The Old Mission Dam in San Diego - A Trip Back in Time

[@keithsellers7166]

I grew up in the Santee area and went to High school at Santana in the 60’s. As a kid my friends and I would ride our bicycles to the dam and fish for crawdads with bacon tied on a string. We also caught crappie and blue gill that my mom would cook for us. One year the river flooded the dam area and my buddy and I were out there at the dam and was standing on top of the part of it that you show in your video with the water running through it. On that day a reporter from the San Diego Union and Evening Tribune wax there. Back in those days there were two newspapers one in the morning ( San Diego Union) and in the evening ( The Evening Tribune) he was taking pictures of the flooding and took our pictures while we were standing on the dam ! I had a paper route delivering the San Diego Union in Carlton Hills and to my surprise when I got the papers to roll for delivery my picture was on the front page below the fold!!!! That brings back a lot of memories for me because I had explored all over that area. One of the mountains back behind the dam was nick named rattlesnake mountain because of all of the snakes on it. A guy I went to school with (Jim Davis) and his father captured the rattlers and would milk them for the venom and sell it to Scripts Ranch for serum to treat snake bites. There was always a story going around back then too that talked about there being a Spanish cannon in a cave up there somewhere, but I think it was just a myth because we hiked all over that place and never found it. It was a fun time growing up in Santee, there was always something different to do. You were never too far from the beach the Cuyamaca Mountains, the dessert Tijuana Mexico or a quick trip up to Disneyland, knotts Berry Farm or The Wax Museum. It was a great place to grow up.... oh the memories your video conjured up... thank you Steve!

[@duleybraza4558]

I had some similar experiences on the other side of the country, at about the same time, catching crayfish, bluegill and snapping turtles in Virginia. My friend and I found ruins with concrete bunker like shapes buried under leaves and surrounded by trees. We later discovered that it was a POW camp at one time. This was near the Ft Hunt area. I think we had more freedom as kids then, than we do as adults.

[@robertlyman9789]

Bet it sure different now

[@timarnold7239]

I grew up in San Carlos-Patrick Henry HS Class of '72. After 1st Mod, we had 2 hours of what the school called "open mod" when students who had cars could go off campus. We used to head straight out Golfcrest Drive to Mission Gorge Road and out to either the dam, or that abandoned access road off Padre Junipero Serra Road that took you across the river (if you had a a lift kit) to the north quarry. Both locales were good for getting high. But maybe you County boys were more wholesome than us prevert city folk, eh? heh heh heh... We fished there too. Mostly in the quarry pond. Snagged a few cat fish and bass on stink bait. Did you or your friends ever ride on that old manual 4 seat cable tram that spanned the gorge? Good ol' days.

[@keithsellers7166]

Yeah I was pretty young when the pictures in the SD Union appeared. But visited often after that it was also a very popular make out spot…. Need I say more?

[@TheStuport]

Feels like The Old Mission Dam is really out in the middle of nowhere...yet as you mentioned Steve, it is literally 15 minutes away from multiple Walmarts. What a Treasure for San Diego! This was a fun hike and very interesting story! Really appreciate the time and effort you put into your videos Steve. It's quite obvious this is a labor of love for you AND We Fans do not take it for granted! Cheers From Ohio

[@conniewojahn6445]

I don't take any of Steve's videos for granted, that's for sure. Can't wait for Wednesday when he uploads new. I live in Oregon and find southern California to be too dry and, well, ugly, for my tastes in nature. But since viewing his videos, I've come to appreciate the climate and terrain there as part of the greater ecosystem of North America. Good videos can change people's minds.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you, I appreciate it. Yeah, the park is really an island of wilderness in the city.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you!

[@1nvisible1]

*Cool find, hey @**2:39** on the 15 ton boulder dedicated May 17 1941, the word "PADRES" and "INDIANS" were edited into the ground down original which had said 'first permanent irrigation project by white men in california'! BIG THANKS to Larry Stirling of San Diego Council who got that changed* "OLD MISSION DAM BUILT 1813 - 1816 A PART OF THE FIRST PERMANENT IRRIGATION PROJECT BY PADRES AND INDIANS IN CALIFORNIA MARKER PLACED BY THE SAN DIEGO CHAPTER, DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION MAY 17TH, 1941"

[@corn677]

@@SidetrackAdventures Hey Steve, any cool hidden treasures on the climb up Cowles Mountain that would be worth a video. Really appreciate your videos. They are all really cool. We go to Laughlin a few times a year and your vids about the towns and hidden treasures along the I-40 corridor are awesome. You make us realize you can find wonderful stuff just about anywhere. I live in Allied Gardens and love hiking in Mission Trails park.

