It's a good park, but it wouldn't be my first choice of a park to visit whenever I need a breath of…read morefresh air. It's much too small compared to Rynerson Park, just steps away in terms of displacement, but over a mile away in terms of distance. However, the trail both inside and outside the park can provide a nice place to blow off some steam and perhaps "go and smell the roses" as alluded to in those Travelocity commercials.
You might find some roses somewhere along the nature trail outside the park, but you won't find any inside this park. In fact, the plantation within the grounds isn't as abundant, which shouldn't come off as surprising since I previously mentioned how small the park is. However, there is plenty enough open space to hold a nice summer camp, which the City of Lakewood does annually. I personally think Rynerson Park would be a better place to hold a summer camp as it would allow for so much more activities in the wider, more open space just on the other side of the San Gabriel River. But then again, Monte Verde does have an amphitheater and even a fire ring, neither of which is found at Rynerson.
The park has a lodge called the S. Mark Taper Foundation Vista Lodge, which I suppose you could compare to a ski resort lodge minus the fact that you're not skiing in the park lol. I also suppose it's used pretty frequently for special events, and you'll know that from a sign at the entrance indicating that there is a private event going on.
The nature trail inside the park is about a quarter mile long. There's a fair amount of vegetation, but not a whole lot that you'll likely see more on the nature trail outside the park instead.
So far, I've been to the park three times. The first time, the front gate was closed, so all I could do was explore the West San Gabriel River Parkway Nature Trail. The second time, there was a baby shower at the event, and I didn't want to intrude. The third time, there was another private event, but it had just ended, so I got to take a couple laps on the nature trail inside the park. It was nice to explore for once, but like I alluded to earlier, don't expect a whole lot. In fact, one of the placards was completely worn out, and I could barely read the title of that placard.
There's also a barbecue/picnic area by the lodge, which would be perfect for those summer camps that I mentioned earlier in this review. I can also see the grounds being used a lot by organizations like boy scouts and girl scouts. However, it'd be hard to play a pickup game of soccer there; that's more of a Rynerson thing if that makes sense.
Overall, it's not a bad park to go to, but depending on your interests, you may find it pales in comparison to your neighborhood park. I believe it could use a revamp because the park looks like it has seen better days. Hopefully, that will happen sooner rather than later!
