Hard Hikes Near Provo

Timpanogos Cave Trail · American Fork Canyon

~3 mi round trip  ·  1,092 ft  ·  3-4 hrs with the tour  ·  Ticketed  ·  Dogs: not allowed

A steep paved climb to a cave entrance, and the only hike on this list where the trail is a prerequisite for a timed ticket rather than the destination itself. Dogs are not permitted on the trail.

What that number describes: The paved 1.5-mile trail from the visitor center to the cave entrance at 6,730 ft, and back. The Park Service describes it as strenuous.

Season: Seasonal operation and the cave tour is ticketed and timed. The hike up is the qualifying event -- you have to be at the entrance for your slot.

Y Mountain Trail · Provo

~2.2-2.4 mi round trip  ·  ~1,100 ft  ·  1.5-2 hrs  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

The short, steep, relentless climb to the letter above campus -- 1,100 feet in about a mile. The small trailhead lot fills fast. Portable restroom at the trailhead, no water.

What that number describes: The trailhead at the end of E 820 N up to the Y and back. Continuing past the Y toward the ridge is a longer trip.

Where sources disagree: About 1.1 miles each way, but published round trips run 2.2 to 2.4 miles depending on whether the measurement stops at the base or the top of the Y.

Season: Exposed and hot in summer; go at sunrise. Usable in winter with traction.

Silver Lake (alpine) · American Fork Canyon

~4.5 mi round trip  ·  ~1,200-1,450 ft  ·  3-4 hrs  ·  Forest Service fee area  ·  Dogs: on leash

An alpine lake at around 9,000 feet under White Baldy and the Pfeifferhorn, and one of the genuinely spectacular places in the range. Easy walking through aspen for the first half, rockier and steeper for the second.

What that number describes: From the north side of Silver Lake Flat Reservoir, about 2.2 miles one way into the Lone Peak Wilderness. Distinct from the flat loop around the reservoir itself.

Where sources disagree: Gain is in the range of 1,200 to 1,450 feet depending on whose track you believe. And the name is shared by four different lakes -- see the Silver Lake Flat entry.

How this one sorts: the figure used for ordering is the midpoint of the published range shown above, not a published number in its own right.

Season: Alpine Loop access closes for winter. The stream crossing runs high in early season, and the Forest Service posts changing conditions for this site through the season.

Timpanogos Summit Trail #054 · Mount Timpanogos summit ridge

~1.3 mi one way, Emerald Lake to summit  ·  ~1,369 ft  ·  1-2 hrs of a longer day  ·  Forest Service fee area  ·  Dogs: on leash

The broad but increasingly exposed ridge both routes share, finishing at the stone shelter hut. Not technical and no ropes needed, but the footing is talus, cairns matter, and most people who get into trouble on Timp do so descending it tired.

What that number describes: The final ridge only, as our Timpanogos guide publishes it: roughly 1,369 vertical feet over about 1.3 miles from Emerald Lake to the summit. THIS IS NOT A HIKE ON ITS OWN -- it is the shared finish of both routes above, carried separately because it is where the outing changes character and where most trouble happens.

Season: Rock and talus with steep drop-offs on both sides and hard funnelled wind; not a place to be in a thunderstorm, in the dark, or past your energy reserve.

Kyhv Peak · Provo

~4.5 mi round trip  ·  ~2,800 ft  ·  3-4 hrs  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

The peak on the skyline directly above Provo, renamed in 2022 and still widely listed under the old name. Steep and sustained, with the whole valley below you the entire way up.

What that number describes: The figures this site's own hiking roundup publishes for the peak itself. The ROAD of the same name is a separate feature and its length is quoted from 4.4 to 28 miles depending on which section is being measured.

Where sources disagree: Four different features carried the retired name, and the guide sorts out all of them: the peak, the road, the overlook and the trail. The US Board on Geographic Names renamed the peak Kyhv Peak in September 2022; the old name still appears on some maps, apps and older signage.

