I write this review exactly 25 years to the day from hiking it. I had to make sure it was perfect. No, actually, I am just checking my journals and discovered on April 12, 2000, I hiked the trail. My journal says something worth sharing: "Went to Monrovia Canyon Park and hiked the Ben Overturff Trail*.  There was a little waterfall. Took pic.  There was also a little rattlesnake, a baby that I almost stepped on.  Turns out baby rattlesnakes are more deadly because it's like venom concentrate.  I could tell it was a baby snake because it had a rattle." Point is, watch out for rattlesnakes, especially the babies. read more

Maybe more of a 3.5 than 4 stars. Location- I like that it isn't too far to get to (at least for me)...conveniently located near the 210 & 605 fwys Parking- $6 fee; rangers don't open the gate until 7 am on weekends but you can park down in the residential area for free and walk a little less than a mile to access the trail and start it earlier *btw this is the same entrance you use to do the Monrovia falls hike We parked near the Trask Scout Reservation sign (see attached pic) and there is a paved road with a sign that says authorized vehicles only...we took that steep road up and passed the dam and got to the trailhead about a mile later. You can pick either of two trails at this point (see attached pic). The one to the left which we took has little stone columns to pass through and is a narrow somewhat steep trail that you stay on for about 2 miles until you reach an area with other trails connecting and we opted to go right and it had an arrow with the word bathroom and that led us back down to complete the loop on the wider fire access type of road so we did the loop clockwise and it took us back down to the trailhead (I used the All Trails app). You then take the same road down past the dam to the parking lot Distance- 6.7 miles RT Elevation gain- about 1,600 ft Duration- between 2-3 hrs Difficulty- moderate read more

Parking: 5 buckaroos to park here. The reason for this is because it's a private park, which closes at 5. If you want to pay nothing or cheap like me (asian), just park in the residential and treck up a mile and half before you reach to a sign that has a bear on it. From there you take the Ben Overturff Trail to get to your destination. 7 mile hike out and back! You can do it! Restrooms..... oh yeah, there are restrooms for you to use! If you want to be one with nature, you can tinkle and do your other stuff further into the forest. out of sight, out of mind. 3 months ago, I signed up with a meetup group that went on a hike to deer park, I came late, so I trecked this trail by myself and met them up at the deer park cabin. I thought the hike was beautiful and was a fairly easy hike. Kind of brought back memories of my boy scout days, going to camp trask. For the first part of the hike, you would have to share the fire road with the cars that are going in and out of camp trask. Usually on the weekends, there are boy scouts camping over night there. As you go further of the Ben Overturff trail, you see fewer people and eventually.... you'll be faced with nature itself. :) Eventually, you will see two pillars. This will give you a sign that the hike to deer park is going to be a single file hike through the forest. You'll meet switchbacks, but it's nothing to get scared of. Just going to be sore the next day. Recommend ya'll to come to this hike. When I have time, I'll go see the falls. I think it's only 3 miles out and back. Cheers and beeers ya'll! read more

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It was closed when I went despite it saying "closed" on Apple Maps but not on Yelp. Checked it out and it was signs keeping ppl (or cars) from entering and it said because of fire damage. Did a U-turn and left. This was on 03/10/24. read more

This is the trail that is in the Monrovia Canyon Park. The troopers will charge you $5.oo to park. They make that pretty obvious all over the place. Honestly, are you here for a workout? Are you here to burn calories? They don't waste $5.00 to park your car. Just park on the bottom in the residential area and hike up. You can use that $5.00 on a treat afterward. Today, as I'm writing this review my calves are sore! I'm not too sure how long the hike was. When you hike up it's not a very hiker friendly trail. However when you get into Ben Overturff Trail there is a passage way for you to utilize. I would say this trail is man made. I say this because you don't have to really figure out how to hike it. There's signs and clear cut passages. Even when you cross the little water stream, you wont get wet if your feet is correctly on the big rocks. The trail is very relaxing however it's pretty much all uphill. so be prepared to be tired and out of breath! You'll get to see a small waterfall which is always worth it in the end of any trail. Near the waterfall there will be lots of bees. Not quite sure why. The passage uphill is narrow so make sure you share the passage because there will be people going down and up and you gotta get close to the hill or else you'll fall over and off the cliff. The park closes at 5pm. Make sure you wear appropriate hiking gear. There's about 2 bathrooms on the trail. Bring plenty of water because hiking up is going to be a thirst quencher! read more

