May 16, 2009, was a warm day for a hike. Susan called it "hot."
Monrovia Canyon Park is located at 1200 N. Canyon Boulevard in Monrovia. The trails, cabin, and nature center are part of the City of Monrovia (California) park system. Hikers can get to the falls along the same trail in three different lengths of hike. The shortest hike is 1.5 miles round trip from the Nature Center. The middle hike is 2 miles round trip from the middle parking lot next to the cabin and picnic area. The longer 3.4 mile round trip hike is along the Bill Cull Trail and begins at the toll booth near the entrance to the park. There is some parking at the Bill Cull trailhead. The lot was full when we arrived at 9 AM. I parked a 1/4 mile up the road on a shoulder parking spot, but by 9:30 enough hikers had been to the falls and back that two or more parking spaces had opened up.
Susan, Christian, Dean, Gail, Kyoshi
The first mile of the hike begins with a switchback trail and continues along the west side of the canyon though low brush. An occational tree overhangs the trail providing shade half or less of the way along this mile. We were glad for any shade we could find on his hot day.