[@DW-qe7qe]

Forgot about the Padre Dam until you brought back a flood of memories. A bunch of us used to ride dirt bike motorcycles around the area below Black Mountain as we called it. There was nothing but open space between Navajo and Mission Gorge back then and we had loads of fun. Several times we rode over to the Dam to explore. Never knew about the rocks where the natives ground their food. And the Dam area looks the same now as it did 55 years ago. Thank you for the memories.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

I found a picture of it from the 30s and it looked the same too.

[@donalddodson7365]

Thank you, Steve. Thanks for highlighting our San Diego history and great scenery. I appreciate your balanced research and acknowledging the difficulties with the Spanish colonialization.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you, I really appreciate it.

[@jdrosner1]

Back in 1967 our family moved from Fanita Drive to Wistful Vista, a short bike ride to Mission Trails Park and the dam. Back then they had just opened up the new Mission Gorge Road, but what is now Junipero Serra Trail was the old Mission Gorge and was still open to traffic. The park was just a small parking lot and no buildings, signage or organized trails. I knew every rock on the south side of the dam, and my fishing spot was the little protrusion next to the spillway as seen @3:48.Garter snakes, bullfrogs, crayfish, pollywogs, bluegill, jackrabbits and redtail hawks were abundant. Much of the north side of the dam was covered in scrub oak and tamarisk, and only a handful of us local kids ever explored that part. After a hot day of riding down there and back, we could stop at a local water bottling company and just guzzle from the spigots they had out front. After enjoying that for a year, we then moved to the avocado covered Rattlesnake Mountain on the Lakeside side.

[@rickkaylor8554]

I was just here Monday on a hike after work. You do feel like you are far away from civilization on some of the trails but it is an illusion. Unfortunately Mission Trails park is being loved to death. So many people are using it. The good thing is that there must be a lot of people who pick up the trash on the trails because I rarely see any. Graffiti is also minimal (except for the toilets near the dam). Probably my favorite hike is Oak Canyon. Thanks for making these informative and entertaining videos.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Oh man, there is a big boulder on Father Junipero Serra Rd, near the rock climbing trail, and several times I've been down there and have seen that someone has spraypainted it. Makes me so mad, but they are quick to get it off but you can still tell it was there. The people who do trail work etc are amazing though. I too rarely see trash.

[@michaelduszynski4128]

Some traces of the flume are visible behind the 5th green at the Admiral Baker North Course, as well as a bit further upstream in the quarry area.

[@stjo4756]

I grew up there , I wish now I had spent more time exploring. Thank you.

[@harrisric128]

Lots of water down there this year. Love that place

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Someone told me it said "savages" but I don't know for sure. Been trying to find an old picture of it.

[@MichaelTitera]

Another fantastic video, San Diego Steve! As a kid, I always mistakenly thought the building on Presidio Hill was Mission San Diego. Not until I became an adult did I find out that Presidio Hill was just the original site of the mission. It is now the location of the Junipero Serra Museum, which stands prominently atop the hill overlooking historic Old Town State Park and Mission Valley. The Junipero Serra Museum contains thousands of artifacts unearthed from this historic site.

[@paulscanter5562]

That Grinding Stones trail you show at 7:00 was closed off for years as was much of the trail around the river. My wife and I used to picnic right there on the rocks in the late '80s and early '90s. Beautiful place.

[@conniewojahn6445]

Nice memories!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Wow, I wonder if they were doing any archaeology work there at the time.

[@paulscanter5562]

@@SidetrackAdventures, habitat recovery I think. Actually I didn’t know they had reopened that area and I still don’t know how much of it they did open.

[@kennycraven2648]

You find the best little historic spots.

[@russell-di8js]

Just want to say thanks for always giving us the chance to pause the video's so we can read any interesting plaques you come across. I felt like i wanted to lie beside the water & drift asleep imagining food grinding while children played.

[@danielfernandez1129]

One of my favorite spots in San Diego. Grew up around here. Could spend all day in Mission Trails.

[@zygmuntziokowski7877]

When I lived in San Diego in the 70's, I visited the Mission of San Diege several time, but never the dam area, Thanks for sharing.

[@scottpearce8772]

... How did I miss this one, thanks Steve...