Ben Overturff Trail - Hiking Near Me - Monrovia, California

Do NOT hike this trail alone. Several miles in, beyond the boy scout camp and police gun range, we lost all cell signal. Our hike became eerily quiet and completely desolate. If you're a chicken like me, you start to ruminate about finding a rotting body or being stalked by a bear. This hike is steep in many areas and an awesome workout, but I doubt I'd do it again. It starts as a boring concrete road, then becomes a wide dirt road with tire tracks. Later, the scenery improves a bit, but it's still mundane because you're in a canyon. You see, almost everyone who comes up to Monrovia Canyon takes the LEFT fork toward the falls. The 15 reviewers here and myself chose the RIGHT fork -- the road less traveled -- and ended up on a date with the ugly sister. BTW, we came across a big-ass semi-dried gift in the middle of the trail. I'm still learning the art of poop ID. After probing it with a stick to see if it contained berries, we concluded that it was either from a black bear or another hiker that saw a black bear. read more

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BEN OVER WHAT?!?!? Ben Overturff Trail BACKGROUND: Monrovia Canyon Park is an 80-acre wilderness park hosting great diversity inherent to this region, including riparian, oak woodland, and chaparrel ecosystems. The Ben Overturff Trail is named for a historical Monrovian who made these canyons and Deer Park a popular recreation area in the early 1900s. The reconstructed trail follows the original path as much as possible through Sawpit, Sycamore and Twin Springs canyons. It winds through approximately 3.5 miles of some of the most beautiful and undisturbed wilderness left in the San Gabriel mountains. STATS: DISTANCE: 3.5-7.5 miles ELEVATION: 2,000ft. FREE parking 1/2 walk from trail head PAID Parking $5.00 inside the park ESSENTIALS: Hiking shoes with good lug soles Water Layered clothing Hiking Poles Snacks Camera Sun screen Hat (optional) THE HIKE: From the park entrance station, the first half of the hike was up the Sawpit Fire Road to the Deer Park Trail Head. This is one of my favorite trail-ish hikes. While it's a lot of trail, along the way are pretty much destroyed structures, a stone cabin and a stable for the mules that were used to care food and supplies for campers. Unfortunately the cabin was purposely destroyed due to vandals. I find it most interesting when I come across what use to be. Imagining how people lived, what they did, tools that they used in their daily lives. Continuing on from the remnants of the cabin we were able to do some rock scrambling, where we pulled up a boulder and grubbed on snacks while engaging in idle chit chat. Then the trek up Deer Park Trail, a long, grueling uphill ascent on an exposed trail. Along the way we took moments out to take in the breathtaking views of the canyon below. All the greenery and signs of stream really makes one appreciate nature in all her glory. The return half of the trail passes thru riparian and woodland habitats. From there we hiked to Monrovia Canyon Waterfall, which was about an additional 2 miles round trip. Due to lack of rain, the waterfall was more of a trickle, but still magnificent. Since one can always turn back, this is hike ranges from beginner to advanced, where the beginner can hike to the stone cabin and the advanced can go all the way to the top of Deer Park. DISCLAIMER: Hiking is not something that can be taken lightly. It can be life-threatening as you see and hear on the news, people die or get lost all time. Please, if you are going to hike, never go alone and prepare for the worst, hope for the best. Remember when going for a hike, no matter how short you think it may be, always be prepared. Carry at least two liters of water for every five miles (more if the weather is warm), protein bar, nuts, and electrolytes. Wear sturdy lug sole shoes and protective clothing. Some areas the weather can change quicker than a fireman can put on his gear. It is also very important, always always always let a family member or friend know where you are going and when you expect to be back. Lastly, have fun when you hike it up. #HIKING #MONROVIA #BEGINNER #INTERMEDIATE #ADVANCED read more

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This is a very. . . very beautiful hike. It's not too hard... If you're usually active it should be easy. But even if you're not, you should be able to do this as well. The road was easy to walk on. There weren't too many dips where you'd stumble and fall. You weren't walking near cliff edges where there's nothing but a drop below you. Most of the ground was dirt and grass. Very springy. The view was nice. You wouldn't even know you were in LA. You'd think you were some place nice like Sequoia. I would come back here! read more

which was a pretty moderate trail I would only say it's rough because it's a steep climb but really nice because the way up if you choose left is very sheltered and has very little sun and the way down was sunny but way more simple. when you arrive park and walk upwards there is a bear sign for the boy scout camp. go right where it's says authorized vehicles only. after walking up you will see yet another boy scout sign and then on the right a dirt path, take the dirt path and continue. at the top there is a closed gate and right on the left a pathway, take the pathway if you want a steep climb in shade going up or take the right side for a more sunny climb up but it isn't AS steep and rocky. beware of bugs and spiders, we did find some animal poop but no animal sightings other than birds and some cute lizards. read more

