Arcadia Wilderness Park

Yes as noted this park is only open M-​F. I have to agree what is the purpose of the park if most people work! I went here recently for my son’s school trip and it is perfect for a lazy day. It is enclosed and they have a natural facility with some live animals. They have BBQ areas and picnic tables. It is wide open area as well. If you have little kids’ perfect. The one danger is… we did a little hike and the fence from the mountain to the area was broken I mean real big hole… not sure if wild animals are there since you are right next to the mountain but there is a trail so maybe it is safe… but mountain lions? Coyotes?

Loved this place for years. It was like a world away, covered in old beautiful Loan Oaks. Now, it’s nothing but a water shed, thanks to the county and city of Arcadia. 160 plus Oaks were destroyed to make room for dirt and run off from the damn system above. What a shame and a complete waste of a beautiful natural place. I will miss this park…

Unfortunately this park is an example of bad city planning. They advertise that the park is a great place to relax. Lifted right off their website…
«Have you ever wanted a local place where you can relax and unwind after a stressful week? „
Right below it states the hours are from Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday“ So how would anyone that works be able to visit this park?
Good news is past May assuming you work till 5pm, and it only takes you an hour to get home and hurry, you can maybe have about 45 minutes to run through the park before it closes promptly at 7pm.
But hey! Weekends are available for rent $ 50-​$ 75-​$ 100 for non-​profits only, And if you’re a regular family as defined in this passage.“A peaceful place that is great for families, small groups and even individuals. Wilderness Park has a nature center with many animals on display and a pond to enjoy. » You’ll need to call someone for weekend hours… if you’re lucky but they’re closed on Sunday.
No thanks, go less than 5 miles eastward on Foothill and spend your $ ($ 5 a carload, free if you walk in) at Monrovia’s Canyon Park, freely open on weekends.

Love coming here when I need a break from the real world. Its a great park with some basic trails and steps with beautiful views and scenery. I just saw a deer here this week when I came for a moment of relaxation.
They have bathrooms, a mini-​museum and a huge campground «theater» where you can perform, etc, as well as barbeques and lots of seating.

Another park set in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. They have a decent nature center, although they seem to be open to the public during weekdays (reservations required for weekend visits, which doesn’t appeal to me as a park-​goer). Still, it offers a little escape from the urban world.

I don’t know why I thought of reviewing this park… but what the hell, it’s another first for me.
This was the park right up the street from me when I was growing up. It was a great little spot where we’d catch tadpoles in the streams and put them in Folgers coffee can with some water and fungus thinking that they would grow up to full grown frogs… but they always exploded when the CA sun would heat the water in the metal coffee can by noon.
I also like the museum building they have with stuffed depictions of the local animals along with some live snakes. I remember being on a field trip there once where they fed a mouse to a snake– it was gangster.
I still like to go there when I’m down in CA– but they’re closed now more often than they’re open due to fires and stuff… poor CA, you guys really pissed in the well.