La Playa Trail Marker #5 - San Diego, CA
Posted by: 
Metro2
N 32° 47.052 W 117° 06.426
11S E 489970 N 3627368
This marker is located on a westside parking lot wall at the San Diego Mission.
10818 San Diego Mission Road
San Diego, CA 92124
Waymark Code: WMHAPR
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 06/16/2013
Views: 3
The marker has a relief depiction of a man walking with two ox and and a loaded ox-cart. The plaque reads:
"LA PLAYA TRAIL
THE OLDEST COMMERCIAL TRAIL
IN THE
WESTERN UNITED STATES
ERECTED BY TROOP 508"
The La Playa Trail Association website (
visit link) adds:
"Significance
Originally established in 1769 on Presidio Hill, the mission moved to it's present location in 1774, the first of the chain of 21 California missions, founded by Fr. Junipero Serra.
Status of the Marker
The marker is still standing, and was refurbished by Boy Scout Troup 508.
La Playa Trail's
Fifth Historical Marker
The 5th La Playa Trail marker was dedicated on June 10, 1934, at the Mission San Diego, and was sponsored by the San Diego Historical Society and the Catholic Daughters of America."
and the more general history (
visit link)
"The European Beginning
The La Playa Trail follows the lee shore of Point Loma starting at Ballast Point and continuing north along Rosecrans to Old Town, across the Mission Valley Nature Preserve to Frairs Road and eastward to Mission San Diego. The La Playa Trail has witnessed most of the early history of San Diego.
EEarly European references to the Trail are found in the accounts of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo (1542) and Sebastian Rodriguez (1603). The La Playa Trail has been in continual daily use by the 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."