The last time I visited Lake Murray was with Karlie. In fact, it was her last adventure before she got her wings in 2022. We had such a good time that day and she was doing fantastic. Sadly, just a few days later she started to not feel well and just over a week later we said goodbye. Because of this returning to Lake Murray was bittersweet for me.
Despite that I decided it was the perfect spot for Sunny and I to go hiking after a week of rain. I knew all the other trails would be muddy and Lake Murray has an asphalt bike trail around part of the lake so it seemed like the perfect choice.
When Sunny and I arrived the skies were bright blue and the sun was shining. It was a beautiful day and we were so happy to be out of the house after a week of rain. We headed through the gate and started our walk on the bike path. We followed the route we had always done, but normally we would only walk about a mile before turning around. This time we followed the path all the way to the end. It winds around following the reservoir, goes past another parking area, a baseball field, and some homes on the hill. Eventually you come upon a gate across the path. This is the turn around point with a clever sign indicating if you don’t touch the sign that lap doesn’t count. Of course we did that after getting a picture of Sunny and then headed back to the car.
As we walked we noticed the skies getting grayer and some dark clouds, but we wanted to make it to the end so we kept walking. It started to sprinkle a little, but nothing too serious. The sprinkles were off and on until we made it to the turn around point. Once we turned around we noticed that the dark clouds were bigger and darker, but luckily it still never rained more than a light sprinkle. We made it back to the car and were on the road before the rains came. On the way home we ran into some heavier rain, but we didn’t mind since we were so happy to have been able to get out and hit the trails after a week of only walking in our neighborhood on sidewalks.
Our Rating
Karlie, Sunny, and I rate Lake Murray 3 out of 4 paws up. Although it’s a beautiful place we prefer to hike on dirt trails. It was perfect for this hike, though, because the dirt trails were all too muddy. We also prefer getting our toes wet in the water and dogs are not allowed within 50 feet of the reservoir. Despite that it’s a fun place to visit and you can hike nearly 6 miles. Parking is great and there are rest rooms along the trail. There are also benches overlooking the reservoir which provides a nice spot to rest.
How Do I Get There?
The best way to find this trail is to use Lake Murray Boat Launch as the location. From I-8 take exit #11 toward 70th Street/Lake Murray Blvd. Turn right onto Lake Murray Blvd. After .6M turn left onto Kiowa Drive. Continue for .3M then veer right at the Mission Trails Regional Park – Lake Murray sign. Follow the road to the end and either park on the left in the lot or the spots to the right. The entrance to the trail is near the parking spots on the right.
For more information about Lake Murray check out these websites.
City of San Diego – Lake Murray