Pioneer Park

Pioneer Park AKA Calvary Cemetery

A beautiful park situated within Mission Hills, People having a picnic. Children playing games beneath the towering Eucalyptus Trees. nothing to hint at the darker side of this beautiful park, till I walk over a rise in the lawn and spot something amiss.

A Monument of Tombstones adorn the western end of this park, to understand this one must look to the past. For the park at one time was an active cemetery. Today it is a lovely little park where people come to watch their children play while beneath the turf over two thousand souls lay buried, for though they removed all the Tombstones, the bodies remain.
The Cemetery was active from 1875 when the first body was interred, till 1960 when Rose Wilson Mallicoat became the last.

A group of paranormal enthusiest sit at vigil. The park is popular with paranormal groups and tours. There are quite a few ghostly stories.

Look on the side of the car, yes there are graves under the parking lot and the weight of the cars are causing them to sink in

Within this park lie the remains of many notable San Diego figures of the 1800's and early 1900's. One person is father Ubach who was featured in the Novel Ramona. Father Ubach presided over many of the burials here. There was also a large amount of people buried during the Flu Outbreak of 1918

1918 saw the most burials as The Spanish Flu ravaged the world.
by 1919 the cemetery started to fall into disrepair as the city open Holy Cross Cemetery. 1931 the city takes over care of the cemetery.1938 the adobe wall is built around the cemetery, section of the wall can be observed today.
1957 assembly bill no.275 is passed allowing the city to declare the cemetery abandoned. 1969 the cemetery is designated a historical site and work is begun to remove the Gravestones. beginning the change from cemetery to park.

The Video ofthe smaller monument is located within Mount Hope Cemetery. I have included it in this page because this is where they buried the tombstones.Located next to the trolley tracks, it is a Tombstone for tombstones

Oh almost forgot, there seems to be a few reports of ghostly activity as well.

I apologize for not give out directions to most of my trips, trails change and I do not have the time to keep the site always updated. My hikes also span from the easy to the extreme, a lot of places do not even have trails, as well as extreme conditions. Some sites need to be protected as they are fragile and historically sensitive. So if you decide to hike some of these areas, do your research and know your limits, have the proper provisions .Every year many hikers die from not understanding these Simple Rules. San Diego County and surrounding areas are diverse in climate and terrain. Remember if you do decide to Hike do your research, carry the essentials and do so at your own risk. An alternative is to join one of the many hiking groups such as meetup or on facebook ,as well as other social sites. Not only is there safety in numbers but a pooling of knowledge.