Monrovia Canyon Falls

Name: Monrovia Canyon Falls
Location: Monrovia, CA
Miles:3 miles
Duration: about 2 hours
Elevation: 50 ft falls,
Level: 3 (according to LATH)


I went with a group of friends from school on this one. I read the reviews, and of course none of them were true to my experience. This was also a tough hike for me. My legs felt good. There was a burn at some of the inclines but my challenge was the elevation. I'm still not accustomed to the elevation so I had to rest more to slow my heart rate.

We decided to take the 3 mile hike to get to the falls. When you pass the visitors center, the hike begins on the left with an immediate incline. It's quite windy and the trails are narrow. The narrow trails can be a little disconcerting if you're not accustomed to heights. Please remember hiking manners- those going up have the right of way.

Most of the reviews say that the hike is 90% shady. This is only true if you are hiking the shorter trail. If you are taking the longer trail, it does not get shady until half way to the falls. Once you're in the covered area, it's smooth sailing (for the shade). However, the inclines really start to increase. Fortunately, once you get under the trees, you have much more to look at- the streams, a few damns, and all the trees.

The falls itself are a nice place to rest. It's not an area that you swim in so don't come here for that.. you come here to soak your feet and let the kids explore. We went when a summer camp was there so it was very crowded (about 20-25 people). On the way back, we decided to take the shorter trail which was much easier! I would give the shorter trail a level 2, maybe even a 1.5. Much more manageable on time and energy.

All around, this was a nice hike. I did have to stop a few times because the group I went with were somewhat experienced hikers so their pace was a little "clipped" as one of my friends kept saying.