[@SpanishEclectic]

I've heard the name Padre Dam for years, but never knew where it was located. Nice you were able to get some shots with water pouring through, and wildflowers blooming on the hillsides. I recall a picture on display at the 70th Street trolley station that showed the historic trade routes and trails of the native people all through Mission Valley. The last time I was there it was gone...I wish I'd taken a photo of it. All of this history is so interesting and I appreciate your honest and sensitive treatment of the subject. My relative of mine actually has grinding stones and pictographs above the creek at the edge of her property in East El Cajon. They had experts from SDSU and Museum of Man out to look at them.

[@semiproactive9625]

That is an old dam, damn. Thank Steve for another fun hike and I'm not even sore.

[@michaelsimonds2632]

Thanks!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you, I really appreciate it!

[@CactusAtlas]

Fantastic area! The running water is super relaxing and that old dam! Truly fascinating old history to the location. 👍

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Yeah, its usually nice and peaceful on weekdays. Weekends are another story lol

[@andrewpates]

Great video & especially from the 8:15 mark on truly beautiful, moving & funny, thank you!

[@TheAsif5182]

woow. what a great place to visit . how calm the place is . wish to stay for a while and watch the imagination of old era on silver screen on mind .

[@knappdaddy]

So cool to see the area so well preserved !

[@danaowen9014]

Thank you for finding these old places that we would never known excisted.

[@susanherman3707]

Thanks for all your videos. This probably won't buy a tank of gas, but maybe lunch!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you. I really appreciate this.

[@janblake9468]

I attended San Diego State College in the 1960's. I knew about the dam, and the mission, but never went there. Thank you.

[@yamaracer991]

Wow Steve, I literally started traveling around that area every other day about 2 months ago, I deliver fuel to the Sycuan fuel station over on Dehesa Rd in El Cajon. I come from the North coming down 15S to the 8E and when I leave I take 8W to the 67N to 52W back to 15N. Gonna definitely try and check out Dam one of these days just gonna have to find room to park my Rig lol. Great Video sir.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

If you go on the weekday you can probably park it on Father Junipero Serra Rd with no problems. The fire department does training in the area and I see fire trucks parked there all the time.

[@gilochoa2980]

Thanks so much for taking everyone on your travels. It is so interesting and you are a wonderful storyteller.

[@Smarty1171]

Once again. Top notch sound editing. Thanks.

[@IndridCool54]

Very cool! Love the indigenous history! 👍🏼

[@pisacksen]

Great content, as usual. You are an excellent story teller! I cannot wait for your videos to be released on Wednesdays. Keep up the great work.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you.

[@janohare916]

Mission Trails Regional Park is big and beautiful, and I remember it with great affection. Wish I were there right now!

[@michaelmccleary4665]

All these episodes are very good day trips, well done...

[@felipericketts]

It would be nice to connect the history of the Alta Californian missions with the missions in Baja California. This connection is often missed and many people don't realize that the San Diego mission was not the first in the chain. Thanks for sharing your stories. I enjoy it greatly as it gives me a sense that I am part of something that is vast, beatiful and ancient.

[@ksr1177]

Another great video and history lesson Steve. Thanks again.

[@mikeifyouplease]

Be sure to check out the San Inez Mission and Mission Purisima. Both are amazing. Also, Solvang is adjacent to the first mission. Don't forget to go to the Solvang Restaurant and have a breakfast of Danish sausage and Æbleskivers! You can't say you've been to Solvang if you haven't eaten those!! Danish Days is the absolute best time to go! The 22 mile drive between the two missions is one of the most beautiful. You feel like you are driving through a beautiful oil painting landscape. A great place to stay is the Split Pea Inn. They have awesome morning authentic Danishes. Good prices; nice people. Next door is the Split Pea Restaurant (no connection). A lot of history there! Be sure to get the split pea soup with "All the Fixings", so worth it!

[@D.Frasure]

I used to live in Poway many years ago, enjoyed the video.

[@billscott356]

Just for fun, brought up Google maps. Set position at the park headquarters and did a search for "walmart". Exactly one (Murphy Canyon) came up with a 15 minute driving time. The Grossmont store showed nearly the same distance, but driving time was not indicated. After closing the search panel to see more map (without re-scaling) additional Walmart's didn't appear but up to three Costco's were in plain view. Steve's commentary was so funny I just had to do it.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

No one goes the speed limit on those roads though!

[@lindagrimmett6564]

Wonderful historic place!I need to head west!

[@milt6208]

Thank you Sir. As always.