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This hike is about 6.5-7 miles roundtrip, depending on the chosen route. I was not expecting that this would be a tough hike most of the way to the destination point. It is a great leg and butt workout, as it is steep much of the way there. Definitely go if you want a great lower body challenge! The start of the hike is on a paved fire road, completely exposed to the sun, and it is steep from the get-go. Once you've gone about 1 mile, you will see the sign and entrance for the Trask Boy Scout Camp. Look right and you will see an unshaded, wide, dirt trail going up (see photo). Take it. At the end of this part of the trail, you will have a choice to go through pilasters on a narrow path or straight past the gate on the same wide dirt road (see photo). If you want more intense climbing, take the narrow trail. It is deceiving, but it it pretty tough Most of the way is steep climbing. I really thought it would never end.... The trail is pretty through wooded trees and a stream and has dappled shade. The end point is Deer Park Cabin, which is not much to look at and is the site of cabin ruins. If you want a less strenous hike but still uphill, continue on the dirt road till you get to your destination. I took this way back - it's much less scenic and more exposed to the sun. But it saved my knees from going down that very steep climb. This choice is 0.4 miles longer than taking the steep hike. parking - there is a fee ($5 weekdays, $6 wknds and holidays). If you want to avoid the fee, then park in the residential area about 1/2 mile away and walk in. The walk will be in direct sun until you reach the trail. tip - this trail connects close to the starting point of the Monrovia Canyon Park waterfall trail, so you can warm up or cool down by hiking to/from the waterfall. read more

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This is a nice trail, well maintained and a lot of great terrain. Continuously uphill from Monrovia Canyon Park to Deer Park Lodge, with a few steep sections that will make you sweat. Very scenic with a mix of lush riparian canyon forest and chapparral. A few city views, but this one is more about the hike itself than any particular overlook. Took the trail up and the fire road down. Saw maybe about 20 people on a Saturday, not solitude but not too crowded. Good trail, will be back. Dinging it one star because the first (and last) mile or so is on paved road. A lot of crazy drivers coming up and down, who don't care too much to look out for hikers. Had to keep the dog on a really short leash because of it. I wish Monrovia park service would find a way to build a trail from the park up to the Ben Overturff Trailhead, rather than making you go on paved road. Other than this one issue, it was a good trail. read more

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Hiked the Ben Overturf trail today with my wife and two friends. About 7 miles round-trip..they closed the parking lot at 9am when we arrived due to the crowded holiday, so we had to park way down the street. The ranger notified us of a red bear sighting, and close to half-way up, a single female hiker passed us...and then came back towards us later looking frightened and alerted us that there was a bear ahead. She left, and we continued, making as much noise as possible. Later, near the (Twin Springs area, we came face to face with a "small" (bigger than us) reddish bear. We froze...it was on the other side of the trail, exactly where we had to walk. After what seemed like less than 20 seconds of it staring at us on all 4 legs, the bear turned and walked away. My friend grabbed a stick, and myself a couple rocks and waved my hat around, as we cautiously but noisily continued on to the deer cabin. From there the trail seemed to continue on, but then disappear, so we had to turn around and back track to the twin springs area where the trail goes three ways..which allowed us to exit to the road from there. Crazy hard hike on the legs... We will be sore tomorrow! read more

Ben Overturff Trail - Bear walking away from us here a couple of weeks ago. The 4 of us were frozen in our tracks when we ran into it! - Hiking Near Me - Monrovia, California

Wow, I was surprised how tough this trail was! And this from someone who has recently done Mt. Wilson, San Gorgonio and Baldy from the Village! I've only done the Bill Cull trail to the waterfall which is fairly easy. So maybe it gave me a false impression this would be just as easy and gentle. The uphill steep sections seemed never-ending. But it's good practice in mental toughness, continuing despite discomfort. You can take the easier, less scenic option of the road which I'll probably do for the downhill descent to save my knees. read more

