Hikes Near Provo With Kids

Devil's Kitchen · Payson Canyon / Nebo Loop

0.12 mi one way (trail length)  ·  Flat, paved  ·  15-30 min  ·  Ticketed  ·  Dogs: on leash

Red rock eroded into pinnacles and spires forming a small amphitheater in the middle of a green Wasatch canyon, reached by a short paved trail and an observation deck. The one stop on the byway that works with small children or with anyone who does not want a hike at all. Often called Utah Valley's Little Grand Canyon, which oversells the scale considerably.

What that number describes: Forest Service published length for Devils Kitchen Trail #193, a paved, level path from the pullout to the overlook platform, stated under its own heading in our Nebo Loop trail guide. One way, not a round-trip outing distance.

Season: On the Nebo Loop byway, which closes for winter.

Bridal Veil Falls · Provo Canyon

~0.5 mi round trip  ·  Essentially flat  ·  15-30 min  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

A 607-foot two-tier waterfall reachable on flat pavement, which is why it is the most-visited natural feature in the county. Access has been free and staying free was an explicit argument for making it a state monument rather than a state park.

What that number describes: The paved Provo River Parkway walk from the falls-side parking area to the viewing area at the base. The steep dirt scramble above the pool is a different, harder proposition and is not what these numbers describe.

Season: The falls freeze into columns in a cold winter; Provo Canyon holds the highest concentration of ice climbing in the Salt Lake and Utah County area.

Grotto Falls · Payson Canyon

~0.5-0.7 mi round trip  ·  Minimal  ·  30-45 min  ·  Ticketed  ·  Dogs: rules vary by segment

The shortest real payoff in Utah County -- a waterfall dropping through a cobbled alcove, with stream crossings on plank bridges that small children treat as the point of the outing. There are two trails at the pullout and people start up the wrong one.

What that number describes: Summer access, driving to the trailhead about eight miles up Payson Canyon. The winter version is a different hike entirely -- see the note.

Where sources disagree: When the Nebo Loop gate closes for the season you park at the gate and walk the road in, commonly reported at around 1.3 miles each way, turning a half-mile stroll into roughly a 3.5-mile outing with real elevation added. The closure is snow-dependent at both ends and the dates move year to year.

Season: Nebo Loop closes for winter. The Pole Creek Fire in 2018 burned a large area on this side of the loop and standing dead timber is still visible.

Cascade Springs · American Fork Canyon

~0.7 mi of boardwalk loops  ·  Minimal  ·  20-45 min  ·  Forest Service fee area  ·  Dogs: on leash

Spring water surfacing through terraced pools, on boardwalk the whole way. The easiest genuinely scenic outing in the county for anyone who cannot manage uneven ground.

What that number describes: The interconnected boardwalk loops at the springs themselves, not the 6.5-mile drive in from the Alpine Loop turnoff.

Season: Reached via the Alpine Loop, which closes for winter. Sits around 6,300 ft, so it runs cooler than the valley floor.

Jordan River Parkway (Utah County section) · Saratoga Springs to Lehi

~10 mi in Utah County, walk any part  ·  Flat, paved  ·  Any  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

The third paved spine, and the one that turns a local network into a regional one: from the Murdock Trail's north end you can join it and keep going into Salt Lake County. Quieter than the other two, past wetlands and new subdivisions with a long view back to Timpanogos.

What that number describes: The Utah County portion only. Our paved-trails guide describes it as roughly the first ten miles, from Inlet Park in Saratoga Springs through Lehi and Thanksgiving Point. The whole trail runs well over forty miles to Davis County, which is a different number describing a different walk.

Season: Low, open and paved, with no canyon gate to close behind you.

Provo River Parkway · Provo Canyon & Orem

Up to ~15 mi, walk any part  ·  Flat  ·  1-4 hrs  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

The paved spine of the valley's trail network, running from Utah Lake up through Provo Canyon. It is the reason Bridal Veil Falls can be reached by bike without a car.

What that number describes: Utah Lake State Park to Vivian Park in Provo Canyon, which Provo City's biking page and the Jordan River Commission both put at about 15 miles. Provo's trails page gives 30 miles for the whole parkway system, so the figure depends on what is counted. Nobody walks all of it in one go; the number is there so the trail sorts with the long flat routes.

Where sources disagree: Provo City publishes both figures: about 15 miles from Utah Lake to Vivian Park on its biking page, and 30 miles for the whole parkway on its trails page.

