Monrovia Cynon Park

Introduction and physical geography highlights

Monrovia Canyon Park (1,080'-1,860') is a wilderness park in the city of Monrovia immediately south of the Angeles National Forest boundary. The park emphasizes nature, allowing only activities compatible with minimal interference to the wildlife in the Park such as hiking and picnicking. The reason for choosing this part is that this is the best for the tourists to visit and has lot of adventure.

The Park is open to the public Wednesday through Monday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. with a $5 parking fee. The entrance gate is closed at 5:00 pm, "no exceptions"! The park is closed to vehicles on Tuesdays to allow Outdoor Education Programs for school districts. The Ben Overturff Trail / Sawpit Canyon Fire Road is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when the Monrovia Police Department conducts police training exercises and uses the shooting range. The Park contains a Nature Center with displays of local wildlife and plant communities. There are four Picnic Areas that allow barbecuing only with your own charcoal. The Cabin and Fireman's Flat picnic areas are rented hourly or for day/night use for conferences, birthday parties or families. Sawpit Dam is located within the Park, and can be viewed from the Sawpit Canyon Fire Road.

Hiking is the other main activity, with three different trailheads for the popular Monrovia Falls hike. The hike is 1.5 miles roundtrip from the trailhead behind the Nature Center; 2 miles from the trailhead by the middle parking lot, and 3.4 miles from the trailhead by the Entrance Station. The Sawpit Canyon Fire Road / Ben Overturff Trail loop is 7.2 miles roundtrip from the lower parking lot with 1,850' altitude gain. The roundtrip to Monrovia Peak is 12 miles with 5,000' elevation gain. A recently-opened trail that will ultimately lead to ...