Fountain to the Falls

Hike the Fountain to Falls Trail in Monrovia

Fountain to Falls trail Monrovia

There are three ways to reach the lovely Monrovia Canyon Falls, but only one of them is worthy of being named a good challenge. That’s because you start in Monrovia’s Old Town and make your way to the falls on a 6.5-mile (round-trip) hike.

Start at the park across from the library on Myrtle Street. There’s a huge bay fig tree, a Mark Twain statue, and a fountain. This marks the start of the Fountain to the Falls Trail. You’ll make your way through suburbs of Victorian and Arts and Crafts homes that have been used in film and television.

The trail is easy to follow thanks to signs. The Monrovia Canyon Nature Center marks a good place to view where you’ve come from (all the way down there!) as it overlooks Monrovia. But it’s also a starting point for a shorter and easier hiking option to Monrovia Canyon Falls.

undefined

From the parking lot up here ($5 weekdays; $6 weekends) there’s a 1.5-mile (round-trip) trail behind the center, at a picnic area framed by majestic Jeffrey pines and coast live oaks. Hike among canyon walls and towering trees paralleling a stream. Monrovia Canyon’s namesake 30-foot waterfall shines the most after a solid rain but still looks lovely the rest of the time—a two-tiered tumbler bisected by a granite ledge surrounded by oaks and other trees.

BONUS BEERS: Put on your hoppy face and head to one of Monrovia’s four local breweries. We like Pacific Plate—the first to open in the area—for its extensive and ever-changing tap list: everything from fruity IPAs to horchata stouts to tom yum soup–inspired wheat ale.

To get to the Monrovia Library in Old Town, take the I-210 to the Myrtle Ave. exit and head north for 1 mile. The library will be on your left at Lime Ave. To get to the Monrovia Canyon Nature Center, head north on Myrtle for another mile, turn right onto Hillcrest Blvd. In 0.3 mile, turn left onto N. Canyon Blvd. Take this for 1.5 miles, following signs for the park. Dog-friendly!

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Camp at Goose Lake in the Lakes Basin

    Duck, Duck, Goose!

    Try to get a first-come, first-served campsite at one of the Lakes Basin’s lakeside campgrounds. We love Goose Lake Campground, where there are just 13 sites and no motorized boats.

    View
  2. This Is Paradise

    Granite mountain-scape, superb sunset views, crystal lakes, and shoreline campsites … the trip to Paradise Lake in Tahoe National Forest lives up to its idyllic name.

    View
  3. Aloha from California

    Say Aloha without leaving California with a 7-mile out-and-back hiking adventure to Lake Aloha in El Dorado National Forest. You can also camp here, a premier place for stargazing.

    View
  4. Sequoia Re-opens Crystal Cave

    Step inside Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park's hidden world by visiting the newly re-opened Crystal Cave—the only cave in the parks open to the public. Closed for four years, this rare marble karst cavern is welcoming visitors once again, but only through the summer season!

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Can't Top This

    San Francisco’s Presidio was already a fantastic place to hang out for the afternoon, a beautiful site within the largest urban national park in the United States (the Golden Gate National Recreation Area). And Presidio Tunnel Tops is like a cherry on top. Make that two cherries on top, with the newly opened (July 2025) Outpost Meadow, a 1.5-acre green space located at Old Mason Street across from the Crissy Field Marsh in the Presidio.

    View
  2. Underground Garden

    Looking to escape the summer heat? Head to Fresno and discover its cool secret: the Forestiere Underground Gardens–an enchanting garden and architecture oasis like no other.

    View
  3. Oh Ryan

    Sure, it’s those whimsical trees that give Joshua Tree National Park its marquee billing; but this beautiful landscape also has surrounding mountains and its night sky—one of the darkest in Southern California and designated an International Dark Sky Park. Joshua Tree has four allowable stargazing parking lots, and a newly opened haven for spending the night nearby...

    View
  4. Easiest Best Hike in the World

    Choose the easiest and most view-rewarding hike in Yosemite. Okay, we’ll go first: the combination of hiking to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point. Both of these lookouts are within a couple miles of each other on Glacier Point Road

    View