Draper sits at the Point of the Mountain, straddling the county line, the first city over the ridge from Utah Valley, and it is closer to most of Utah County than it feels. From downtown Provo it is about 30 miles to the aquarium and 28 to Corner Canyon, roughly 36 to 37 minutes without traffic by OpenStreetMap routing.
Most Utah County families know Draper for one building, the aquarium. The better reason to come back is behind it: Corner Canyon, a city-run network of purpose-built trails climbing into the foothills, and above that the Lone Peak Wilderness. This page covers Draper on its own; for a day that adds Sandy and South Jordan, see our near-north day guide, and for Sandy by itself, our Sandy guide.
Before you go
The dog rule is specific, and it is enforced. Draper City does not allow dogs in the Corner Canyon watershed, which includes everything above the Bonneville Shoreline Trail. Leashed dogs are fine on the Bonneville Shoreline Trail and the trails below it, and on the Potato Hill Trail and below it down to the Ann's Trail junction. There is also an off-leash area at West Bluff, 1455 East Deer Ridge Drive. The same city rules prohibit camping, fires, hunting and anything motorized.
It is the season. Corner Canyon's scrub oak and maple color up ahead of the higher canyons, and one recent guide puts the usual peak in the last week of September into the first half of October, which is right now.
Busy is normal. A big suburban population lives at the trailheads, so weekday evenings and weekends are crowded. Weekday mornings are the quiet window.
Fifteen things to do in Draper
1. Loveland Living Planet Aquarium
The single biggest draw for Utah Valley families, at 12033 South Lone Peak Parkway off I-15 exit 291. Prices are demand-based and vary by date and time, children under 3 get in free, and our guide covers the cheaper late-afternoon options and memberships. Our aquarium guide
2. Cowabunga Bay (summer only)
The water park at 12047 South State Street, just north of the 12300 South exit, sells timed sessions rather than all-day admission. Its season runs roughly Memorial Day through Labor Day, so it is closed until next summer.
3. Ghost Falls in Corner Canyon
The classic Corner Canyon hike: about 3 miles from the Peak View trailhead, with a longer loop from the lower canyon. No dogs, because the trail is in the watershed. Our near-north guide
4. Mountain biking Corner Canyon
The largest concentration of purpose-built trail within an hour of Provo, running from beginner-friendly flow to genuinely technical descents; the closest thing the region has to a bike park without a lift ticket. Our mountain biking guide
5. Corner Canyon with a dog, on the lower trails
The Bonneville Shoreline Trail and the trails below it, on a leash, plus the Potato Hill Trail down to the Ann's Trail junction. For off-leash time, the West Bluff area at 1455 East Deer Ridge Drive. Draper City's trail rules
6. The Porter Rockwell Trail
Draper's end of the paved rail trail, with a trailhead at Draper City Park: flat, stroller-friendly, open to leashed dogs, and about 10 miles in all up to Sandy.
7. The Lone Peak Wilderness trails
Directly above Corner Canyon, and a different kind of trip: the Forest Service warns that trails there get little or no maintenance, and tells visitors to carry a map and compass and be fully self-sufficient. For experienced hikers only. Our near-north guide
8. The Draper Utah Temple grounds
On a ridge at the mouth of Corner Canyon at 14065 Canyon Vista Lane, dedicated in March 2009, with art-glass windows by Utah artist Tom Holdman, whose studio also made UVU's Roots of Knowledge. The Coyote Hollow trailhead is next door. Church Newsroom
9. The drive up to Suncrest
A climbing road to the neighborhood on top of the Traverse ridge, with views over both valleys. It is a residential area rather than an attraction, but the drive is worth doing once. Our near-north guide
10. Paragliders at Flight Park State Recreation Area
On the south side of the Point of the Mountain, just across the county line in Utah County: a state park of roughly 147 acres, established in 2006 and known internationally as a paragliding and hang gliding training site. Our paragliding guide
11. South Mountain Golf Course
An 18-hole Salt Lake County golf course in Draper, open to the public.
12. Draper Days (each July)
The city's festival week, with a parade, a 5K, a rodeo and live music. In 2026 the free park activities ran July 17 and 18 at Draper City Park, with a children's bike parade on July 16; watch Draper City's site for the 2027 dates. Draper City
13. The Draper Amphitheater (summer)
Summer productions and movie nights presented with the Draper Arts Council; Draper City's site lists the season.
14. The District
The closest large mixed-use retail development to Utah County, on the Draper and South Jordan border around 11400 South, with warehouse clubs, outdoor retail, restaurants and chain stores together. Our near-north guide
15. Sandy, next door
Hale Centre Theatre in Sandy, soccer at America First Field and the Cottonwood canyon mouths are a few minutes further north. Our Sandy guide
Related Guides
- Things to Do in South Jordan and Daybreak, From Provo
- Draper, Sandy and South Jordan From Utah County: The Near-North Day
- Loveland Living Planet Aquarium From Provo
- Paragliding at Point of the Mountain
- Things to Do in Sandy, Utah, From Provo
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Draper from Provo?
Can you bring a dog to Corner Canyon?
Is Corner Canyon free?
Where is the Ghost Falls trail?
Where do people watch paragliders near Draper?
Can you visit the Draper Utah Temple?