Where these figures come from: this guide — the dedicated Kyhv Peak page does not publish them.

Season: Kyhv Peak Road closes in winter, which removes the short approaches entirely.

Dry Canyon · Lindon & Orem

~5.7 mi round trip  ·  ~2,900 ft  ·  2-4 hrs  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

The most convenient hard workout in the north valley: a sustained climb up the west face below Timpanogos with the whole valley opening behind you. Orem's 2000 North and Lindon's 200 South are the same road, which is why directions to it name two different cities and both are right.

What that number describes: The common out-and-back day-hike version from the paved lot at the end of Dry Canyon Drive. Forest Service trail #049 continues far past this for miles, which is why some trip reports sound like a different hike.

Where sources disagree: Trail #049 runs 0.6 miles to the Curly Springs junction, another 1.9 to Little Baldy, a quarter mile more to the Big Baldy saddle, then north 2.2 miles to the Battle Creek trail and a final 0.8 to the Timpooneke Road. Reports describing that connector are not describing the day hike.

Season: Largely exposed -- go early. The name is only mostly accurate; in wet years there is water in the creek.

Slate Canyon · South Provo

3.7 mi one way (7.4 mi out and back)  ·  ~3,300 ft for the full canyon  ·  Half day  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

The quiet one, mostly because it does not lead anywhere obvious -- no waterfall, no lake, no summit at a reasonable distance. A steady climb up an old road bed through oak, then pine, then aspen and meadow. Carries reliable springs, which is unusual on this side of the valley.

What that number describes: Slate Canyon Trail #061 out and back: the Forest Service describes it heading east for 2.7 miles then climbing north for another mile to meet Slide Canyon Trail #062.

Where sources disagree: Quoted at 3.7, 7.5, 7.7 and 9 miles depending on which endpoint and which direction is being measured. The dedicated guide covers all four figures and where each comes from.

Season: Starts from the valley floor, so it is reachable when the canyon roads are closed -- which is exactly why south-side locals use it for conditioning.

Mount Timpanogos · American Fork Canyon / Aspen Grove

~14-16.7 mi round trip  ·  ~4,400-5,600 ft  ·  8-12 hrs  ·  Forest Service fee area  ·  Dogs: on leash

The valley's defining objective and the one people most often underestimate. Timpooneke is gradual and basin-to-basin and usually busier; Aspen Grove is steeper and passes the waterfalls and Emerald Lake.

What that number describes: Timpooneke from a ~7,360 ft trailhead: ~14-15 miles and ~4,400-4,700 ft. Aspen Grove starts lower at ~6,900 ft and runs ~14-16.7 miles with ~4,900-5,600 ft, steeper, with waterfalls and the lake.

Where sources disagree: Two trailheads, two genuinely different mountains' worth of numbers, and the guide tabulates them side by side rather than averaging them into one misleading figure.

Season: A snow-free window that is shorter than most people assume, and the Alpine Loop closes for winter.

Mount Timpanogos via Timpooneke · American Fork Canyon

~14-15 mi round trip  ·  ~4,400-4,700 ft  ·  8-12 hrs  ·  Ticketed  ·  Dogs: on leash

The gradual route, starting higher at roughly 7,360 feet and climbing the Giant Staircase in benches and pitches rather than one grind, through Timpanogos Basin with its wildflowers and mountain goats. Scout Falls early on makes a worthy turnaround on its own.

What that number describes: The midpoint of the round-trip range our Timpanogos guide publishes for the Timpooneke route. A midpoint is a sorting device, never a claim; the label prints the full range. This is ONE OF TWO ROUTES UP THE SAME MOUNTAIN and is carried separately because choosing between them is the real decision a hiker makes.

Where sources disagree: Our own guide publishes both figures as ranges and says in its own words that sources vary, because GPS tracks differ, people measure from different parking spots and the summit spur gets counted inconsistently.

How this one sorts: the figure used for ordering is the midpoint of the published range shown above, not a published number in its own right.