I've been using the AllTrails app for a new hike and it led me to this one. Although the waterfall was not what i expected (small stream) I enjoyed the hike. There was a lot of insects flying around it did get a little annoying but never the less made the trip horrible just every once in a while i would scare them of with my cap. I did end up hiking the truck trail which theres a circuit and lucky for me thats when all those flys went away and you literally find yourself in the mountain the trail goes along a river. Along the road i came across signs telling a description about the land, which i found pretty interesting. I did went up there with my dog so I was in a few occasions worried about any bears or mountain lions since we were the only ones on the trail, but didn't encounter any(sighs). Both trails, the water fall & truck trail was a total of 7 miles, good hike, i was glad their was hardly any graffiti and plenty off parking space, $5 on a weekday. Will be back soon, the dam looked cool, even though I'm afraid of heights. Hiking really has helped me with my anxiety and fears, wear your fav shoes/boots and start exploring! read more

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I am writing this as I contemplate cutting off my legs just to get rid of the pain. This trail is definitely not for the faint of heart or if you are really out of shape. It took us about 4 hours round trip to finish this 7 miles hike (7.5 for us because we took a wrong turn once). There is plenty of parking in the neighborhood below so park on the street and walk up. You can save $5 easily that way. It is a short walk and just look at it as part of your work out. There are a few trails you can choose from. They have plenty of free maps at the ranger station and there is always a ranger there to answer questions. It gets a little confusing because there are many forks so it's super important to take a map. Most people choose one of the easier hikes like the one leading to the waterfalls so the Ben Overturff Trail is really quiet and there won't be a lot of people to ask directions from. We went up about a mile and a half of paved road before hitting the trail head. The entrance has a bear sign to it but it doesn't say Ben Overturff. We later learned the hard way that the bear sign isn't just there to be cute. There are actually bears roaming this area and we ran into one. Luckily it just walked close to us looking for things to eat on the ground then walked off on its own a while later. My advice is stay calm, be quiet, don't run, and give the bear some space. Don't bring food unless it's a wrapped granola bar or a ziplock bag of nuts. You don't want the bear to attack you for food. We also ran into many deers and insects along the way. We even heard the rattling on a rattlesnake and saw a red velvet wasp that is famous for being able to kill a cow with one sting. Wear long pants and be very alert at your surroundings. The Ben Overturff Trail is a dirt trail that goes deep into the mountain. There are many streams and mini waterfalls inside and tons of shade with huge trees so it doesn't get too hot. The trail does get really steep at certain points and is an intense workout. The view and quietness of nature definitely makes this trek worthwhile. We were the only ones on the trail most of the time and saw a few baby deers, many squirrels, blue dragonflies and a lot of butterflies. We also could touch several streams and mini waterfalls. There are several bathrooms on the trail but the higher up you go, the most disgusting and less frequently cleaned they seem to be. I would recommend using the one down at the ranger station. read more

i'm an avid hiker but this was a trail i had never heard about until last week thanks to the pasadena hiker pacers. there are so many great things about this trail and the first is the history behind it. this trail was designed when ben overtuff, a monrovia city contractor, leased the area now known as deer park around 1907. he built a lodge at deer park and used it as a tourist location. for 25 cents you could stay for a weekend that included food and lodge. unfortunately due to floods and ben's old age the lodge was left abandoned and after many years and misuse by vandals the lodge was disassembled. however some of the ruins still prevail to this day. the trail starts past the monvoria canyon park following the service road. about a mile uphill on the service road the trailhead appears. look for two small stone towers to the left of the road. from there it is about 3.5 miles of beautiful woods and river crossings. there are some good uphills to get your cardio going as well. very well kept and maintained trail. at the end of the 3.5 miles you come to deer park and the ben overtuff lodge ruins. excellent place to walk around and explore. from there you will see a sign that says restrooms. it is the same direction that will take you back to the service road you were once on and this service road will take you back to monrovia canyon park if you don't feel like going back the same way you came from. there are some exposed areas but overall you get good protection from the sun. keep an eye for snakes and ticks and most importantly, bring plenty of water! oh and don't forget your camera. enjoy! read more

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Great hike! But be prepared it is challenging if your are not used to going up steep hills. I wanna say that you have about 3-4min rest then steep hill again. Take lots of water and wear hiking boots! Be prepared for you will be hurting the next day! Great outdoor hike and you get a rewarding gorgeous view! read more

Ben Overturff Trail - Hiking Near Me - Monrovia, California

Great Hike! Been hiking on this trail for the past month and half and the hike just gets easier and easier. Love the view from above. One day, don't know when yet, but one day I shall have my romantic picnic above the mountains with out looking a mess. hahaha! Love the incline though. The incline MAY be tough, but after you get yourself used to the inclines, it becomes a breeze. read more

