By Roshan Perera
As Memorial Day passes, we mark the unofficial start to summer. School is out, the sun is shining, and the outdoors is calling. June is celebrated as the “great outdoors month.” For the next few weeks, the monthly feature articles will take you to great outdoor locales that will inspire you to venture outside and celebrate the natural wonders that can be found in your backyard. Every weekend in June also has an outdoor event that can be enjoyed, starting with National Trails Day on June 4.
Just a 10-minute drive from downtown Monrovia, Monrovia Canyon Park is a great way to explore the natural beauty in America. According to the National Park Service and World Database on Protected Areas, roughly a third of the United States of America is either protected land or park land.
Monrovia Canyon Park is just one example, out of thousands across the country, which is fortunately located in the San Gabriel Valley. Walking along the sun-dappled trail offers a means to support good physical and mental health. As you ascend the trail, you get a chance to get your heart pumping and take in the fresh air, as well as relax as you listen to the babbling stream.
Monrovia Canyon Park provides access to a number of trailheads that can be chosen to suit the level of difficulty of the hiker. The major feature of the park is the Waterfall Trail.
With three starting points, the hike can be anywhere from a 1.5-mile to 3-mile round-trip hike. This is an easy level hike, suited for the every member of the family, including the dog. The trailheads are well-marked and well-maintained. The trail ends at a small waterfall, around which there is a small clearing.
This respite allows for a good spot to enjoy the fall, as well as providing a large enough area for a few small groups to picnic. This is an out-and-back trail, meaning that you will leave the same way you came in.
As always with hiking and exploring the wilderness, if you pack it in, pack it out. There are no trash cans located along the trail, only at the ranger station at the entrance to the park.
Monrovia Canyon Park is opened weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., weekends 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is closed on Tuesdays. There is a daily parking fee of $5 or $6 on holidays. Be aware that there are a limited number of parking spaces.
Typically, parking should not pose an issue, though the park does get crowed on holidays. If you wish to park closer to a trailhead you may be held by a ranger at a lower gate until a spot opens up.
There is residential parking further away from the entrance to Monrovia Canyon Park, but permits are required after a point. Dogs are permitted on leashed in the park.
The park is located at 1200 N. Canyon Blvd. and can be reached at (626) 256-8282
