⚡ The Quick Scoop
The Vibe: An epic collection of waterfall hikes! From a relentless climb forcing you to earn your view at Lost Creek, a wild obstacle course up Slide Canyon, a scramble up a boulder field at Upper Falls, to a quiet, easy treasure at Bridesmaid Falls.
Must See: The unique Z-shaped Lost Creek Falls, the disappearing river at Upper Falls, the wildflowers of Slide Canyon, and the peaceful trail to Bridesmaid Falls.
Shauna's Rating: 💎💎💎💎💎 (A 5-Diamond mix of intense climbing and relaxing strolls!)
Some trails hand you a beautiful view on a silver platter, and others absolutely make you earn it! Provo Canyon is bursting with amazing waterfalls, but today I am taking you to some of my favorites that sit on completely opposite ends of the spectrum.
First, we are going to tackle the steep, relentless climbs, tricky stream crossings, and avalanche fields of Lost Creek Falls. Then, we are going to check out the boulder fields of Upper Falls and bushwhack through the wild Slide Canyon, before escaping the crowds to enjoy a peaceful, quiet stroll to the gorgeous, hidden Bridesmaid Falls. Let's start the adventure!
👇 Choose Your Path
- The Highway Frogger & The False End
- The Avalanche Snow Bridge
- Resilience & Secret Slots
- Bridal Veil Falls
- The Boulders of Upper Falls
- The Quiet Treasure: Bridesmaid Falls
- The Wild Obstacle Course of Slide Canyon
- The Rattlesnake River Dance
- VR & Video Exploration
- The Explorer's Guide & Tracker
- The Trail Scrapbook
The Highway Frogger & The False End (Lost Creek)
The very first challenge of the Lost Creek Falls hike actually starts before you even hit the dirt. You have to park on the busy highway right across from Bridal Veil Falls, and it is notoriously fast and busy!
🚗 The U-Turn Terror
I was absolutely terrified making a U-turn across this highway to grab a spot. It is super stressful! I think if I did it again, I would just drive all the way up the canyon to the Sundance Ski Resort turnoff, turn around there where there is a designated lane, and safely come back down. Don't risk your life playing Highway Frogger with your car!
My first time hiking this was pure, nervous exploration. You head straight up the mountain, and eventually, you hit a steep part of the river where the trail just seems to disappear completely into the water. I stood there, looked at the rushing river taking over the entire canyon, and thought to myself, "Well, I guess I am done. This must be the end."
The crazy part? I was so surprised later to realize how close I actually was! I seriously just had to get around the next corner and I would have had the falls in my sights. But the river was taking over the trail, and sometimes you just have to get in the water and trek up! It is much easier to find in the late summer when the river isn't so wide and intimidating.
The Avalanche Snow Bridge
When I finally went back the second time, the canyon decided to throw an extra hard challenge at us. There had been a massive avalanche down the canyon, meaning the steep trail was completely buried under an avalanche debris field.
We definitely would not have made it if we hadn't brought our microspikes and hiking poles! But what made it truly terrifying was navigating the hidden river below us. You could barely hear the water rushing under the thick snow, but there were spots where the snow had collapsed, and the sound of the river would echo up from those holes.
It wasn't super hard to connect the dots of the collapsed holes to figure out the path of the river, but we hit a long stretch without a collapse. We were bundled up from the snow so we couldn't feel a temperature drop, but our adrenaline spiked when we suddenly realized we had wandered way too close for comfort—we were walking directly on top of the rushing river on a fragile snow bridge! Scary, but we carefully navigated to the edges, pushed to the top, and finally saw the falls in all their glory.
Resilience & The Secret Slot Canyon
Besides being an intensely great exercise hike with a relentless incline, my absolute favorite thing about this trail is the view looking backward.
🎒 A Token of Resilience
As you climb, you get the most amazing, unobstructed views of Bridal Veil Falls across the canyon. Bridal Veil is massive and multiple stories tall, but from up on this trail, it looks about an inch tall! Seeing the people down there as tiny dots is surreal.
You are just trying to put one foot in front of the other on the way up, and then you stop, turn around, and realize how much you have climbed—it completely blows you away. It gives you a huge sense of accomplishment and drops a massive token in your "resilience bag." I mean, if you can conquer that hike, bring on the next challenge!
❄️ The Winter Rumor
I have heard an incredible rumor that during the winter, when the snow is packed high, it is actually easier to climb much higher up the falls. Apparently, not too much farther up, it turns into a really narrow slot canyon where the sound of the rushing water is absolutely deafening!
I have always wanted to try and get up that far, but wow, getting up that steep area in the winter with the extra snow, worrying that you are right in the middle of an active avalanche route, is a little intimidating. Maybe one day!
Bridal Veil Falls
Lost Creek Falls is an epic challenge, but Provo Canyon is bursting with other amazing waterfalls! If you are in the area, you absolutely need to know about the other sisters, starting with the most famous.
🌊 1. Bridal Veil Falls
This is the big one! Standing at 607 feet tall, this double-cataract waterfall is the most famous in the canyon. It is incredibly easy to access via a flat, paved trail from the parking lot.