Season: Snow covers the trail until mid-summer and the Alpine Loop closes for winter. Timpooneke trailhead parking requires a timed ticket on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

Mount Timpanogos via Aspen Grove · Aspen Grove, American Fork Canyon

~14-16.7 mi round trip  ·  ~4,900-5,600 ft  ·  8-12 hrs  ·  Forest Service fee area  ·  Dogs: on leash

The steeper, prettier route: long switchbacks up Primrose Cirque with waterfalls visible for much of the ascent, opening into Hidden Lakes and then Emerald Lake at roughly 10,380 feet. Shares a trailhead lot with Stewart Falls, which makes parking competitive.

What that number describes: The midpoint of the round-trip range our Timpanogos guide publishes for the Aspen Grove route, which the guide identifies as the Mount Timpanogos Trail #052. A midpoint is a sorting device, never a claim. THE SAME SUMMIT as the Timpooneke row, by the steeper trailhead.

Where sources disagree: Our own guide publishes both figures as ranges and names the reasons sources disagree.

How this one sorts: the figure used for ordering is the midpoint of the published range shown above, not a published number in its own right.

Season: Snow covers the trail until mid-summer; the snowfield at Emerald Lake is the recurring hazard. Alpine Loop closes for winter.

Provo Peak · East of Provo

~3 mi RT high trailhead, ~13 mi RT from the valley  ·  ~6,800 ft from the valley  ·  10-12 hrs from the valley  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

At 11,068 feet, the mountain filling the skyline directly east of the city. The west ridge is a climber's path more than a graded trail, with real exposure near the top.

What that number describes: The Slate Canyon approach from the valley floor, which is the version most people can actually start from. From the west ridge trailhead at the top of Kyhv Peak Road it is about 1.5 miles up and roughly three miles round trip. NOTE: the dedicated Provo Peak guide publishes no distance or gain figure at all -- these numbers are read from this site's lesser-known-hikes guide, named in figuresFrom.

Where sources disagree: The clearest segment problem on the list: a three-mile round trip or a thirteen-mile round trip depending entirely on which trailhead you use. Same summit, entirely different day. Be certain which one a trip report is describing before you use its timing.

Where these figures come from: this guide — the dedicated Provo Peak page does not publish them.

Season: Kyhv Peak Road closes in winter. Once it does the short route is gone and the mountain has to be climbed from the valley floor, which is a serious winter objective rather than an afternoon.

Bear Canyon Trail #179 · American Fork Canyon

2.1 mi one way (trail length)  ·  Not published by the land manager  ·  2-3 hrs  ·  Forest Service fee area  ·  Dogs: on leash

Short and steep the whole way, climbing switchbacks from Mutual Dell through dense fir to the Timpooneke Road. Trailhead parking sits inside Mutual Dell, a private camp, in spaces specifically allocated for Bear Canyon users.

What that number describes: Forest Service published trail length, measured ONE WAY from Mutual Dell to the Timpooneke Road. The hard rating is read from the Forest Service's own published grades of 15 to 25 percent rather than from a difficulty rating, which the agency does not publish. This is not a round-trip outing distance; the hikes on this site's own guides are measured round trip, so this row sorts short against them. The section linked in page states the same figure and says so in those words.

Season: Alpine Loop access closes for winter. Crosses several intermittent streams and springs that run in early season.

Slide Canyon Trail #062 · Above the Y, east Provo

3.4 mi one way above the Y  ·  Not published by the land manager  ·  Half day to full day  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

The Forest Service's name for the primary access to the Y Monument, and by its own account one of the most heavily used trails in the county -- but almost nobody keeps going. Above the Y it narrows to single track and links the two canyons that bracket south Provo.

What that number describes: Forest Service published trail length, measured ONE WAY from the top of the Y Monument to the Slate Canyon #061 junction, with a further 1.1 miles published from there to Squaw Peak Road. This is not a round-trip outing distance; the hikes on this site's own guides are measured round trip, so this row sorts short against them. The section linked in page states the same figure and says so in those words. This row is the continuation ABOVE the monument and is deliberately not the Y hike itself, which this site carries separately as Y Mountain Trail.