I love this nice hike. I usually park in the neighborhood to add to my hike and avoid the $5 parking fee. this is some real good exercise. one time i actually did this hike first then came down and continued to the waterfall! omg! i was ready to die!... read more

4 stars only because of the paved road, it lasts too long. This is a beautiful, mostly shady trail but pretty steep. The details provided on this trail in previous reviews were perfect, I may have takin a wrong turn though because this hike was a 7 mile round trip ass kicker! Very peaceful, many streams but I don't think we saw the waterfall, there were streams of water but they didn't look like waterfalls. Great 3 hour hike, 5 bucks to park. read more

NICE ROAD WITH A DOG (just bring water!) Road?!?! Isn't this a trail? Well, there are really 2 options on this side of Monrovia Canyon Park (which is $5 parking and dog friendly). Both options actually start up a blacktop road which goes up to the Boy Scouts' Camp Trask. At that point, the road become well graded dirt and you keep climbing. The gain is not super steep, but quite a steady climb the whole way. After another while, you come to the actual Ben Overturff trailhead, and a gate blocking the dirt road to vehicles (but you can just walk around it). The Overturff trail goes more along the canyon bottom but not necessarily next to the stream-my memory is hazy about that. The dirt road is usually about 100 feet higher, and there is not any very safe way to get down to the trail until much further up the road, where they intersect. Either the trail or the road is easy for a dog, as even at 2pm today on the blacktop portion there were pools of shade and the pavement not too too hot. Midsummer late afternoon could be another story-might be too hot for pet paws. However, you need to take water and a bowl. On the paved and dirt road, there is NO accessible water except down by the parking area. I don't recall much water access on the Overturff trail either. I'm putting good with kids because the gain is not super steep. However, small kids may find it tiring if they are not active because the climb is steadily up and up and up. The other hike, to the waterfall, is probably better for the little ones. read more

Worth the litte extra effort A great little, sort of hidden, trail in the Monrovia Canyon Park I have been on it about 6 or 7 times, today I went all the way to the Deer Park Cabin. I'm too cheap to pay $5 to park, so I parked at the end of the residential area. No prob as I use it for a fitness run, but you have to walk about an extra 1/2 mile or so. if you want to go in and park, I recommend parking in the first parking lot, as that is closest to the road that gets to the trail Most people stay in the main trail/waterfall area and so the Ben Overturf trail and fire road are not very crowded (I prefer this when I am out on a hike or run) The Ben Overturf trail itself is mostly shaded and wonderful with portions next to the creek. It is well marked and you can't get lost. But, to get to the trail, you have to walk up a paved road, then a fire road from the main road into Monrovia Canyon, and this road has no shade. Bring lots of water. on the main road into the park, once you go past the ticket booth there will be a right turn that goes steeply up. take this go up this road, it goes past the Sawpit Dam which is an impressive sight. Then the road turns into a dirt fire road. the Ben Overturf trail turn off is clearly marked. here you have some choices. If you want to do a loop, you can either continue up the fire road. -there are two chances to cut into the trail and take it back. Once at Twin Springs (left off the fire road, then left again), or you can go all the way to the Deer Park Cabin trail (left off the fire road(you run into another fork, the right goes to the deer park cabin, a small ruined cabin area, the left fork heads back down to Twin Springs mentioned above) - hope that makes sense. Or you can do this same route, but going into the Ben Overturf trail first. This way is slightly more difficult due to a steep climb about a 1/2 mile in. Anyway, short story long, its worth the extra little walk to get to the Ben Overturf trail as it gets you into a tree shaded creek area, that is fairy secluded and quiet. The walk on the road from the parking area (or for cheapies from the residential area) is not good (hence the 4 stars), but the Dam is fairly cool to look at. read more

This is a VERY well groomed trail now, compared to 3-4 years ago. Congratulations to Boy Scouts and whoever else did the work. However, it's quite steep at several points, and the usual San Gabriel advice applies: Do NOT go off trail! But, this trail is a great window into the past of our mountains, and documented by recent laminated signs which describe the settlements and water distribution history of this area. Wildlife? Don't obsess about this: You'll probably see a few squirrels, but not likely deer or bears. So, go for it! It's a fun alternative to the boring fire road on the uphill . . . you can run or hike down the fire road! read more

Tried this hike out this past weekend and loved it! It's moderately difficult and a pretty good workout! We got there early (7am) so parking was not an issue- just the $6 fee to park in the gate. The trail itself is probably only 5 miles or so, but the walk from the parking lot to the start of the trail probably adds an additional mile. The best part of the hike is that it isn't crowded like a lot of the nearby trails! read more