⚠️ Safety Warning: Do NOT attempt to climb the rock face next to the falls! Surprisingly, it has been years since I hiked up that part. I have heard of far too many people dying or getting severely injured on that trail that I just don't think it is worth it. Besides, it is a waterfall that is honestly not as impressive when you are too close. Enjoy it from the base!
The Boulders of Upper Falls
Located about a mile east of Bridal Veil Falls, Upper Falls is a beautiful, 40-foot drop that is often overlooked because of its famous neighbor. The hike is short—only about 0.6 miles round trip with 560 feet of elevation gain—but it is definitely a steep rock scramble that requires sturdy footing!
The trail starts by sneaking around the southwest corner of an old cement structure that looks like it used to be a shop or water trap. Sadly, there is quite a bit of graffiti here. You don't usually run into graffiti on a trail in Utah, so it is the strangest thing to see! I also found a faint trail heading up the top left along a cliff ledge where there was even more graffiti, but it was a little scary, and since I was solo, I wisely opted to turn back.
🕳️ The Disappearing River
One of the craziest things about this waterfall is what happens at the bottom! The water rushes down the rocks, and then... it just disappears into a rock field. The sound goes from a roaring waterfall to absolute silence. It is such a strange phenomenon! (I am sure they are grabbing the water underground and putting it into the Orem water supply, but it feels like magic!)
🪨 Bouldering for the Best View
As you hike up, the main trail naturally heads off to the left. However, if you take that path, you actually lose sight of the upper tiers of the waterfall! Because I am not afraid of a boulder field, I decided I wanted to see the full waterfall. I thought, "I am not going to be stepping on any flowers, so why not!"
I headed straight up through the boulders toward the rushing water. It wasn't extremely easy, but wow! The views from that rocky path are so much more beautiful because it is the only way you get to see the upper levels of the falls. Having that steep climb up makes you forget about the graffiti at the bottom very quickly!
🌳 Upper Falls Park
Before or after your hike, you absolutely have to stop at Upper Falls Park at the base. It is such a nice, quiet park with a beautiful bridge to hang out on and watch the river. It is so shocking to me that more people don't come to this quaint park, because it is so peaceful and the river is lovely to listen to.
The Quiet Treasure: Bridesmaid Falls
If you want to escape the massive crowds of Bridal Veil, I have the absolute perfect hidden gem for you: an unnamed waterfall off the Bonneville Shoreline Trail that locals affectionately call Bridesmaid Falls.
I have seen this waterfall from the road many times, so it has been on my bucket list for a while. I often forget about it because it isn't listed in many of the hiking apps I use! I was hoping to hike close enough to just get a picture, but I was pleasantly surprised that the trail went right up to the base of the waterfall.
🥾 A Trail of Surprises
Bridesmaid Falls is so cool because you can pretty much walk right to it, and it is so wonderfully quiet. It is about a 3-mile round trip, making it a great exercise hike that is easy enough for all ages (Level 2), with just a slightly steep climb at the very end.
When you start at the Southwest corner of the Bridal Veil parking lot, you are on the paved upper trail. At first, I didn't like being so close to the sounds of the traffic in Provo Canyon. But as you climb higher on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, you don't even notice the sounds of the cars anymore!
🌸 Flowers & Hidden Caves
This trail is an absolute scavenger hunt! Along the way, we spotted bright pink Phlox, beautiful Sweet Peas, and the vibrant red Beardlip Penstemon.
But the coolest part was looking up at Cascade Mountain to spot the caves! There are two distinct caves visible from the trail. One looks exactly like a push-tac, and the other takes some searching for—it is a triangle shape hiding right where the horizontal lines in the mountain do a V-shape split. It is so fun just to say you spotted the secret caves in Provo Canyon!
🛑 The Wednesday Warning
Here is a massive insider tip: I would absolutely avoid this trail on a Wednesday! The trail passes close enough to the local shooting range that if they are active, the echoing gunfire makes the hike far more stressful than relaxing. Pick any other day to enjoy the peace!
The Wild Obstacle Course of Slide Canyon
If you are looking for a Saturday morning hike in Provo Canyon with absolutely zero crowds, I have found the perfect spot for you: the Slide Canyon 062 trail. It is located right across the canyon from Upper Falls, and while the new parking lot boasts one of the most stunning views of Upper Provo Falls, the trail itself is a wild, overgrown beast!
I came to this hike thinking it was named "Slide Canyon" because of the massive avalanche danger from October to April (the lot is actually closed during those months!). But I left with a chuckle, realizing it should be known as the hike with an actual SLIDE. No matter which route you take, there is a point where you have to literally slide down on your bum to get into the ravine, and then crawl back out like you are climbing up a slippery slide!
⚠️ Why is this trail HARD?
Some people will hate this trail, while others will view it as an adult "Chuck E. Cheese" natural obstacle course! It gets a "Hard" rating from me for three reasons:
- The Bum Slide: Anytime a trail requires me to get on my bottom to safely get down into a ravine, it's tough!
