Free Hikes Near Provo

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Bonneville Shoreline Trail: Y Mountain to Rock Canyon · The bench above east Provo

5.1 mi out and back (about 2.5 mi one way)  ·  About 650 ft  ·  2-2.5 hrs  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

The gentle walk between Provo's two busiest trailheads: across the old Lake Bonneville bench above BYU instead of up, with the Y climb's views for a fraction of the effort. About 1.4 miles apart by street, so it loops back through the neighborhoods without a second car. Past the gate north of Rock Canyon the route crosses private land open at the owners' discretion.

What that number describes: The Bonneville Shoreline Trail segment between the Y Mountain and Rock Canyon trailheads, out and back, as the section 'The Y-to-Rock-Canyon traverse' in our Big Baldy guide publishes it from AllTrails. Includes a short stretch past Rock Canyon to the gate where the official trail ends. Our BST Utah County guide prints the same route at 5.1 mi and 652 ft with AllTrails' moderate rating. This is ONE SEGMENT of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail row, carried separately because it has its own heading and figures.

Season: Low on the open bench, so it sheds snow sooner than the canyons; shaded spots can stay icy after a storm.

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.

Race Loop · Provo Canyon

~6 mi loop  ·  ~800 ft  ·  1.5-2.5 hrs  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

A classic local loop in Provo Canyon with Timpanogos to the north and Cascade Mountain to the south, built around a marked race course. Six miles and eight hundred feet is a real ride rather than a spin, and the side trails off the marked course let regulars extend it without driving anywhere else.

What that number describes: The marked loop between the upper and lower mountain slopes in Provo Canyon, filed under our guide's intermediate heading. The guide notes side trails branching off the marked course for longer rides; those extensions have no published distance and are not what this number describes.

Season: Dirt singletrack in Provo Canyon, ridden in the snow-free months. Editorial estimate, not a live condition.

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.

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.

Kyhv Peak · Provo

~7.5 mi round trip from Rock Canyon Trailhead  ·  ~2,750 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: From the Rock Canyon Trailhead, as AllTrails' crowd-measured route records it: about 7.5 miles round trip and about 2,750 feet of gain. The ROAD of the same name is a separate feature; shorter approaches from the road exist when it is open.

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.

Grandeur Peak west face · Wasatch Boulevard, Salt Lake County

4.6 mi round trip  ·  About 3,310 ft  ·  3-5 hrs  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: rules vary by segment

The short, brutal way up Grandeur: more gain than the Church Fork route in less distance, with little shade. It starts outside Millcreek Canyon, so no canyon fee, but Cascade Way is resident permit parking only. The Pipeline Trail makes a flatter way down. Our guide states no dog rule for this trailhead.

What that number describes: From the Parleys Crossing area near 2900 South Wasatch Boulevard to the summit and back, as the section 'The west face' in our Millcreek front guide publishes it from AllTrails. SAME SUMMIT as the Church Fork row, by the shorter, steeper route.

Season: AllTrails lists it as open year-round and it is popular for snowshoeing; poles and traction earn their weight on the steep, gravelly footing.

Big Baldy · Above Lindon and Pleasant Grove

7.2-7.5 mi round trip from Dry Canyon  ·  About 3,320-3,331 ft  ·  5-7 hrs  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

The bare 8,700-foot shoulder at the south end of the Timpanogos massif, and the hard next step after the Y. Narrow tread along cliff bands, CCC-era terraces near the saddle, then loose rock on the descent. Our guide treats it as the training hike for Timpanogos.

What that number describes: Out and back from the Dry Canyon Trailhead at the top of Dry Canyon Drive in Lindon, on Dry Canyon Trail #049 to the saddle and then onto the bald summit. Sorts on AllTrails' 7.2 mi and 3,320 ft, which our guide prints first; Hiking Project's 7.5 mi and 3,331 ft is in the label.

Where sources disagree: Our guide prints both measurements of the same route: AllTrails 7.2 mi and about 3,320 ft, Hiking Project 7.5 mi and 3,331 ft. Neither is picked as correct.

Season: AllTrails lists April through October as the best months. After fall storms the loose upper third holds snow and ice while the canyon below is dry; our guide suggests traction or a turnaround at the saddle until spring.

Big Baldy via Battle Creek · Pleasant Grove

9.9 mi round trip  ·  About 3,520 ft  ·  6.5-7.5 hrs  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

The quiet way up Big Baldy: past the county's most-hiked short waterfall in the first mile, then far fewer people, on a climb AllTrails calls relentlessly uphill. With a ride arranged, up Battle Creek and down Dry Canyon makes a point-to-point day; the two trailheads are about 12 minutes apart by car.

