Payson, Utah: The Complete Guide

The south end of the valley, where the county starts to feel rural and the canyon roads climb toward Payson Lakes. Golden Onion Days runs over Labor Day, the Scottish festival brings the Highland games, and the orchards north of town are a genuine draw in late summer.

7 guides about Payson are indexed below, and every fact on this page links to the page that carries it.

Start here

Start here Living in Payson Living in Payson, Utah: the Payson Temple, Golden Onion Days, the Nebo Loop, schools, housing and the I-15 commute. Start here Payson neighborhoods Payson neighborhoods: the temple bench, the historic grid and the newer areas, and a K-12 school pipeline inside the city. Start here Things to do in Payson Things to do in Payson: Golden Onion Days, the Nebo Loop and Payson Lakes, the 1901 Peteetneet building and the temple grounds.

Eat and drink

Eat and drink Best restaurants in Payson, Salem and Santaquin Where to eat in south Utah County: Hot Rod Diner and Sandwich Queen in Payson, Wild Thistle and Rowley's Red Barn in Santaquin, and Salem.

Out and about

Out and about Payson Scottish Festival Utah Valley's Highland Games — caber tosses, pipe bands, clan tents and Scottish food at Memorial Park in Payson, free to walk into. Out and about U-pick orchards Where to pick your own cherries, peaches, berries and apples in Santaquin and Payson, month by month from June to October, the farms and what to bring. Out and about Golden Onion Days 2027 Payson's Golden Onion Days over Labor Day weekend: the parade, fireworks at Memorial Park, the 5K, the carnival, costs and parking.

Payson's celebrations

Payson Scottish Festival & Highland Games: the second weekend of July. Next: July 9, 2027, not yet confirmed.
Golden Onion Days: Labor Day weekend. Next: September 3, 2027, not yet confirmed.
Festival Latino de Payson: one Saturday in September, lately the third. Next: September 18, 2027, not yet confirmed.

City meetings

Payson registers 12 public bodies with Utah's Public Notice Website, among them the City Council, Planning Commission, Board of Adjustments, City Recorder's Office. The public meetings guide shows where their agendas are posted.

Trails in and around Payson

Grotto Falls ~0.5-0.7 mi round trip
Payson Lakes Recreation Area Paved paths through the area; no loop distance published
Devil's Kitchen ~0.5 mi round trip

School district

Payson is served by Nebo School District. The 2027 split of Alpine School District does not touch it, so its boundaries on 1 July 2027 are the boundaries it has now.

What is on in Payson

Dated entries from the events calendar filtered to Payson. Each one carries its own verified dates.

Payson Scottish Festival 2027 July 9, 2027
Golden Onion Days 2027 — Payson September 3, 2027
Festival Latino de Payson 2027 September 18, 2027

The rest of the valley

For everything beyond Payson, start with Living in Utah Valley, things to do, food and drink, the events calendar and the tools.