up the tone of the hike. The left route also leads to the main trail except it has a milder start. As soon as you get to the main route, the entire trail is on a steep slop up. It can be very challenging and strenuous. However, a beautiful view awaits you at the summit! Once you arrive, the 360 degree view of San Diego will ease your mind and raise your horizon. I love this trail because it’s challenging, less people, and gorgeous view.
Tips: Make sure you wear shoes which offer excellent traction. Hiking shoes recommended since the trail is rugged and can cause sliding on the rocks. Plenty of water in the summer time. Leash is required for pets. This may be a difficult trail for small children.

I like this trail for a lot of reasons.
–Not a far drive from most places in SD
–Easy and plentiful parking
–Easy to find trailhead
–Easy to follow
–Short but good work out
–Nice views
We parked in the parking lot outside the dam. This is a very small parking lot, but we snagged the last spot. From this parking lot, the trailhead is directly across Fr. Junipero Serra Rd. There’s another parking area (Bushy Hill Dr. dirt lot) and a second trailhead closer to that lot. The trailfrom that lot is about .1 mile longer. The two trails converge fairly early on the into the hike.
The hike is 1.2(ish) miles to the summit. It’s mostly uphill, but not too bad. My 6 year old did it easily. It’s a good little short workout. It’s rocky, so wear good shoes and be careful.
We went on a Monday morning, and there were a good number of people on the trail. I read that this trail was empty, but we passed at least 20 people. I think the 5 Peak Challenge is bringing more people here. Still, it’s not overly crowded!

My first time hiking here and I’m sold. A fast, steadily inclining trail with a decent summit view payoff.
Kwaay is exponentially less crowded than Cowles and the well manicured trails are perfect for interval training and real cardio kicker.
125 to Mission Gorge, make a left, and drive until you see the Mission Trails signage. Plenty of available parking, both street and a decent sized dirt lot.
I believe it’ll be my new go to when i’m pressed for time and want to do some cardio in God’s open air.

I loved this hike. Not too long and a great workout! It is all up hill and you will break a good sweat. If you exercise often then this shouldn’t be hard for you. I did this without hiking boots and it wasn’t bad. Loved that there weren’t a lot of people.

First time hiking here && I loved it. Wasn’t difficult at all. It was hard to find at first but the park ranger helped us. If you are park by the old dam, there’s an entrance in front. Second entrance is by the dirt parking lot on bushy hill dr, on the north side.

I love this hiking spot for many reasons. First, it can really kick your behind. No… really… expect a sore behind after this hike. It’s a short hike but it’s a great workout. You’ll get great views all around and the other reason to love this spot is the lack of crowds. If you come during the week, you might not see more than 3 people on your way up or down the hike. On the wkend, I usually run into a few people but nothing compared to most other hiking locations (i.e. Cowles mtn, Torrey Pines Reserve, etc).
Downfall of this hike, you might run into a snake but they will likely be hiding. You should wear hiking boots instead of tennis shoes or use a walking stick.

I love this little hike! It’s tough, and thorough! Less crowded, and about .5 mile shorter than Cowles, Kwaay Paay has much fewer switchbacks and is basically a straight shot up to the top! It is a welcomed new adventure.
I consider myself an intermediate hiker, and this trail provides sweat, and a good amount of grit in certain spots! Check it out :)

I love this trail! It’s short, but a tough uphill climb. Not nearly as busy as Cowles, which is another good thing about this trail. Just be careful, especially on the way down, and wear proper shoes please.

Great workout. Similar to Cowels less the crowds.

Don’t have time for a long work out but need a good sweat? Want to get away from the crowds of cowles mtn? Kwaay paay is your spot. Like you’ve read in other reviews it’s only about 2.2 miles. But I have to tell that if you want a quick workout and a good burn this is your trail. It’s not a boring switch back trail. It’s basically straight up with a couple spots that flatten out a bit.
Maybe I shouldn’t be writing a review because the other reason I love this spot is it’s not crowded. On a busy day you might see 12 people.
Park in the dirt lot on the corner of bushy hill and father juniper. Walk west on the paved road about 150 yards and look to your left.
Pro tip: don’t wear running shoes unless you want to end up on your butt on the way down. At least some good trail shoes

Giving it a 5 more than anything because this trail is not very crowded. This trail is not the longets hike but doea have the best view. To add more to this hike I park at the visitor center parking lot and catch the trail up from the Bushy Hill entrance making the workout close to 7 miles round trip. Add the grinding rock loop for an even better workout a pretty scenic trail.

This hike is short and sweet. It’s about 2.5 miles in total and has a peak height of 1194 feet. There is a lot of uphill to this hike, so if you are on a time constraint and are really looking to get a good, toning work out in, this hike is highly recommended. Once on top, there is plenty of room to walk about or sit on one of the flat topped rocks and take in the panoramic view, which on a clear day allows you to take in downtown, La Mesa, Miramar, La Jolla, Coronado, Point Loma and more.
While not as high as Cowles, I prefer this hike over Cowles by far due to it’s greater intensity and lesser human traffic. At a brisk pace, my friend and I reached the peak from our parking spot outside of the park gates in 35 minutes. We were able to see a magnificent sunset followed by the rising of an amazing full moon.
This trail is good for energetic kids and dogs, which can make for a great family outing.