What that number describes: The longer approach from the Battle Creek trailhead at Kiwanis Park, past Battle Creek Falls and up to meet the Dry Canyon trail north of the Big Baldy saddle, as the section 'The Battle Creek approach' in our Big Baldy guide publishes it from AllTrails. SAME SUMMIT as the Big Baldy row, by the other trailhead.

Season: Same seasonal limits as the Dry Canyon route. Our guide relays AllTrails reviewers' reports of overgrown sections and stinging plants above the falls.

Mount Olympus · Mount Olympus Wilderness, Holladay, Salt Lake County

7.2 mi round trip  ·  About 4,180 ft  ·  5-7 hrs  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: rules vary by segment

The mountain directly above Holladay: about 4,180 feet in 3.6 miles each way, a steeper average than the Timpanogos trails, then hands-on scrambling above the saddle on a section AllTrails says is not well marked. Outside Millcreek Canyon, so no canyon fee. Salt Lake City's brochure lists the trail as dog-friendly; the scramble is not dog terrain.

What that number describes: From the Mount Olympus Trailhead at 5425 South Wasatch Boulevard to the summit and back, as our Millcreek front guide publishes it from AllTrails, which rates it strenuous. The saddle-to-summit section is Class 3 scrambling.

Season: AllTrails recommends starting as early as possible in summer heat, and says traction is required whenever snow or ice is present.

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.

Curly Springs Trail #051 · Pleasant Grove bench

2.4 mi one way (connector length)  ·  Not published by the land manager  ·  Part of a half-day loop  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

The connector that turns two separate out-and-backs into one loop: it links Battle Creek to Dry Canyon, and with a stretch of the Bonneville Shoreline Trail closes the gap into a half-day circuit. Reached 0.6 miles up Dry Canyon or from above the falls on the Battle Creek side.

What that number describes: Forest Service published trail length, measured ONE WAY from the Dry Canyon #049 junction to the Battle Creek #050 junction. Walked as part of the loop it exists to create, it adds 2.4 miles; walked out and back it adds nearly five. 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: Runs below cliff bands on very narrow tread; the Forest Service advises care at all times, which makes ice and fading light the real limits rather than the calendar.

Kirkman Hollow Trail #012 · Hobble Creek Canyon, Springville

2.71 mi one way (trail length)  ·  Not published by the land manager  ·  2 hrs  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

A drainage trail for half its length that then climbs out and steepens toward its junction with Days Canyon and the Great Western Trail. Open to motorized use as well as hikers, horses and bikes.

What that number describes: Forest Service published trail length, measured ONE WAY from the Right Fork trailhead, which the agency places about eight miles past the canyon fork, to its junctions with Left Fork Days Canyon #011 and the Great Western Trail. Our Hobble Creek canyon guide lists it among trails reached from Cherry Campground; the coverage page reports both. 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: Our Hobble Creek canyon guide says Kirkman Hollow leaves from inside Cherry Campground; the Forest Service's directions put the trailhead about eight miles past the fork. The trail system connects both places through Days Canyon, so the disagreement is about which trailhead is meant.

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.

Rock Canyon-Dry Fork Trail #060b · Squaw Peak Road, above Provo

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

The upper half of the Rock Canyon system and a different experience from the canyon walk below it: a climb to a terraced ridgeline overlooking the South Fork of Provo Canyon with wide Utah Valley views, and one of the better fall-color vantage points on this side of the mountain.

What that number describes: Forest Service published trail length, measured ONE WAY from Squaw Peak Road to the junction with Big Springs Hollow #059 and Shingle Mill #057. Published grades reach 30 percent, the steepest of the connectors on this page. 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: Reached from Squaw Peak Road, which is not maintained for winter travel, so the season is the road's season rather than the trail's.

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.

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.

Left Fork Days Canyon Trail #011 · Hobble Creek Canyon, Springville

3.69 mi one way (trail length)  ·  Not published by the land manager  ·  2-3 hrs  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

The Hobble Creek nature walk: the Forest Service has put interpretive signs identifying local plants along the start, and the trail runs through cottonwood and maple past a freshwater spring pouring out of the mountainside. Several stream crossings. Hobble Creek is not a Forest Service fee area.

