This is a working plan for a five-day family reunion based in Utah Valley, written for the person who got handed the job. It does not repeat what our other two group pages cover: where to hold the reunion and how the four reservation systems work are in family reunion venues in Utah Valley, and what to do with 10 to 60 people for an afternoon (karts, bowling, escape rooms, pontoons) is in activities for large groups. This page puts the pieces in order: five days, what to book and when, and the arithmetic of moving 40 people through places built for 8 or 16.
The plan runs Tuesday through Saturday. That keeps every day off Sunday, when a large share of Utah County closes, and leaves Sunday for church or the drive home. It assumes summer, because two of its anchors only run in summer. Prices and hours are as listed by each place in October 2026.
The headcount math, first
Three numbers decide how a big family moves around here:
| Limit | Rule | For a family of 40 |
|---|---|---|
| State park entry | One vehicle, up to 8 people | At least 5 vehicles, 5 entry fees |
| Timpanogos Cave tour | 16 people per regular tour | 3 tour slots (16, 16, 8) |
| Deer Creek Wallsburg Center Pavilion | Up to 200 guests; includes 5 vehicle passes | One pavilion; cars 6 and up pay entry |
Two more rules matter for out-of-state relatives. The Utah State Parks annual pass is sold only to Utah residents, so the cousins from Arizona pay at the gate; a Utah relative with an annual pass can bring up to seven passengers in one vehicle. And Timpanogos Cave is cashless (debit or credit only), so the grandparent who carries an envelope of twenties needs a card.
The booking countdown
| When | What to book |
|---|---|
| As soon as you have dates | The venues and lodging; see the reunion venues guide for when each system opens |
| Spring | A Deer Creek pavilion for Day 2 (the Wallsburg pavilions rent June through September) |
| 30 days before Day 2 | Timpanogos Cave tickets, the morning they open on recreation.gov |
| Two weeks before | Day 4 dinner reservation for the whole group; see group-friendly restaurants |
| The week before | A headcount by age, a car list, and who is driving whom |
Day 1 (Tuesday): Arrive, eat, watch the sun go down
Most families arrive through the afternoon, so the first day is one meal and nothing else.
- Afternoon: check-ins and the grocery run. Assign one person to the welcome table: name tags, the week's schedule on one page, a group text.
- Evening: a picnic at a lakeside or city pavilion. Utah Lake State Park is 9 minutes from downtown Provo by OSRM estimate, open until 10 p.m. from April through October, at $20 per vehicle; its Old Ice Rink Pavilion requires the per-vehicle day-use fee for entrance. A city park pavilion avoids the gate fee entirely; how to reserve one is in the venues guide.
- Why this works: nobody is tired of each other yet, and nobody has to be anywhere at a set time. The lake lies west of town, so the sun goes down over the water. More on the park: Utah Lake State Park.
Day 2 (Wednesday): The canyon day
This is the day you booked a month ago.
Early morning: Timpanogos Cave, in shifts. The Park Service runs tours every 15 to 30 minutes in season, seven days a week; regular tours start at 8:15 a.m. and lantern tours at 7 and 7:15 a.m. (lantern tours are for ages 7 and up, at $17). Regular tickets are $2 to $12 depending on age, and the Senior and Access pass holders get 50 percent off their own ticket. Each tour begins with a self-guided mile-and-a-half hike uphill from the visitor center to the cave entrance, where a ranger meets you, and the tour itself spends about 55 minutes underground on a third of a mile of trail with stairs and places to bend and twist. The Park Service advises against trusting GPS to find the visitor center; enter "Timpanogos Cave National Monument," not an address. Our Timpanogos Cave guide has the rest, including American Fork Canyon's separate Forest Service fee.
For those who will not do the hike: Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon has a trail from the main parking lot, and Utah State Parks lists no fee there. Meet back up at the reservoir.
Midday to evening: Deer Creek State Park. The Wallsburg Center Pavilion takes up to 200 guests for $250, with five vehicle passes, 22 picnic tables, three serving tables with power, three large charcoal grills and a concrete fire ring; the Wallsburg West Pavilion takes up to 50 for $200 with five vehicle passes. Both rent June through September. Additional vehicles pay the summer day-use fee of $20 ($10 for Utah seniors). The park lists swimming, boating, fishing and a zip line, and life jackets are required on every vessel, including kayaks and paddleboards. More on both reservoirs: Deer Creek and Jordanelle.