Season: Plowed and usable in winter on the lower sections.

Murdock Canal Trail · Orem to Lehi

~17 mi, walk any part  ·  Flat, paved  ·  Any  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

A paved trail on top of a buried aqueduct, running the length of the north valley with no climbing at all. The default long, flat, wheels-friendly route in Utah County.

What that number describes: The Mountainland Association of Governments description: 17 miles from 800 North in Orem to Timpanogos Highway in Lehi.

Where sources disagree: Published as 17, 18, 18.3, 20 and 20.8 miles by sources of comparable authority. The disagreement has a cause: the buried Provo River Aqueduct runs roughly 21 miles to the Point of the Mountain, and the trail sits on top of it for about 17 and stops in Lehi.

Season: Paved and flat the whole way.

Silver Lake Flat Reservoir · American Fork Canyon

Shoreline walking; no loop trail published  ·  Essentially none  ·  45-60 min  ·  Forest Service fee area  ·  Dogs: on leash

A drive-to reservoir with a flat loop around it, good for a stroller-aged family or a paddleboard. Moose are common in the surrounding meadows.

What that number describes: Walking along the shore of the drive-to reservoir. Neither the Forest Service nor AllTrails publishes a loop trail here, so this row carries no mileage. This is NOT Silver Lake, the alpine lake above it, which is a separate and much harder entry in this directory.

Where sources disagree: Four different lakes share versions of this name: Silver Lake Flat Reservoir (drive-to), Silver Lake (alpine, above it), Silver Glance Lake (higher again), and an unrelated Silver Lake in Big Cottonwood Canyon an hour north, which is what most search results are actually about.

Season: Alpine Loop access closes for winter. The Forest Service lists 4x4 as recommended for the washboarded dirt road in.

Tibble Fork Reservoir · American Fork Canyon

Short lakeside walking; no loop distance published  ·  Essentially none  ·  1-3 hrs  ·  Forest Service fee area  ·  Dogs: on leash

An alpine reservoir with a sandy beach, picnic grounds and calm water, reached on paved road up the North Fork. The canyon's lowest-effort, highest-reward stop. Our guide covers the 2016 sediment release and what the state's own health assessment concluded about getting in the water.

What that number describes: The drive-to shoreline: the beach, the picnic ground and the walking around the water. Our guide publishes the reservoir's elevation at roughly 6,400 feet but no loop distance, so this row carries none. The leash flag is read from our dog-hikes guide, which covers Tibble Fork in the same section as Silver Lake Flat.

Season: At about 6,400 feet, spring arrives here weeks after it reaches the valley floor and the aspens turn earlier than they do in town.

Payson Lakes Recreation Area · Payson Canyon

Paved paths through the area; no loop distance published  ·  Essentially none  ·  1-3 hrs  ·  Ticketed  ·  Dogs: on leash

The byway's main stop and the one people spend actual time at. Payson up to the lakes and back is a comfortable couple of hours from Provo and still buys you the climb, the views and somewhere to eat lunch without committing to the full drive to Nephi.

What that number describes: The developed recreation area about twelve miles up from Payson: paved trails, improved picnic sites, camping and fishing. Our byway guide gives the DRIVE distance, never a trail distance, so this row carries none.

Season: Reached from the Nebo Loop byway, which closes for winter and is not UDOT-maintained, so its status has to be checked separately from the Alpine Loop's. Our guide also records that individual sites inside the recreation area can be shut in a given season for maintenance or conditions.

Salem Pond · Salem

Short paved loop; no distance published  ·  Flat, paved  ·  30-45 min  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

A paved loop around the pond in the middle of Salem, with a fishing dock, a swim area and the city's park facilities on its edge. Our paved-trails guide calls it the south county's most pleasant short walk. Salem was originally Pond Town and the pond is still the middle of everything.

What that number describes: The paved walking loop around the pond. Two of our guides describe it, the paved-trails guide and the south-valley guide, and neither publishes a distance, so this row carries none.

Season: Valley floor in the middle of town, so nothing closes behind you.

Silver Lake Nature Trail (Brighton) · Big Cottonwood Canyon, Salt Lake County

0.9 mi loop  ·  About 29 ft  ·  Under 1 hr  ·  Forest Service fee area  ·  Dogs: not allowed

The most inclusive mountain walk in either Cottonwood canyon: a boardwalk loop a stroller, a wagon and a grandparent with a cane can all manage, with van-accessible parking. Salt Lake City watershed rules bind: no dogs, even left in the car, and no wading.