What that number describes: Forest Service published trail length, measured ONE WAY from the large parking lot in Cherry Campground to the Kirkman Hollow #012 junction. The agency calls it perfect for a day hike or picnic and warns the stream crossings may be challenging for children; the easy-to-moderate label is read from those words. 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.

Packard Canyon Trail #091 · Hobble Creek Canyon, Springville

4.21 mi one way (trail length)  ·  Not published by the land manager  ·  2-3 hrs  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

Crosses the stream, climbs onto the ridge opposite, then runs a gentle incline to the Great Western Access Trail: the quickest way from the Hobble Creek road onto the ridge system. Open to motorized use.

What that number describes: Forest Service published trail length, measured ONE WAY from the Right Fork trailhead a quarter mile past the end of the pavement to the Great Western Access Trail. The moderate label is read from the agency's description: a climb onto a ridge, then a gentle incline. 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.

Big Springs Hollow Trail #059 (to the ridge) · South Fork, Provo Canyon

5.4 mi one way to the ridge (trail length)  ·  Not published by the land manager  ·  Half day to full day  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

The full Forest Service trail above Big Springs Park, which the agency calls very steep and scenic: 1.5 miles to the Big Springs-Shingle Mill link and 3.9 more to the ridge between Provo Canyon and Rock Canyon. Our South Fork guide says Provo Canyon is free, so the trail costs nothing to use. Respect the private property around the South Fork.

What that number describes: Forest Service published trail length, measured ONE WAY from the Big Springs Hollow Trailhead to the ridgetop junction with Shingle Mill #057 and Rock Canyon-Dry Fork #060b. THIS IS NOT the Big Springs Hollow family loop, which is a separate row here and turns back long before the ridge. 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: Starts in the South Fork of Provo Canyon; the high ridge it climbs to is snow-bound in winter. Editorial estimate, not a live condition.

Dry Canyon Cutoff Trails #128 and #128A · Hobble Creek Canyon, Springville

5.54 mi one way (#128); #128A is 2.16 mi  ·  Not published by the land manager  ·  Half day  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: on leash

Two branches from a signed fork half a mile up the creek bed: #128A climbs through aspen and scrub oak onto a ridge and runs mostly downhill past a pond and a stream with several small waterfalls; #128 follows the streambed farther before dropping to Wardsworth. The Forest Service calls it a popular mountain biking trail.

What that number describes: Forest Service published trail length for #128, measured ONE WAY from the corrals trailhead about four miles past Cherry Campground to Wardsworth Canyon. The agency publishes #128A separately at 2.16 miles; both share the first 1.5 miles. This row sorts on #128. 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.

Dry Canyon Trail #003 (Hobble Creek) · Hobble Creek Canyon, Springville

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

A gentle canyon walk through scrub oak, aspen, cottonwood and Douglas fir, with wild rose, chokecherry, scarlet gilia, penstemon, bluebells and mule ears listed by the Forest Service along the way. Shares its first half mile with the Dry Canyon Cutoff.

What that number describes: Forest Service published trail length, measured ONE WAY from the gate beyond the corral at the Dry Creek Picnic Area. NOT the Dry Canyon above Lindon (Trail #049), which is a separate row here. The label is read from the agency's words: the trail slopes gently up. 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.

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.

Lone Peak · Lone Peak Wilderness, above Alpine and Draper

Roughly 11-13 mi round trip by either main route  ·  About 6,000 ft between the valley and the summit (relief, not a measured route gain)  ·  Full day  ·  No fee  ·  Dogs: rules vary by segment

The pale, blocky summit that ends the skyline north of Utah Valley, at 11,253 feet, and the one hikers here call the hardest day. No dogs from the Draper side, which is inside the Corner Canyon watershed. The Forest Service lists no permit or fee for a day hike.

What that number describes: The summit as an outing, by either the Jacob's Ladder route from Draper or the Hamongog route from Alpine's Schoolhouse Springs trailhead. The mileage sort number is the MIDPOINT of the 11-13 mile range our guide publishes, so this row is derived:true. No route gain is published; the 6,000 ft in the label is the guide's valley-to-summit relief. The Jacobs Ladder #187 and Hamongog rows describe trails on the way up, not the summit day.

Where sources disagree: Our guide says published route figures disagree because they start from different trailheads, and that the Forest Service's 3.8-mile Jacob's Ladder length starts at a parking spot that has been gated since July 1, 2020.

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: Summer and fall per the Forest Service; snow often lingers until midsummer. The true summit is a hands-on scramble on broken granite with long drops.

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.

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.