[@fearsomebeard4290]

San Diego is really just the best. I’m so grateful I live here.

[@marks.schwartz8468]

Thanks for bring back fond memories, Steve !!! Another great video !!! :)

[@richardbeee]

That was cool. You can still see the notches where they had the wooden planks across the mouth of the dam to make the water deeper. Incredible. Catch you next time, i always enjoy these little sidetrack adventures🙂

[@richardmcgrew2167]

Live just a few miles from this spot. Enjoy your explorations.

[@sumgai2585]

I don't know if you already covered it but once around WW2 a Navy Aircraft had to ditch in Otay Lake. The story of its recovery is full of intrigue as well.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

I haven't done a video on it. Recently I've seen a book just of plane crashes in San Diego County that I want to check out.

[@elsupremo3651]

I just visited the site of a B-24-or some experimental version thereof-crash in a neighborhood just off Rosecrans beyond the airport. House is still there!

[@afletchermansson4418]

Steve, your postings about San Diego County topics are really a trip in Mr. Peabody's wayback machine for me! We learned about metates and grinding acorns way back at John Paul Jones Elementary in the 1960s. And as I recall, ground acorns tasted like crap! Thanks for the reminder of the past!

[@conniewojahn6445]

Thanks, I've often wondered what acorns taste like. No wonder squirrels in my area (Oregon) like peanuts so much and leave acorns alone unless they're starving.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Yeah, I think we did that at my school in the 80s too, and I don't remember them tasting too good either.

[@mr_peach7704]

Great job on both the beauty and the history of the area. Mission Trails was totally unknown to me until I moved to the area. It’s really something special. I always laugh at how many people flock to Cowles Mtn every weekend. If they only knew…

[@kurtweiand7086]

That was a Damm good episode 😁, thanks 😊!

[@jarhead6153]

Another awesome vid…!!! Thanks for the history tour.

[@bruce2keys270]

This was super interesting and cool !!!! Thanks

[@michaelsimonds2632]

Another Dam Good video from my favorite history documenter! Thanks again, Mr. Adventures.

[@WeeklyHero]

I revert going there once as a kid to catch crawfish with my dad. Thanks for the memory!

[@daveh4283]

Great video Steve

[@professorjedi1024]

I love that how remote a place is is measured in the distance from a WalMart

[@4-SeasonNature]

Nice historical information.

[@leroyreichel8763]

Very cool! Really Dig your channel man!

[@gregboyden564]

Thanks Steve for another historic tid bit . I have never heard of this dam, and would love to go and visit it someday.

[@tristanflores1069]

Thank you for sharing this piece of history, really enjoyed it

[@cindystrachan8566]

Love the great videos, the little snippets of relevant history and the maps of the area. Wish I had the money to visit all these great places, but since I can’t I’ll rely in your great content to see them. Thank you.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you for the kind words.

[@the_spikerman3764]

Awesome videos, keep em coming my man

[@chuniquepaceno470]

As always, really appreciate your work. I will definitely have to go see the old dam, another place I'm shamed to say I never knew existed in spite of living many years in San Diego. By the way, the "flume" that carried water from the dam to the mission is called an "acequia," I believe from the Moorish influence in Spanish culture.

[@dezertraider]

EXCELLENT STEVE..VERY COOL..SAFE TRAVELS..

[@mawi1172]

You're so funny! 🤣😂🤣😂 At the end there about being so close to home. 😂😂😂keepin' it real, huh? 😘😘😘. I want to visit San Diego now.

[@c.t.turner2123]

Great Work. Love learning History

[@hamlaser]

Thanks for the mini adventure!

[@SidetrackAdventures]

It gets pretty big in Mission Valley! But some of that may be ocean water for all I know.

[@u4riahsc]

When I was a kid, back in the 50s, early 60s, we used to play there.

[@trumer-and-co]

Love seeing all of these areas that I didn't know where there. Thanks for another adventure!

[@TheTbyrd85]

This was a good episode

[@TheStryder400]

Awesome videos - great to have travel videos of USA, now i have to add a USA trip to bucket list

[@RoadDogSteve]

Well done....... thanks

[@MrBob714]

I'm from that area and went there when I was a kid to swim and fish, 55 years ago.

