I celebrated this past Mother’s Day by taking my family on a hike to Monrovia Canyon Falls. It’s a short and easy hike, about 2.6 miles round trip with a 680 foot gain. It’s perfect for families and first time hikers.

At the entrance, there is a small lower parking lot and an upper parking lot that costs $5 for cars ($6 on the weekends). You can park in the lot and pay the fee or do what we did by parking on the street and walking about 1/2 mile to the trailhead—that doesn’t cost anything!

This hike has a short ascent along the Bull Cull Trail before it drops down into a luscious, green canyon. What’s great about this trail is that you can hike it on a really hot day and still be shaded by a canopy of oak trees. Although I do have to state there is poison oak growing in the canyon. I trekked off the trail and mistakingly touched the plant, but luckily did not have a reaction! I got lucky this time, but it’s probably best to keep an eye on your kids and four legged furry friends to make sure they stay on the marked trail.

At the 1.3 mile mark, you’ll reach the bottom of Monrovia Canyon Falls. The 30-foot waterfall is not the most impressive, but it offers a picturesque backdrop. The scenery is so dense and green you almost forget you’re hiking in Southern California.

Instead of heading back the way we came, we continued south on the trail until it dropped us off at the road to the upper parking lot. Along the trail, we found small sign posts with ceramic markers. From what I’ve been told, you can pick up a nature guide that will explain what each marker stands for-great for educating the young ones!

1200 North Canyon Boulevard, Monrovia, CA 91016

Trail Head: 34.176584, -117.989521 |  Difficulty: Easy  |  Length: 2.6 miles roundtrip