13104 Ipai Waaypuk Trail (formerly Silver Lake Drive)
Poway, California 92064
General Information: (858) 668-1292
Directions to Interpretive Center
Park Hours:
Saturdays between 9:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Park Background
The Kumeyaay-Ipai Interpretive Center of Pauwai is a 5-acre site rich in Kumeyaay-Ipai local history. The City of Poway began acquiring the various parcels which comprise the Center beginning in 1987 to preserve the site as a significant American Indian cultural site. The Friends of the Kumeyaay, the San Pasqual Band of Indians, and the City of Poway have worked together to develop a vision for the property and to start on the development of a replica Kumeyaay Village. Docents also offer interpretive tours to educate the public in the heritage practices of the ancient Kumeyaay.
Tours
Docent-led Trail Tours for general public are held on Saturdays between 9:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Trails
The trail takes visitors around the site, past ramadas, interpretive signage, native gardens, irrigation systems and a Kumeyaay House ('ewaa). These were constructed by various Eagle Scout candidates and adult volunteers. Visitors will see plants used by past inhabitants, ramadas that provided shade from the hot sun, milling stations where they ground acorns, and large boulders which provided them with shelter and security.
As you walk through the site, please do not disturb the exhibits or grounds so future generations can enjoy the area.
History of the Kumeyaay-Ipai Center's Grounds
Approximately 1,000 years ago, a people called the Kumeyaay lived throughout what is now San Diego County and Baja California. During that time, the Pauwai Valley was occupied by hundreds of Kumeyaay-Ipai living off the land. The Kumeyaay were still in Poway until the early 1900s.
Education Center
At the edge of this heritage site, along a new all-weather road, now sits a modern modular building to house and protect important displays. Other upgrades include parking for the handicapped, an ADA accessible walkway to the 'ewaa, and a low-water irrigation system for a demonstration garden of drought-tolerant plants often used by the Kumeyaay. These features were funded by the City of Poway, the Friends of Kumeyaay Ipai Interpretive Center, the Metropolitan Water District, and a grant from the Cultural and Heritage Commission of the State of California. The nearly $800,000 investment allows the Friends to preserve and interpret the history of Poway and the culture of Kumeyaay people who named the valley Pauwai.
The Center's opening exhibit: "Poway's First People: Art and Culture" highlights artifacts of the site, replica items of Kumeyaay daily living, and a strtiking photographic exhibition of North County rock art still visible today.