I lived in Santee for a while and this was a staple hike for me when I only had an hour or so and wanted a swift elevation change. Most people go to Cowles but half the reason I hike is to get away from people. This trail is probably the least inhabited in the park, especially early in the day. I see an average of 4 passersby. Probably because the terrain is rather steep and slippery in parts. Don’t come here without some sort of tread on your shoes. (Vans slip-​ons might as well be dirt skis, I’ve witnessed it) you can see all around and to the Pacific at the top, but I’d say the main attraction is the relative quiet. Bring water and expect some steep climbing, but you can make it up and down in an hour if you keep a steady pace. If you are coming from the main parking lit the first trailhead on the left will split in two. Both lead to the main trail but the left fork wanders more while the right one starts you with a steep warm up that soon levels off before joining together with the other again.

This was my first time at the Mission Trails Kwaay Paay Trail & Summit. It’s a short hike and I really think the end should’ve been a lot better. I’ve been to a lot of trails around the U.S. so I wasn’t expecting much. Not bad for a quick 1mile trail.

Short and not so sweet. This is a great little hike if your in the area and want a little hill training. Right now the trail is well maintained with sand bags and a few steps along the way. During spring there are quite a few wild flowers and native plants blooming.
Decent challenge if you only have about an hour, some of the Teriann is a bit steep, and might be a little slippery with regular shoes.
Great view from the top, very few people on the trail.

Love me some hiking —
However, this one is pretty short, 1.1 Mile out or up I should say. Trail is so well maintained we passed more trail workers than hikers.
Steep and steady climb up, nice short hike, good views at summit.

Best analogous to… Tasting menus.
There are multiple entry points in entering Kwaay Paay. I used the Bushy Hill entrance.
You park in the dirt lot and proceed to one of two Kwaay Paay Trails. Because life is short, it’s best to do the hardest trail (I hit it two times that evening) which is the first one that you see after the parking lot. The first trail has more and bigger curves but they both converge before the main parts of the trail.
The website lists the Kwaay Paay hike as one of the harded hikes (Category 5 — Challenging) but don’t let societal norms and expectations influence what you should do in life — even if you’ve never hiked in your life, you can still hike this trail.
Right where the trail begins, begins your journey, with THE AMUSE BOUCHE. This is a very steep but short hike that gets you sweaty because really, you can’t just rush into things; you must stretch your legs before scoring big short but slightly strenuous main hike. You may be winded after the first leg but keep up the stamina; after this taste of delight, there’s a small stretch of relatively flat (and somewhat downhill) action.
Now, things are heating up. You’ve had a taste of the sinfully carnal amuse bouche and it was such a tease you want more. Well, now comes THE APPETIZER (GPS coordinates @ +32, 50′ 5.74″, –117, 2′ 23.2″).
This is a prolonged scene of small rocks in the first section. You think that you’ve done this type before but that’s when it surprises you and hits you with something you’ve never felt before… a steep dirt trail. The face of the trail is very fun because if you aren’t careful, you’ll slide down (there is virtually no traction except on the perimeters). The website recommends trail or hiking shoes but if you’re careful, running shoes may be fine. Otherwise, if you have proper gear, you can hit it fast and quick, which is what I prefer when I hike.
Oh, now you really want it. Well, finally, here comes THE MAIN COURSE (GPS coordinates @ +32 49′ 53.72″, –117 2′ 37.8″). This isn’t as sexy as the earlier courses on the menu but the hike is no easy feat. You navigate through a very narrow trail.
The second hike up that day, I climaxed in 22 minutes, 10 seconds. The first one was around 28 minutes due to recording (GPS coordinates) and picture taking. Yes, that’s how long it takes for you to get to THE DESSERT (GPS coordinates @ +32 49′ 44.71″, –117 2′ 45.2″).
Like most of the summits in San Diego (namely, Mission Trails Regional Park Hiking Trails), when you hit the the summit, there isn’t much to see and you’re like, «Ehh, seriously, that’s it?» The view at the summit was comparable to just about every other Mission Trails summit (nothing spectacular); I took a few pictures but really, I wasn’t inspired like Hemingway on top of Mt. Kilimanjaro.
The descent down Kwaay Paay isn’t easy. In fact, the downward path on the dirt slope is actually harder than going up.
This is a quick ~1.14-mile hike (one-​way); do two of these to work off your unhealthy shrimp burrito (w/​guac) habit. Even on a Sunday, there were no idiots hiking this trail. Who knows, in the summer months, all the idiots come out but the hikers that day had great disclipine and fellow hiker courtesy.
Remember, protect your investments: Do not leave valuables in your car. Also, plan to exit by 7pm which is when the main gate closes. The main gate closes earlier than the dirt lot which closes at «Sunset» but even if sunset is after 7pm, don’t risk it (they probably won’t tow you at 7:15pm but they may cite you). 7pm is the closing time after Daylight Saving starts. «Saving» is singular and not a modifying verb, it’s not a savings account =)
GPS coordinates courtesy of Google Nexus One =)