Spotlight: Provo - Bridal Veil Falls

Spotlight: A short drive up the beautiful Provo Canyon will lead you to Bridal Veil Falls - my favorite waterfall in the state of Utah. The waterfall is a double cataract that drops 607 feet, and flows down a slope of boulders into a shallow pool at the base of the Falls. From there, the water drains into the Provo River.

Location: Bridal Veil Falls is located about 3 1/2 miles up Highway 189 (Provo Canyon Rd.) on the right-hand side of the road (from Provo). You can either park in the Bridal Veil Falls parking lot, or at Nunn's Park and walk the beautiful quarter-mile trail up to the Falls.

Time: 15 minutes to an hour (or longer if you stay for a picnic).

Cost: Free

Description: Bridal Veil Falls is arguably the most beautiful waterfall in the state of Utah. It has two main cataracts, followed by a descent down a slope of boulders, giving it three distinct sections. The middle section is the most spectacular, with the water fanning out over the face of the cliff, and can easily be seen from Highway 189.
     Nunn's Park is located about half a mile southwest of the Falls. From the parking lot, you can take a leisurely quarter mile stroll through the shaded picnic area of Bridal Veil Falls Park along the banks of the Provo River. This path will lead you right to the base of the waterfall, where you can sit and admire the Falls, wade in the shallow pool, or hike up one of the trails for different views of the Falls.
     Another way to access the Falls is via the Provo River Parkway. This pedestrian/bike trail starts at 2230 North Street in downtown Provo and follows University Ave. all the way up into the canyon. From there it follows the Provo River and Highway 189 past several different parks and the Falls, ending at Vivian Park.

Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)

Things You Should Know: The water at the base of the Falls is usually cold. There are also fish in a connecting pool where wading is discouraged.
- Bridal Veil Falls Park has 8 uncovered picnic tables (with grills), a portable restroom, and several trails for walking, jogging, biking, and even longboarding. There is no fee.
- The Eagle's Nest Lodge used to be nestled in the cliffs above Bridal Veil Falls. The lodge included a Visitors' Center, a restaurant and a dance hall. An aerial tram (the steepest in the world) would take visitors up to the lodge. Unfortunately, the lodge, gift shop, snack shop, and tram house were all destroyed by a devastating avalanche in 1996. Plans to restore the lodge ended when a fire consumed what remained of the lodge in 2008.

Wreckage from the avalanche

- In the winter, climbers like to try their skills on the "Stairway to Heaven" - a beautiful curtain of crystal ice to the right of the Falls.

Nearby: Nunn's Park, Vivian Park, Sundance, Deer Creek State Park