By virtue of an entire childhood spent in Santee and La Mesa, we are East County girls. So often, we find ourselves drawn out of East County for photos, but honestly, when we get to choose the location, it is frequently one of those places our parents brought us to as children. To be fair, they brought us all over on Sunday morning hikes, so we have a lot to choose from, but still, the sage brush, rising hills, and dusty trails speak to our hearts, and our cameras, in ways that other areas just don't. And our most frequent East County haunt? Mission Trails.
We've dedicated an entire blog post to just this "one" location because we have so many options to choose from here.
Mission Trails-Corner of Jackson & Mission Gorge Rd
Why we love it:
This spot is all about the light for us. There is this hidden little bridge with a tree that the light filters through in the prettiest way about 90 minutes before sunset. This spot is seriously one of our favorites for pretty light that is guaranteed to make you glow.
We like to start in the pretty light and then head out into the shade. There is this cute little trail with a tree that arches perfectly over it, framing your family as they take a stroll. Then, we’ll wander back up to the main path and take advantage of what should be golden hour light by that time. This location has variety-from green down on the lower trail to the glowing hills of the upper trail, and we love it for that.
Mission Trails-By the Visitor Center
Why we love it:
This location is easy to get to and the gate stays open later than the other areas of Mission Trails, so we don’t have to worry about wrapping up before sunset here. Depending on the time of year, you may get a glowing, golden field, green as far as the eye can see, or somewhere in between, but it is always pretty.
Within a couple feet of each other, we can find areas to photograph the wide expanses of hills (sometimes glowing pink and purple) and a tree lined trail. Simply put, your session will have variety here.
The trail is easy and fun for kids, but isn’t a busy one.
What to be aware of:
Parking is tough here. You don’t want to park in the lot because it closes early, but the street parking is limited. You’ll want to arrive early.
There is a small walk for this location, but it isn’t difficult. Depending on the weather, the path could be muddy. We’ve also seen a sprinkler system here, so maybe it’ll be muddy even if it hasn’t rained recently.
This is a great spot to bring a blanket for seated poses with your family or sweetheart.
Mission Trails-Grinding Rock
Why we love it:
This location is a new one for us and it is only a viable option when the water level is high enough. And that, my friends, is the primary reason why we love it: running water. Running water that I feel okay letting my kiddo puddle splash in. Running water that doesn’t look brown!
The creek runs through this area and the trees provide enough shade to filter the light, so if you are looking for a riverside retreat, this is your best option. Plus, it is so fun to just sit here and enjoy the babbling brook and the breeze. It’s a great place to bring active kids, as long as you don’t mind them getting wet, and spend the day with a picnic. You don’t need to leave when we do, so feel free to linger and enjoy some unstructured outdoor time here. Also, my 10 year old, who hates photos at this point, loved this spot so much that I didn’t have to argue about smiles.
What to be aware of:
This spot is located part way down the road that connects the visitor center and Mission Dam. In a car, it is only accessible from the Visitor Center area and the gate locks early.
There is a small pull out for parking right by the trail down to this area, but only two cars will fit there. You may end up parking in a different pull out and walking.
It can be tricky to find if you do not know what you are looking for, so make sure we give you detailed directions to this one.
There is a short, five minutes or less, walk to the river. It is down (and then back up on the way out) a steep set of stairs built with rocks, and then wood. It IS NOT stroller friendly.
You and your kids will get wet. Bring a change of clothes.
The best time for this location is in the 2 hours before sunset. The shade here gives us a little more leeway than in other areas.
Mission Trails-Mission Dam
Why we love it:
Kids love to play here, and happy kids make for happy families.
The dam itself is iconic for those of us that grew up in East County, and provides a lovely place for your family to sit together and enjoy an afternoon. A short walk from the dam, there is a bridge that we also love for photos. And, along the way, there are trees that filter the light and give us little patches of light to work in for the golden glow look.
The smooth, gray rock photographs exceptionally well with blushes and pinks, and we love the look it lends your photos.
What to be aware of:
Parking at the dam can be tough, so you may end up parking along the road and walking. Sometimes the walk is up to half a mile before you reach the actual dam parking lot, so a stroller or wagon might be ideal if you have little ones with you.
If you want a true sunset session, you’ll want to park at the lot on the corner of Bushy Trail and walk in, otherwise the gate locks early.
Depending on the time of year, there may be ample water flow or none at all, and that is all part of the adventure here.
We lose light early in this location, so it is actually best to start a session here about 2 hours to 90 minutes before sunset.
There is enough shade here that we can make a wider window of session times work in this location.
This location isn’t ideal for sweeping vistas of the areas hills, so if that is a priority for you, we suggest the Horse Park or the Visitor’s Center Area.
Mission Trails-Horse Park
Why we love it:
This location has the prettiest light in the hour before sunset. It filters through trees right by the parking lot to give a golden glow. Then, the hills light up with the setting sun. There is also a short trail to a wide open field that glows-yes, glows-and makes me dream of a sweet couple or family cuddled up as the sunsets. We don’t have photos of this particular field to share, but we’ve seen it and commented on the photo potential multiple times.
What to be aware of:
That gate locks early-which is a trend by now!
Parking is EASY here.
Of our Mission Trails locations, this one involves the most walking, so you’ll want to come prepared with the right shoes.