The Oldest Commercial Trail in the Western United states

La Playa Trail, the oldest commercial route in the western United States, follows the shore of Point Loma, starting at Ballast Point and continuing north along Rosecrans Street to Old Town, across Mission Valley Nature Preserve, to Friars Road, and eastward to Mission San Diego, and beyond. 

This Trail has witnessed most of the early history of San Diego. It was first traversed by Kumeyaay Indians and later by early European settlers. 

La Playa Trail has been in continual daily use by Europeans since April 1, 1769, when the Spanish packet San Antonio arrived from La Paz as part of the advance party of the Serra-Portola Expedition, which colonized Alta California for Spain.

Registered Historic Sites

Much of the history of San Diego has happened along La Playa Trail. Seventy registered historic sites have been identified on this path.

Point Loma and La Playa Trail in Literature

• Alfred Robinson in Life in California (1846), describes the ride from Hide Park in La Playa to Old Town.
• In 1840 Richard Henry Dana in Two Years Before the Mast tells of riding horses with his shipmate, Stimson, to the Mission and along the Trail.
• The New York Tribune journalist Bayard Taylor, in his book Eldorado, on his way to the gold diggings in 1849, noted that San Diego harbor was: "...the finest on the Pacific with the exception of Acapulco." Taylor later wrote the epic poem El Paseo Del Mar, which was a romanticization of La Playa Trail.
• George Derby noted in the August 26, 1853 edition of The Alta California:  "Leaving the Playa in a wagon drawn by two wild mules, driven at the top of their speed, Mac and I were whirled over a hard road, smooth and even as a ballroom floor, on our way to 'Old Town'."  
• Point Loma (Images of America) is an exceptional collection of pictures and commentary by La Playa Trail Association. It chronicles the Point Loma peninsula, its neighborhoods, maritime traditions, and military connections. 
• Check out this article:  https://www.pointloma-obmonthly.com/news/story/2021-07-18/a-page-from-history-bouncing-along-the-old-la-playa-trail

La Playa Trail Association was founded in 2005 to continue the work of the 1930's historians who erected six monuments along the historic La Playa Trail, which stretched from Ballast Point (the first port of San Diego) to San Diego Mission, and beyond.  

There are numerous registered historic sites between Ballast Point and the Presidio. 

Our goal is to reconstruct, refurbish, and add new markers that identify historic sites, and also educate the public about Point Loma's history.