A nearly $1 million state grant will help replace deteriorating wooden steps on the South Fortuna Trail at Mission Trails Regional Park, according to City News Service via ABC 10News.

The San Diego River Conservancy approved $990,102 for the Mission Trails Regional Park Foundation to reconstruct the South Fortuna staircase, a route many hikers know as the "Stairway to Heaven." The project calls for natural stone steps designed to improve drainage, reduce erosion and restore habitat along the trail.

The existing wooden staircase has been worn down by heavy use, weather and erosion. The foundation said some steps have shifted or disappeared, while hikers going around damaged sections have widened parts of the corridor and damaged native vegetation.

The project will rebuild about 630 linear feet of stone steps along the existing South Fortuna Trail alignment, covering roughly 282 feet of elevation gain. It will also include drainage improvements, trail signage and restoration of disturbed trail margins.

For Santee and East County hikers, the grant means a popular nearby Mission Trails route should become safer and more sustainable without creating a new trail or changing the existing alignment. The source for this article is ABC 10News, which cited City News Service reporting on the Mission Trails grant.