Season: No water above the monument, and the exposure that makes the Y punishing in July does not improve higher up.

First Hamongog Trail #200 · Lone Peak Wilderness, above Draper

3.64 mi one way (trail length)  ·  Not published by the land manager  ·  Full day  ·  Forest Service fee area  ·  Dogs: on leash

The gentler of the two Hamongog approaches, running to the Second Hamongog trail and its meadow. Shares the Ghost Falls trailhead with Jacobs Ladder.

What that number describes: Forest Service published trail length, measured ONE WAY from the Ghost Falls trailhead to the Second Hamongog trail and meadow. The agency's text describes reaching the meadow from the Alpine City side while its directions route from Draper; the trail runs the boundary, so both readings hold and the published Draper access is the one used here. Not a round-trip outing distance; this site's own guides are measured round trip, so this row sorts short against them.

Season: High-elevation alpine wilderness; little to no trail maintenance, per the Forest Service.

Jacobs Ladder Trail #187 · Lone Peak Wilderness, above Draper

3.8 mi one way (trail length)  ·  Not published by the land manager  ·  Full day  ·  Forest Service fee area  ·  Dogs: on leash

The mountaineering approach to the Lone Peak Cirque and summit from the Draper side, starting 50 yards east of the Ghost Falls trailhead at the Jacobs Ladder sign by Lone Rock. Wilderness rules bind: no bikes, group limit 15 with eight or fewer recommended.

What that number describes: Forest Service published trail length, measured ONE WAY from the Ghost Falls trailhead to the Lone Peak Cirque. The very-hard rating is the Forest Service's own wording -- extremely steep, long, and rugged. THE TRAILHEAD IS IN DRAPER, SALT LAKE COUNTY, not Utah County; it is carried here because this site covers Salt Lake and beyond as a region, and the row says so rather than implying a Utah Valley trailhead.. Not a round-trip outing distance; this site's own guides are measured round trip, so this row sorts short against them.

Season: High-elevation alpine wilderness. The Forest Service warns these trails receive little to no maintenance and advises carrying map and compass.

Second Hamongog Trail #186 · Lone Peak Wilderness, above Draper

5.1 mi one way (trail length)  ·  Not published by the land manager  ·  Full day  ·  Forest Service fee area  ·  Dogs: on leash

Climbs into a rarely visited and remote corner of the Lone Peak Wilderness that the Forest Service still calls quite beautiful, with access to Lake Hardy and the Deer Creek-Dry Creek area. A route for people comfortable navigating an indistinct tread.

What that number describes: Forest Service published trail length, measured ONE WAY from the First Hamongog junction into the upper Wilderness. The Forest Service flags it as difficult to follow, which is the operative fact rather than the mileage. Not a round-trip outing distance; this site's own guides are measured round trip, so this row sorts short against them.

Season: Rarely visited and remote; the agency calls the tread difficult to follow, so navigation rather than the calendar is the limiting factor.

Little Baldy Trail #033 · Timpanogos front, above Lindon and Orem

6 mi one way (trail length)  ·  Not published by the land manager  ·  Full day  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

Carries the Great Western Trail along the front of Mount Timpanogos, over a ridge and into the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. Open to hikers and horses only -- the Forest Service does not list it for bikes, unlike several trails it connects to.

What that number describes: Forest Service published trail length, measured ONE WAY from the Dry Canyon #049 junction along the Timpanogos front, tying into the Bonneville Shoreline Trail 4.4 miles in. The junction itself is 2.5 miles up Dry Canyon, so that approach is additional and is not counted here. This is not a round-trip outing distance; the hikes on this site's own guides are measured round trip, so this row sorts short against them. The section linked in page states the same figure and says so in those words.

