Monrovia Canyon Park reopens after weekslong closure, but you need a reservation to hit the trails
MONROVIA, Calif. (KABC) -- For the first time in 11 weeks, another popular Southern California hiking area reopened for guests eager to hit the trails.
Monrovia Canyon Park reopened on Tuesday but visitors will need to abide by some changes in order to attend. The park's trails can only be accessed with a reservation, which are limited to 70 at a time, with three time slots throughout the day.
Face coverings are also required in parking lots, trailheads and on the trails when others are nearby.
Estelle Charlebois of Monrovia was among the first in line.
"If you make it at 6:30 a.m. you have to be out by 10:30 a.m. and then new people come, but I don't know how you control that," she said.
The park's popular waterfall trail will remain closed, as it's narrow path makes it difficult to ensure safe physical distancing, according to city officials. However, those who hit the trails said most people were adhering to those guidelines.
"There were even some bicyclists that were kind of a distance from me and they put on their masks and I thought dang, if they can do it, I can do it too," Charlebois said.
Canyon Park's reopening comes as nearby Eaton Canyon in Altadena remains closed through May 31. It was shut down on Sunday after too many hikers showed up, causing neighborhood parking problems and ignoring physical distancing rules.
Locals in Monrovia don't expect that to be a problem at Canyon Park and are hoping for the best.
"I know they've been trying different kinds of things but I hope it can stay open," Charlebois said.