What that number describes: The loop around Silver Lake behind the Silver Lake Visitor Center at Brighton, on graded surface and boardwalk, as our Cottonwood family hikes guide publishes it from AllTrails. THIS IS NOT the Silver Lake above American Fork Canyon, which is a separate and much harder row here, and not Silver Lake Flat Reservoir.

Season: The visitor center with water and restrooms operates in summer. The loop sits near 8,750 ft.

Donut Falls · Big Cottonwood Canyon, Salt Lake County

1.4 mi RT from the upper lot; 3.3 mi from the lower  ·  About 240-460 ft by lot  ·  1-2 hrs  ·  Forest Service fee area  ·  Dogs: not allowed

The waterfall that drops through a hole in the rock, famous enough that parking is the hardest part. Wide dirt tracks along the creek, then a slippery finish our guide suggests treating as a viewpoint for young children. Watershed rules: no dogs, no wading in the pool.

What that number describes: From the smaller upper (summer) trailhead, as our Cottonwood family hikes guide publishes it from AllTrails. When that lot is gated the walk starts at the larger lot on the canyon road: 3.3 mi and about 460 ft.

Where sources disagree: Two trailheads, two sets of figures for the same falls: 1.4 mi and 240 ft from the upper lot, 3.3 mi and 460 ft from the lower one.

Season: The upper lot may be gated in winter, which lengthens the walk. The last stretch is wet, slick rock beside the creek.

Buffalo Peak · Kyhv Peak Road, above Provo Canyon

About 1 mi round trip from the road  ·  Roughly 250-300 ft  ·  Under 1 hr  ·  Ticketed  ·  Dogs: rules vary by segment

The easiest real summit above Provo: the road climbs to within about half a mile of the top, so a family can stand on a true summit with a valley view after a short walk. Our guide pairs it with the Kyhv Peak and Rock Canyon overlooks on the same road. Our guide states no dog rule and no fee for the trailhead, so this row does not assign either.

What that number describes: The short walk from the trailhead at the saddle on Kyhv Peak Road (formerly Squaw Peak Road) to the summit and back, as our Buffalo Peak guide publishes it from route guides and trail apps. The gain sort number is the MIDPOINT of the published 250-300 ft range, so this row is derived:true. The longer approach from the Kyhv Peak Overlook is a separate row.

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: Reached only by Kyhv Peak Road, which closes for snow in winter on dates that move with the weather. Past Hope Campground the road is dirt and gravel; our guide says not to drive it wet.

South Fork Trail · South Fork, Provo Canyon

3.5 mi round trip  ·  ~300 ft  ·  1.5-2.5 hrs on foot  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

The valley's beginner singletrack: wide, well maintained and forested, in the same South Fork drainage as Big Springs Hollow. Our guide calls it the ideal first real mountain bike trail -- enough dirt to feel like an adventure without the technical features that put beginners off. It is shared use, so walkers meet bikes on it.

What that number describes: The round-trip singletrack our mountain-biking guide describes, from the trailhead about a mile past Big Springs Park. The guide publishes these figures as a ride and files the trail under its beginner heading; it does not publish a separate walking time, so the time here is this directory's estimate for the same distance on foot.

Season: Dirt in the South Fork of Provo Canyon, so it rides and walks in the snow-free months. This is an editorial estimate of the season, not a live condition -- the canyon conditions page is the live surface.

Ensign Peak · The Avenues, Salt Lake City

1 mi round trip  ·  About 390 ft  ·  About 40 min  ·  Ticketed  ·  Dogs: on leash

A steep, short climb on an exposed hillside to the 1934 monument where Brigham Young and eight companions looked over the valley on July 26, 1847, about seven minutes from Temple Square. Views over the whole Salt Lake Valley and the Great Salt Lake. Parking is on the street; our guide names no fee.

What that number describes: From Ensign Peak Nature Park, 1002 Ensign Vista Drive, to the summit monument and back, as our Ensign Peak guide publishes it from AllTrails. The same section lists a 1.7-mile loop and a 6-mile route via Hell Canyon.

Season: AllTrails lists it as open year-round. Exposed and hot at summer midday; the steep section can ice after winter storms.