[@eileenirwin2778]

Thanks for another informative and interesting video, Steve. Keep 'em coming. ❤

[@secretdaisy6484]

That’s just a lovely place. I would love to spend the day fishing there. I’m a catch & release 🐟 fisher except for mountain trout. I never heard of the San Diego river. I liked all of it including the Indian structures. It’s hard to believe that wonderful park appears to be in the middle of nowhere and it’s 15 minutes from big box stores and all the rest. Thanks for sharing and providing the history. 👍☮️🌞❤️

[@SidetrackAdventures]

I see people fishing all the time, but I'm not sure what kind of fish are there.

[@skrimper]

​@@SidetrackAdventures same as any other river

[@samandrade9854]

I’m new subscriber I love you show ; been learning so much about the USA south west, Thanks

[@agp7073]

I really enjoy your adventures Steve. Keep them coming. Thanks!

[@denisehazlett508]

I've camped at the campground and it's a great way to enjoy the park and explore the area. Have you ever thought of doing a video about the Diamond Valley Lake up near Hemet? A lot fossilized bones of extinct animals were found there.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

I'll have to take a look at it. I have never been there but it sounds very interesting.

[@denisehazlett508]

The name of the with the fossils is Western Science Center, and it's located on Searle Parkway. I hope I've got it right.

[@lowbaritonewwj]

I have lived in Elsinore over 10 years now. When my roommate's sons were younger, I took them there frequently

[@MrRick123468]

I went there many times as a kid growing up in San Diego,,,,, WOW! What memories... It was called Padres Dam back then,,,

[@oneeyedjack8525]

Awesome stuff ,love your videos. Good history lessons. Keep them coming

[@HuangXingQing]

The missionaries had the same problem (soldiers abusing their converts) at the San Saba Mission & Presidio which is why the Comanches led several tribes in killing the Spanish trespassers and burning the buildings. While reading all the Spanish communique between Mexico city, San Antonio, San Saba and several other missions I was able to get a first hand account of the attitudes of Comanches toward the missionaries there. Thanks for your posts and most of all thanks for being honest about the heinous crimes committed against the natives by those representing Christendom. If you ever get to Texas there's a treasure trove of sites you could feature on your channel including the best representation, Presidio La Bahio of one in this hemisphere. Try to visit during the annual reenactment!

[@stevej7139]

I used to like hiking in that area, my friends and I used to also go 4wheeling in the hills to the north of the dam. Did you know there is a vertical mine shaft on top of one of the peaks near the dam towards the west, back in the late 70s we used to go up there with our trucks. Looking down the shaft it's not very far down there is an old car stuck in it, hard to say what they were mining for but the hole only went about 50 feet deep as far as we could tell without opening a hole big enough to squeeze past the car.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

I didn't know about the mine. There are some weird foundations here and there throughout the park and I always wonder what they were but never remember to ask if I stop by the visitor center.

[@timarnold7239]

Not too far from there is a mine called "Crystal Cave." it was rich vein of quartzite crystal that were mined and used in the olden days for radio crystals. Transistors replaced crystals in the early 1960s and the demand for quartzite crystal died. All mining was abandoned. Could be that was another vein of quartzite crystal that was abandoned.

[@brentnearhood8874]

Thanks! Steve

[@jeffmyers7062]

Good one Steve !

[@mercedithcompala8148]

This was great ❤

[@AbandonedMines11]

What a nice video of a historic site! Weren’t they going to install some kind of barrier or some kind of safety measures on that dam to prevent people from falling off of it? I remember a young guy was accidentally killed out there when he walked out onto the dam, slipped, and fell into the water or something like that a handful of years ago. Hit his head, I think. Didn’t his family sue the Park Service or the city? I thought the family was adamant about the city installing some kind of barricade or railings on the dam to prevent the same accident from happening to somebody else. Based on your video, however, it looks like nothing ever was done.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

There was a somewhat recent death, but I don't believe it was at the dam. I know there was a hiker who was in the park during bad weather and was trying to cross the river and fell and hit his head, but I thought it was at the river crossing near the visitor center. I could be wrong though. I know that crossing had about 3 feet deep water last time I walked by it, but I haven't seen any construction there either.

[@AbandonedMines11]

@@SidetrackAdventures Yes, I think you have the right news story. That story is what I think I’m remembering. For some reason, though, I thought it occurred quite a few years earlier than it did. Apparently the guy was hiking on a trail that actually crosses the river at one point. I guess he slipped and got swept away and hit his head. For some reason I thought he was crossing the river on the dam, and that’s where he got killed. Apparently his parents wanted to put some kind of bridge over the river at that spot where the trail crosses it but it looks like that never happened.

