Upper Provo River Falls

Provo River Waterfalls Place: Upper Provo River Falls Location: From Kamas take Highway 150 east about 23 1/2 miles. Parking is on the left What to do: hiking, picnic, pictures, painting, relaxing Time of year: all year duration: day hike - its about 45 minutes out of salt lake area difficulty: easy, some stairs Special considerations: the water is really cold and though not deep most of the year, the water is moving fairly fast.

Virgin River Gorge Trails - Mt Carmel Junction

 I almost don't want to post this one as I want to keep it all to myself.

If you have an atv or bike and want to see some amazing scenery in southern Utah this is it!
If you have your own atv enjoy and keep it beautiful, if you don't - there are outfitters that can take you on day trips out of St George area.

Ready to head out and on the trail

Directions: Mt. Carmel Junction on hi-way 89South, just south of Mt Carmel there are some roads off to the right and the trails just go all over, crossing the Virgin River multiple times offering sandy trails, river crossing, slot canyons, desert trails through cedars, panoramic views etc.

Duration: hours to days if you want

Difficulty: easy to difficult

views from the camp both looking out and having breakfast. the little guy is a Jerusalem Cricket

There is a little practice race track right off the road (great for kids learning to handle a machine) as well as primitive camping for tents or trailers.

Special Considerations: Respect the area and signs posted. Keep the area clean.
Bring all the necessary stuff for a day trip remembering you will probably get wet, possibly be cold, windy, very hot and sunny, dry. You may need first aid, winches, shovel to dig out, binoculars to watch birds, mountain goats, other wildlife, camera's, maps, gps, etc.

This trail ends up at Coral Pink Sand Dunes, for which you would need to have a flag to ride and pay the fee. Great Maps are available for a small fee at the ranger station.
The locals are friendly and helpful. Thunderbird Lodge is right up the street should you n eed anything or if you want to stay at a hotel or even hit a round of Golf. Good food at both restaurant choices.

Manti La Sal Arapeen ATV Trails out of Mayfield

Directions: South of Manti on 89 left into Mayfeild and continue up the road where there are several staging areas.
Here is a link to some other trails in the same area - they are all beautiful and make good riding.
http://sanpete.com/pages/atv_map

Duration: All day

Difficulty: Easy to difficult depending on the route and conditions

Special Considerations: Take warm clothes as you go into the higher elevations it gets pretty cold in the early spring/summer.
What to bring: A shovel, first aid kit, food, water, sunscreen, maps, communication devices, camera, binoculars, gps, fishing gear and license.
This area has beautiful views, lakes, challenging trails, ample wildlife (we saw elk and deer and other critters - did not see any snakes) and lots of trees, flowers, vegetation and birds.

Camping is available either rustic or at Palisades State Park - which is another entry all of its own!

Battle Creek out of Pleasant Grove

Location: Just east of Pleasant Grove

Directions: Go east on 200 S Pleasant Grove/ also known as Battle Creek Drive

Difficulty: medium - its a gravel path and it almost entirely uphill with an easy grade most of the time - a little steeper at the end.

Duration: about 1 1/2 miles makes it about about an hour and a half leisurely hike from the park trail head and back if you don't hang out at the falls

Special considerations: There is a really nice picnic/ bbq area at the park by the trail head but I found the bathrooms to be totally unacceptable - and I am pretty liberal in what I consider to be an ok facility. We didn't picnic or bbq - just hiked as our kids were rappelling and we came along to watch and take pictures. We were a little slow getting there so - no rappelling for us. But they had fun and so did a lot of other people.
Dog Friendly - leashed and pick up after your pet.
Good for rappelling as there are hooks in the rock at the top. Not too high, not too little, a little free rappelling over the overhang and you will probably get a little wet with the spray depending on the time of year and how heavy the flow of the water is.

Springville Museum of Art

Directions: Off of I-15 take Springville 400 N Exit and go east almost 2 miles. It is just after the stoplight in town. There is parking on the street and on the East side of the building (which is where the entryway is)
Cost: Free -
                   Donations Always Appreciated!

Museum from the Road

Outside entrance to the sculpture garden - a truly wonderful place!

Duration: As long as you like!

This activity/ place is great for art lovers, date night, people who are curious about Utah places and children.

This museum has permanent art as well as traveling exhibits. They quite often feature quilting and the amazing quilting art that is done by so many talented artists/ seamstresses. (fyi.. if you haven't tried to make a quilt you will not fully appreciate the technical aspects of quilting- it is amazingly precise, tedious, artistic, mathematical and artistic in every sense! as well as demanding immense patience)

A sculpture, some flowers and the walkway by the Museum.. its just a pretty area. The flowers are just part of the beautiful garden.. I guess you could consider them a permanent part of the exhibit.. and I just really like taking pictures of flowers.