Season: Exposed traverse along the mountain front; the Dry Canyon approach is the same hot, dry climb that limits Dry Canyon itself.

Box Elder Trail #044 · Lone Peak Wilderness, American Fork Canyon

7.5 mi one way (trail length)  ·  Not published by the land manager  ·  Full day  ·  Forest Service fee area  ·  Dogs: on leash

The serious undertaking in this canyon: a steep circumnavigation of Box Elder Peak into a seldom-visited corner of the Lone Peak Wilderness. Wilderness rules bind -- no mechanized or motorized equipment including mountain bikes, group size capped at 15 with eight or fewer recommended, no cutting switchbacks.

What that number describes: Forest Service published trail length, measured ONE WAY from Granite Flat Campground around Box Elder Peak to the Deer Creek-Dry Creek trail #043. The very-hard rating is read from the Forest Service's own words, 'wild and rugged', and its warning that the trail receives little to no maintenance. This is not a round-trip outing distance; the hikes on this site's own guides are measured round trip, so this row sorts short against them. The section linked in page states the same figure and says so in those words.

Season: High-elevation alpine terrain reached off the Alpine Loop, which closes for winter. The Forest Service warns the trail receives little to no maintenance and advises carrying map and compass.

Mount Nebo · South Utah County

Long -- varies by trailhead  ·  Varies by trailhead  ·  Full day  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

The highest peak in the Wasatch Range, at the far south end of the county, and a genuinely full day from any trailhead. The Nebo Bench trail runs the east slopes at around 9,000 feet through basins that carry serious wildflowers at the right time of year.

Where sources disagree: Even the summit height is contested: 11,877, 11,928 and 11,933 feet are all defensible, because two of them are the south summit and two are different survey data. The Forest Service's own wilderness, ranger-district and byway pages all use 11,877, which is the south summit on the old survey.

Season: Reached from the Nebo Loop byway, roughly 24 miles from Payson to the signed Nebo Bench turning. The byway closes for winter.

Grove Creek Canyon · Pleasant Grove

Not published for this canyon alone  ·  Sustained canyon climb; no figure for this canyon alone  ·  Half day  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

Battle Creek's longer, harder sibling two canyons north: a trail climbing a narrow canyon on a ledge, with a waterfall partway up and a cliff-edge stretch that thrills older kids and unnerves some adults. It connects on top with Battle Creek for a loop locals treat as a half-day.

What that number describes: The ledge trail climbing from the Grove Creek Drive trailhead. Our Battle Creek guide publishes around eight miles and well over two thousand feet for the GROVE CREEK AND BATTLE CREEK LOOP, which is both canyons joined on top, not this one on its own. That figure is why the difficulty here reads hard, and it is deliberately not printed as this row's distance. Fee and leash are read from our Pleasant Grove guide, which records the trailhead as family- and dog-friendly; no posted rule on the upper trail was verified for this row.

Where these figures come from: this guide — the dedicated Grove Creek Canyon page does not publish them.

Season: A valley-floor front-range trailhead like Battle Creek's two canyons south, so it is reachable all year. Our coverage does not describe winter conditions on the ledge section, and a cliff-edge stretch under snow is a different proposition from the same stretch in June.

Pittsburg Lake Trail #035 · Mineral Basin, American Fork Canyon

No distance published by the land manager  ·  Not published by the land manager  ·  Half day  ·  Forest Service fee area  ·  Dogs: on leash

A short steep climb to an alpine lake ringed by cliffs and fir. Open to mountain bikes and expressly not recommended for them by the agency, on account of the rock and the grade. A historical cabin near the lake is to be left exactly as found.

What that number describes: The Forest Service publishes grades of 15 to 35 percent for this trail but no length, so this row carries none rather than an estimate. The hard rating is read from the published grade range, the steepest in the district inventory.

Season: Reached off the 085 Mineral Basin Road, rough two-track four-wheel-drive dirt the Forest Service says should not be attempted in a passenger car. Road status governs the season, not the trail.