[@christianjaussi2125]

The navy takes me out from texas to San Diego about four times a year. I love Mission Valley Park. The trail past the dam and up Fortuna is always a must when I’m there. I’ll be there again in June and I’d be really cool to take a hike with a local expert if you’re free.

[@motomaxsandiego]

Mission Trails Park is the largest city park in the nation.

[@rolpal619]

We keep going to that place every weekend. Love that place. Whatever happened to the native? Where they settled?

[@gobbleguk]

After the independence of Mexico the Mission system was abolished and the state of the Kumeyaay in San Diego became more dispersed - eventually they became casino / reservation-based tribes

[@SidetrackAdventures]

There are so many trails to explore there. As more people moved into the areas the Natives were pushed to reservations.

[@Dbusdriver71]

You have some really interesting videos Sidetrack Adventures. You travel to some really interesting places and must have great stories to tell. Great video. You can eat fish from there just make sure you cook it very thoroughly!

[@noahingram8052]

Great job

[@IBRAKEFORBEDROCK]

Growing up in Santee we used to call it Padre Dam I believe. 34 years ago I got busted bass fishing just up stream from there 🤣

[@PinInTheAtlas]

Wouldn’t it be great to turn the clocks back and see how the area looked when only the Natives were there! Such beautiful scenery, Steve.

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Yeah, I imagine there had to be a village nearby, at least seasonally.

[@bobcoats2708]

You don’t have to hike too far in Mission Trails to forget you’re in the middle of San Diego and imagine what it was like 200 years ago. I do so often

[@mlss1229]

Hello let me just say I love your travel vlogs they’re educational and therapeutic. They’re quite fantastic...Also, don’t know if you have already visited and shared old town, San Diego vlog. It’s where my deceased husband’s ancestors and ironically my sister’s deceased husband’s family dwelt. Casa de Silvas and Machado. It sould be interesting to get a brief historical perspective on these families and the town during Spanish occupation. 👍

[@SidetrackAdventures]

I did a video on the cemetery in old town, but that's it so far. I want to do something more in depth down there but its just finding the time to do it properly. There is so much there.

[@EdwardGregoryNYC]

Thanks for this video. I was previously unfamiliar with the Kumeyaay, and I'll certainly be looking up the other video you made on the topic. The burning of the San Diego Mission is an interesting topic too. I'm reminded of the old Elton John song, Burn Down the Mission, which has a similar theme.

[@SoberDaze1]

Great video😎

[@SidetrackAdventures]

Thank you!

[@ericthomsen9644]

Great presentation! It's a part of history often overlooked by Americans.

[@kylemoss2765]

Thank you so much for your videos and info on places i never knew existed in San Diego...❤ Maybe you could mention how walkable these sites are... I'm not getting any younger!😢

[@SidetrackAdventures]

There is a small parking lot next to the dam and a lot of street parking if you are there on a non-weekend. Its very easy to get to. The trail down to the grinding rocks is maybe 1/4 - 1/2 mile from the visitor center and is a little steep but only about 300 feet long.

[@georgemarinez7650]

Que Pasa we love ur vids Aqui en Tejas

[@rangertommy]

Love your videos! I climbed in Mission Gorge for years, before leaving San Diego, and while I was familiar with the dam, hadn't paid that much attention to it. I also lived in Poway for years, and have really enjoyed your videos of the surrounding areas there. Thank you!

[@jerroldkazynski5480]

The first Mission in Baja CA was built in 1697. Missions were commonly built as "exploration" crept north, although not always consecutively with distance. The Spanish thought CA was an island for quite a while. Junipero Sera was first Padre to cross desert from Arizona into CA crossing near today's Needles. Consider: how many Indian Reservations are there in Mexico, or any other Spanish and Portuguese colony countries?

[@robertfansler7800]

In the case of Argentina, the Spanish killed them all off! The Spanish did not bring civilization to the lands they conquered.

[@jerroldkazynski5480]

Reference books include "The History of Alta California" by Antonio Osio, translated by Rose Beebe and Rob't Senkewicz, and "Lands of Promise and Despair. Chronicled of Early California, 1535-1846" by Beebe and Senkewicz as above.

[@jeffarcher400]

There's serious rock climbing on the south side of the road. Oak creek falls is nice when it rains.

[@mr_toads_wild_ride]

This place used to be the gunnery field of Camp Kearny during ww2. If you're willing to hop the "habitat rehabilitation" barriers, you'll eventually come across a few signs that give the real reason they don't want folks hiking there - "unexploded ordinance". I used to find all sorts of stuff out there before the barriers went up.