Battle Creek Falls · Pleasant Grove

~1.4 mi round trip  ·  ~450 ft  ·  45-60 min  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

The most-hiked short waterfall in the county, and the trail more people in this valley have stood at the bottom of than any other. Narrow tread past the halfway point, shared with horses and bikes.

What that number describes: Kiwanis Park trailhead to the falls and back. Going further up the canyon past the falls is a longer and steeper trip.

Where sources disagree: This trail carries two legitimate difficulty ratings and the guide explains why both are right. Filed under moderate here because the sustained grade catches out people who arrive expecting a stroll.

Season: Winter is the version most people never see. Microspikes from roughly November through March.

Cecret Lake · Albion Basin, Little Cottonwood Canyon, Salt Lake County

1.8 mi round trip  ·  About 460 ft  ·  1-2 hrs  ·  Ticketed  ·  Dogs: not allowed

A short, steady climb over rocky ground to a lake near 9,875 feet above Alta, which is the elevation that tires children rather than the distance. Big scenery for a short walk, on a short season. Little Cottonwood watershed rules: no dogs, no wading.

What that number describes: From the trailhead beside Albion Basin Campground, as our Cottonwood family hikes guide publishes it from AllTrails. Our guide notes upper parking is extremely limited and AllTrails suggests starting from the Albion base area instead, which makes it about 4.5 mi and 1,200 ft; this row sorts on the short version.

Season: Reached by the Albion Basin Summer Road, managed by Alta Ski Area, which opens on snowmelt and closes for winter. Alta charges its own fee to drive the road; this directory does not print the amount, and because it is a ski-area road fee rather than a Forest Service fee or a ticket, the fee field is left unstated.

Stewart Falls · Aspen Grove / Sundance

~3.2-3.8 mi round trip  ·  ~650-780 ft  ·  1.5-2 hrs  ·  Forest Service fee area  ·  Dogs: on leash

The valley's best short waterfall hike, and one of its most heavily used trailheads -- the lot fills on summer Saturdays. Dogs are allowed on leash here, which is not true everywhere on this mountain.

What that number describes: The Aspen Grove trailhead out and back. The Sundance chairlift is an entirely different way in with different numbers.

Where sources disagree: Every source gives a different distance for this hike, and the guide opens by explaining why. The signs at the trailhead are the single most useful thing on that page -- the neighboring path is the twelve-mile Aspen Grove route up Timpanogos, and people start up it by mistake.

Season: Reached via UT-92 past the fee station. The Alpine Loop closes for winter.

Big Springs Hollow · South Fork, Provo Canyon

~3.5-4.3 mi loop  ·  ~450-1,000 ft  ·  1.5-2.5 hrs  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

The most family-friendly trail on the quiet half of the network, up a broad side canyon along a stream, crossing it repeatedly on wooden bridges. Thick maple and chokecherry low down giving way to aspen and pine.

What that number describes: The standard family loop from Big Springs Park. The midpoint of the published spread is used for sorting because the canyon carries several roughly parallel paths and the outing is assembled from whichever you choose.

Where sources disagree: Published distances run from about 3.5 to about 4.3 miles and gain is quoted anywhere from roughly 450 to just over 1,000 feet. That spread is not sloppiness: the loop can be extended or cut short at several junctions. Provo City separately lists a 5.8-mile continuation through to the Rock Canyon trail, which is a different trip.

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: Shaded for most of its length, which matters more here than almost anywhere else in the valley -- the exposed foothill trails become unpleasant after about ten in the morning in July.

Rock Canyon Trail · Provo

~5.7 mi round trip to the upper basin  ·  ~1,400-1,700 ft to the upper basin  ·  30 min to a half day  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: rules vary by segment

Provo's best canyon hike and its most flexible one -- a limestone gorge that narrows and earns its name half a mile in, with the crowds stopping well before the mid-canyon. Restroom and drinking fountain at the trailhead. Also the county's best-known climbing.

What that number describes: Trailhead at the end of N Temple Dr to the upper basin and back. The canyon works equally well as a thirty-minute walk to the narrows, which is what most visitors actually do.

Where sources disagree: The distance depends entirely on the segment, and the guide answers that honestly rather than picking one figure. Difficulty changes as you walk, and so do the rules -- leash law in the city park, Forest Service rules above it.

Season: Year-round. The trailhead was rebuilt and expanded in 2024. A Forest Service order bans camping and campfires in the canyon through June 2031.