Evening, if the timing lines up: in July and August 2026, Orem's free Summer Concert Series played Wednesdays at 7 p.m. with the farmers market. Check the city's lineup for your year.
Day 3 (Thursday): Roots
A reunion is the one week a year the people who know the stories are in the same room. Give them a day.
- Morning: family history. Book the family history center nearest your lodging for a group session and ask the older generation to bring photos. Locations are in family history centers in Utah Valley.
- Afternoon, option one: Camp Floyd State Park Museum in Fairfield, about 48 minutes from Provo by OSRM estimate. The Army built Camp Floyd in 1858 and left three years later for the Civil War; today there are three structures, a cemetery, the museum and the Stagecoach Inn. $10 per family ($3 per person). Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Afternoon, option two: the Springville Museum of Art, free, with an elevator to the upper and lower levels for anyone who needs it. Open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Wednesday until 8).
- Evening: the family program rehearsal, if there is one, and an early night.
Day 4 (Friday): Split by age, then one big table
By Day 4, the teenagers and the toddlers want different things. Let them.
- Little kids and their parents: Thanksgiving Point in Lehi. Its listing shows 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and closed Sunday, which is one more reason this plan ends Saturday. Which of its museums suits which age is in our Thanksgiving Point guide.
- Teens and young adults: karts, escape-room races or bowling, booked as a group; the booking rules are in activities for large groups.
- Grandparents: a slow morning, then a drive up Provo Canyon or a few hours at the Day 3 museum they didn't get to.
- Evening: the big dinner. One room, one time, everyone. Reserve it two weeks out; see group-friendly restaurants in Utah Valley. Friday is also the one night the cousins can stay out late; things to do in Utah Valley at night lists what is open until midnight.
Day 5 (Saturday): The program, the photo, the water
- Morning: the family program and the photo, at the same pavilion if you can rebook it, or a city park. Shoot the group photo first, while everyone is still clean and before the little ones melt.
- Afternoon: one more water day. Utah Lake State Park again, or Deer Creek if your pavilion is still yours. Families with a boat can launch at either; see boat and paddle rentals if you need to rent.
- Evening: the goodbye dinner, or simply leftovers at the pavilion until the park closes.
If the week has to include Sunday
Plan Sunday as a travel or worship day. In this plan's stops alone, Thanksgiving Point lists Sunday closed, Camp Floyd and the Springville Museum of Art keep Monday-through-Saturday hours, and most of the county's bowling alleys and arcades are closed. Families visiting a ward together will find the practicalities in visiting a church in Provo. Parks, trails and temple grounds stay open; see the temple grounds guide.
If it rains, or it is 100 degrees
Swap Day 2 and Day 4. Thanksgiving Point and the museums are indoors; the canyon is cooler than the valley floor. For a full rainy-day list, see indoor activities in Provo.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good five-day family reunion itinerary in Utah Valley?
How far ahead do I need to book Timpanogos Cave for a reunion?
Can a big family use one state park pass?
How big are the group pavilions at Deer Creek State Park?
What should a reunion do on Sunday in Utah Valley?
What can older relatives do if they can't hike?
When is the best month for a Utah Valley family reunion?
What does a five-day reunion cost per family?
Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- Deer Creek State Park: Park Fees, Utah State Parks. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Deer Creek State Park, Utah State Parks. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Utah Lake State Park: Park Fees, Utah State Parks. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Utah Lake State Park listing (hours), Utah State Parks. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Utah State Parks: Park Passes, Utah State Parks. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Camp Floyd State Park Museum: Park Fees, Utah State Parks. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Camp Floyd State Park Museum, Utah State Parks. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Timpanogos Cave: Operating Hours & Seasons, National Park Service. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Timpanogos Cave: Fees & Passes, National Park Service. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Bridal Veil Falls State Monument, Utah State Parks. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Orem Summer Concert Series, City of Orem. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Springville Museum of Art: Plan Your Visit, Springville Museum of Art. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Google Places listings (addresses, hours), Google. Checked October 20, 2026.
- OSRM driving route estimates from downtown Provo, Project OSRM / OpenStreetMap. Checked October 20, 2026.