- Bruises: My hiking buddy, who rarely falls, slipped twice. Going home to your hubby with bruises is never a good sign!
- The Bushwhacking: The trail is so narrow and overgrown it almost felt like a Hawaiian jungle trail. You spend a lot of time zigzagging and deciphering the path. Watch out for Poison Ivy and late-summer burrs!
🌸 A Floral Wonderland
Despite the scratches and slides, this trail boasts some amazing wildflowers! I spotted beautiful Yellow Evening Primroses, Yellow Mullein, Purple Penstemons, and clusters of Columbine on the opposite side of the stream. Having that cute creek running alongside you the whole way adds such a wonderful natural ambiance to the hike.
Now, I know there is an amazing waterfall at the end of this canyon, but honestly... I never saw it! When we reached a series of 5 to 6 cliff bands ranging from 15 to 50 feet tall, my map apps told me we were way past the end of the trail, so we turned around. If you are a skilled scrambler who doesn't mind creek walking and intense bushwhacking, you might just reach the falls, where I hear the pounding water echoes off the rocks brilliantly!
The Rattlesnake River Dance
Back over on the steep slopes of Lost Creek Falls, one of the wildest things I have ever seen on a trail happened on my way down. As I was descending the steep path, a crowd of hikers ahead of me suddenly hollered for me to STOP.
Right ahead on the trail, just before the river crossing, was a massive rattlesnake! We were all standing there curiously watching this huge creature, keeping a very safe distance. But then, the craziest thing happened.
The rattlesnake decided it needed to cross the river. But instead of swimming through the rushing water, it navigated above the water! We watched in absolute, mesmerized silence as this giant snake slithered from rock to rock, balancing and bridging itself over branches, crossing the entire rushing stream without ever getting wet. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I never would have believed it! It was an unforgettable, awe-inspiring display of nature.
Transport Yourself: VR & Video Exploration
Check out the unique Z-shape of Lost Creek Falls, the boulders of Upper Falls, the obstacle course of Slide Canyon, and the quiet beauty of Bridesmaid Falls!
🎬 Coming Soon: The Ultimate Provo Waterfalls VR!
I recently scouted Lost Creek again and am currently editing an epic new VR 360 Video with even better, closer shots of these cascading falls! It is going to fit perfectly into my upcoming Spring in the Rockies 3-Hour Flat Screen Video. Check back soon!
A Tiny Planet View of Upper Falls
A Tiny Planet View of Lost Creek Falls
Climbing Slide Canyon (360° VR)
Don't forget to move around so you can see it all!
Slide Canyon (Tiny Planet View)
Slide Canyon (Standard 2D View)
360° Trail Map to Bridesmaid Falls
The waterfall is just around the corner!
The Turnoff from Provo River Parkway
Just Around the Corner from the Falls!
The Explorer's Guide & Tracker
🗺️ Adventure at a Glance: Provo Canyon
- 🏞️ Location: Provo Canyon, Utah
- 🥾 Activity: Paved pathways turning into dirt trails, boulders, and bushwhacking
- ⚠️ Difficulty: Ranges from Easy (Bridesmaid) to Moderate/Steep (Upper Falls & Lost Creek) to Hard (Slide Canyon)
Helpful Hints for Your Visit
- How to Find Bridesmaid Falls: The trail starts on the Southwest Corner of the Bridal Veil parking lot on the paved upper trail (Provo River Parkway). Head east, watch for the trail below to U-turn back west. Past the power lines, look for a sign on the right that says Bonneville Shoreline Trail. The trail up to the waterfall is just past that sign on the LEFT. (Take the third turn-off!)
- Slide Canyon Research: If you want to brave the Slide Canyon 062 trail, check out this great Summit Post article. (Fun fact: They say hiking it in mid-May over the avalanche snow is actually easier, but you MUST wear crampons and stay away from the hollow center!) You can also check out the Google Earth view of the hidden waterfall here!
🧭 Utah County Waterfall Tracker
Did you visit Lost Creek, Upper Falls, Slide Canyon, Bridesmaid, or Bridal Veil recently? Help the VRGetaway community out by dropping a quick trail report below!
📋 Live Community Trail Reports
Check the latest conditions submitted by fellow hikers below!
The Trail Scrapbook
A collection of my favorite photos showcasing the massive climbs of Lost Creek, the boulders of Upper Falls, the wildflowers of Slide Canyon, and the gorgeous flowers of Bridesmaid Falls!
✨ Ask the Trail Guide
Curious about the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, Provo Canyon, or identifying wildflowers? Ask our AI Guide!
The Joy of the Quiet Path
While everyone else is risking the crowds and the dangerous scramble at Bridal Veil Falls, taking the quiet path to Bridesmaid Falls feels like discovering a secret treasure just for yourself. Or, if you are feeling adventurous, scrambling up the boulder field at Upper Falls to find the hidden tiers is a thrill unlike any other! I hope this guide helps you escape the noise, find some beautiful wildflowers, and enjoy a peaceful afternoon in the canyon!
Sending Love and Positive Vibes,
Shauna @ VRGetaway
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