Box Lake Trail #127 · Payson Lakes, Nebo Loop

0.6 mi one way (trail length)  ·  Not published by the land manager  ·  30 min  ·  Ticketed  ·  Dogs: on leash

The picnic walk at Payson Lakes: through a gate and across a meadow to the Jones Ranch Trail. The Forest Service calls it a nice short hike for picnickers, and it is the one trail on the byway that suits a toddler. The Forest Service names no fee for this trailhead and our byway guide could not confirm a byway-wide structure, so the fee is unstated.

What that number describes: Forest Service published trail length, measured ONE WAY from the first Payson Lakes group site across a meadow to the Jones Ranch #123 junction. The agency's text calls it approximately half a mile; this row uses the published 0.6. 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: On the Nebo Loop byway, which closes for winter and opens on snowpack rather than a date. Editorial estimate of the season, not a live condition.

Lame Horse Trail #055 · Alpine Loop, American Fork Canyon

2.4 mi one way, trailhead to trailhead  ·  Not published by the land manager  ·  1-2 hrs  ·  Forest Service fee area  ·  Dogs: on leash

The mountain walk without the climb: gentle downhill through large stands of aspen and ferns, opening into Primrose Cirque, the bowl the Aspen Grove route to Timpanogos climbs through. Links two trailheads, so it also works one way with a car at each end.

What that number describes: Forest Service published trail length, measured ONE WAY from the Summit Trailhead to the Aspen Grove area. The Forest Service calls it an easy out-and-back while publishing 2.4 miles as the trail length, so whether 2.4 describes the walk out or the walk out and back is genuinely ambiguous in the source. 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.

Where sources disagree: The Forest Service describes this as 'an easy, out and back 2.4-mile trail' while 2.4 is also its published one-way trail length. The two readings differ by a factor of two and the agency does not resolve them.

Season: Alpine Loop access closes for winter; the trail parallels the road, so it goes when the road goes.

Jones Ranch Trail #123 · Payson Lakes, Nebo Loop

2.78 mi one way (trail length)  ·  Not published by the land manager  ·  1.5-2 hrs  ·  Ticketed  ·  Dogs: on leash

The Forest Service's pick for a short, easy hike: fairly level, aspen for the first mile, then narrow meadows, a gate to close behind you and the Rock Springs Trail back to the road. The agency lists a season of use of June. Open to motorized use. The Forest Service names no fee for this trailhead and our byway guide could not confirm a byway-wide structure, so the fee is unstated.

What that number describes: Forest Service published trail length, measured ONE WAY from the northern trailhead 11 miles south of Payson to the Rock Springs #101 junction. Both ends are on the byway about three miles apart, so it also works as a one-way walk. The easy rating is the agency's own. 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: On the Nebo Loop byway, which closes for winter and opens on snowpack rather than a date. Editorial estimate of the season, not a live condition.

Wardsworth Canyon Trail #010 · Hobble Creek Canyon, Springville

3.33 mi one way (trail length)  ·  Not published by the land manager  ·  1.5-2.5 hrs  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

The easy walk of the Right Fork beside a year-round creek with pools holding mostly cutthroat and brown trout, and beaver dams after the first couple of miles. A few short, steep detours where floods washed out the original tread. Ridden with the Dry Canyon Cutoffs, it makes the canyon's best loops.

What that number describes: Forest Service published trail length, measured ONE WAY from the trailhead about half a mile past Balsam Campground, where the pavement turns to gravel. The agency says the trail is no longer maintained past the Dry Canyon Cutoff #128 junction. The easy rating is the Forest Service's own: easy walking, excellent mountain biking. 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: Hobble Creek's Right Fork roads above the campgrounds are not maintained for winter travel, per our canyon guide; editorial estimate of the season, not a live condition.

Bonneville Shoreline Trail · The bench above Provo & Orem

Varies -- pick a segment  ·  Varies by segment  ·  1-3 hrs  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: rules vary by segment

The best view-to-effort ratio in Utah Valley, on a bench that is a literal ancient beach. No shade to speak of -- plan around the sun, not around the distance. Land management changes underneath you as you walk.

Where sources disagree: It is not one trail. It is a set of fragments on the ancient lake bench, which is why published stats for it contradict each other. No single distance or gain is given here because none would be true; the guide covers the segments individually.

Season: Effectively year-round on the bench, which is unusual here. Mud in spring thaw, and there is a winter wildlife-area caveat on one section.