This makes a wonderful outing, tandem picnic or brunch outing or just a relaxing personal time in the sculpture garden by the fountain (there is an indoor water feature too).

Don't go on Monday.. they are closed. (that is why all my pictures are from the outside)

Hours: ( in case you can't read it)
Monday  closed
Tuesday 10am-5pm
Wedensday 10am-9pm
Thursday-Saturday 10am-5pm
Sunday 3pm-6pm

If you are interested in taking professional (or family member/friend professional pictures.. there is a small fee (a small cost to enjoy the beautiful backdrop) and you may photograph within the building or the gardens.

check out their website for more information at:
http://www.smofa.org/visit_the_museum/hours/index.html

Bridal Veil Falls American Fork Canyon and Provo River Trail

Directions: Just off of Highway 189 out of Provo and just before Deer Creek. A pull off is located at Nunn's Park, but if you want to bike on a beautiful trail you can access it at the Provo Canyon Bike trailhead and can get on at the gas station just off of 800 N just before turning onto 189, at Canyon View Park or Canyon Glenn Park.  This paved trail is for bikes, roller blades, scooters, big wheels, tyke bikes, pedestrians, dogs and strollers. If you just want to do the lazy walk (like we did today) you can drive pretty much right up to the falls and park just across the Provo River.

from the parking area

Difficulty: Pretty flat and easy to get to, good for all ages. If you access through the bike trails, also not too hard as manifested by the little guy with gusto on the big wheel who rode up from one of the parks.

Duration: However long you want it to be. You can make your trip as long as the hike and full bike path ride (going from down in Provo even as far down at the River bottoms all the way up to Vivian Park) or as short as parking across from the falls and walking over the little bridge to the viewing area.
There is also an unpaved trail further up the canyon where you can hike up to where the fall splits.

from the biking/hiking trail

The falls is 607 Feel and is made up of two falls that tumble down into a rocky area and then a small pool where there is a trout pond and then on to join the Provo River.
For a quarter you can feed the fat trout but you can't eat them.

Its a lovely and relaxing visit and a wonderful beautiful trail to ride.
This is a great family outing and good for the dog too if you want. Just make sure to clean up after your pet as this is a high traffic area and no one wants the remains of what your dog left of the trail to be on the bottom of their shoe.

Cascade Springs

Approaching the upper Springs from below

Directions:  Alpine Scenic Loop up American Fork canyon ( or you can come up from Provo Canyon), take the Cascade Spring turn off, If you have not been on the Alpine loop be forewarned that it is veryt narrow in some places, while a great motorcycle ride sometimes you may be cut off by trucks, cars or vehicles with trailers (which over 30 feet - not recommended)
this road is a popular scenic road /Sunday drive type road that is especially popular in the fall. If you or others in your car are prone to motion sickness, you may want to prepare for the possibility of someone getting sick as it is also very a very winding road.
There is an upper and lower parking lot.
Cost: National Parks pass or current fee ($6.00 per Sept of 2013)

waterfalls in the lower Spring area

Difficulty: Easy, Wheel chair accessible ( for the most part flat and a bit steep in a few places).
Mostly paved or boardwalk. (some of the asphalt is a little broken up by some trees and it is narrow in some places. There are some rock stairs - which are beautiful.
Overall this is a wonderful hike for people of all ages and abilities.

Duration:  .6 miles, minimal elevation
Stay however long you want as you can be as hurried or leisurely as you want.
If you park at the upper parking lot you will come in on the wide open end at the top of the spring.  This part is very serene and relaxing.
If you come up from the bottom parking lot the terrain is a little more uneven and the falls are spectacular and make a wonderful gurgling, rushing sound.
The whole trail is marked with educational plaques so you can learn much of the area, flora, fauna and wildlife, history, geology and other interesting information.
You will be able to see the brown trout in the clear waters and maybe some mink, birds, squirrels or other little critters. There are abundant flowers and plants of all kinds.

Sunday afternoon visitors early fall on the Boardwalk

Tips: This is a good one to do in conjunction with some other Alpine Loop trail or if you are in the area, camping or ATV'ing since its such a short hike to just drive up for that alone.  It is a beautiful  little hike and well worth it to go in and of itself.
Its a very relaxing place and nice to take pictures.
Bridal Veil Falls is on the way if you are coming up from or going back through the Provo area.

lower Springs area looking up through some trees

Bug spray would be advisable and the park closes at dusk!
No picknicking in the area, no fishing and no wading allowed.
This is a very beautiful area as noted by the numerous photographers we saw there, but you can enjoy it for its relaxing nature, beauty and pure water.
Drinking fountains available with delicious water!

delicious spring water (pretty sure about that)

If you want to take a longer scenic drive you can continue to head East, up and over into Heber Valley, visiting Midway on the way home or go back the way you came enjoying the Alpine Loop.