The Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation on Thursday was granted nearly $1 million to replace unstable wooden steps with natural stone on a path to Mission Trails' South Fortuna Peak.
The $990,102 grant was approved by the San Diego River Conservancy's governing board to reconstruct the deteriorating South Fortuna staircase, known by hikers as the "Stairway to Heaven." The trail sees more than 60,000 hikers annually, and the stone steps are intended to improve drainage, reduce erosion and restore habitat.
"This is exactly why the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation exists," said Jennifer Morrissey, executive director of the MTRP Foundation. "Mission Trails belongs to the people of San Diego, and our role as its nonprofit partner is to step up, find resources and help the city accomplish important projects that benefit the public. Nearly $1 million is now coming into a city-owned park because our foundation pursued this opportunity, and the public will see the benefit every time they hike this trail."
Years of heavy use, extreme weather and erosion have badly degraded the wooden staircase, a statement from the foundation read. Some steps are unstable while others have shifted or disappeared altogether. As hikers navigate around those areas, off-trail travel has widened portions of the corridor by an estimated 10 to 15 feet on both sides, damaging native vegetation and contributing additional erosion.
Under the project, the foundation will hire a trail contractor to reconstruct around 630 linear feet of stone steps along the existing South Fortuna Trail alignment, covering roughly 282 feet of elevation gain. The project does not create a new trail or reroute the existing one, the statement read.
"This investment will deliver real benefits for the people of San Diego and visitors alike," said Julia Richards, executive officer of the San Diego River Conservancy. "Rebuilding the South Fortuna staircase will make a heavily used public trail safer and more sustainable, while reducing erosion, and protecting native habitat in the San Diego River watershed. It is the kind of project that improves public access to nature today while protecting these important natural resources for future generations."
The work will consist of removing the existing wooden steps, installation of natural stone stairs, drainage improvements, new trail signage and restoration of disturbed areas along the trail margins. According to the foundation, construction and helicopter-supported material delivery will occur outside bird nesting season, with measures in place to reduce impacts to wildlife.
San Diego's Parks and Recreation Department will provide design review and collaborate with the MTRP Foundation on the project. The foundation will manage the grant and contribute a $15,000 match.
The San Diego River Conservancy is a California state agency that works to protect and enhance the San Diego River watershed through investments in public access, habitat restoration, water quality, climate resilience and other conservation projects across the region.
