Utah County

Upper Battle Creek Falls, Utah

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I’ll refer you to Battle Creek Falls for more information about which trails to follow. It is a really nice waterfall in the Salt Lake City area close to Provo. The hike to the lower, larger falls isn’t too difficult to hike to. I had read that there was another smaller waterfall upstream and so I decided to keep hiking along the trail.

Upper Battle Creek Falls wasn’t an additional difficulty to get to, except for the added 0.4 miles one-way on the trail. If you enjoy hiking, I would say continue to the Upper Falls. If you are limited for time, I would say skip this waterfall. This falls is only 5′ or so feet tall, though looking at pictures, I realized it’s enchanting! It’s a photogenic waterfall, even though it is smaller.

Directions:

  1. The easiest way to navigate to the falls is to find the intersection of E 200 S St and S 1500 E St in Pleasant Grove.
  2. You will continue east along E 200 S St along a short dirt road to the parking area.
  3. Find Battle Creek Trail No. 50, and head northeast along the trail. After 0.5 miles or so, you should reach Battle Creek Falls. Continue along for another 0.4 miles to find Upper Battle Creek Falls.

Accessibility: 5/10 (moderate)
Height: 5′
Length of Hike: 1.8 miles round-trip

Upper Battle Creek Falls in May 2013

Where in the World is Upper Battle Creek Falls?

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Stewart Falls, Utah

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The lower drop of Stewart Falls in May 2013

When I visited Utah in May 2013, I was initially under the impression (I believe) that you couldn’t visit the falls since it was near the Sundance Resort. But after a bit more research, I found that there were definitely ways that you could visit Stewart Falls. Along the way, I stopped at Bridal Veil Falls, which is one of the taller waterfalls you’ll find in Utah.

The Stewart Falls Trail starts at the Aspen Grove Parking area/trail head. There are a number of trails that start here, and there may be a fee to park here (though I don’t remember that very clearly). The Stewart Falls Trail is about 1.7 miles one-way from the parking area to the falls, and along the way, there is really beautiful scenery! In early May, it wasn’t particularly hot (most of the time), and there was even some flurries up at higher elevations. I don’t remember the trail being particularly difficult, mostly moderate because of the distance hiked.

Once you reach the Stewart Falls, you’ll be able to photograph the lower plunge easily, but there is another drop above that is difficult to photograph simultaneously. So the falls are actually about 200′ tall, but it won’t appear that way in most photographs. It’s still definitely a scenic waterfall!

Directions:

  1. The Aspen Grove parking area is off of UT-92, and you can arrive at it from two different directions. I started near Provo/Orem and headed east on US-189. This was because I knew I would pass Bridal Veil Falls on my way there (or back).
  2. If you’re on US-189 headed east, you’d turn left on UT-92 and head north toward Sundance.
  3. Past Sundance is the Alpine Grove Trail Head and parking area. Park here, and then follow the Stewart Falls Trail.

Accessibility: 6/10 (moderate)
Height: 200′
Length of Hike: 3.4 miles round-trip

Where in the World is Stewart Falls?

Bridal Veil Falls, Utah

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Bridal Veil Falls in early May 2013

I was looking at some of my previous posts about waterfalls near Salt Lake City, and realized that Bridal Veil Falls seems to be one of the more unique waterfalls in the region, beside the fact that it’s one of the tallest. Most of the other waterfalls I visited in the region required uphill hikes.

Bridal Veil Falls, on the other hand, is one of the few roadside waterfalls near Salt Lake City. Coupled with the fact that it’s 607′ tall, it’s one of the busiest waterfalls you could visit in the area. And yet I’m not sure it was my favorite. I found it to be a beautiful waterfall, and yet it’s not as intimate as some of the other waterfalls in the region. If I remember a correctly, there were ways to get closer to the falls, though I decided against that. (It may not even be allowed…I can’t remember.) There is a paved trail to the base of the falls with some fish in the pond there.

Directions:

  1. The falls is found directly off of US-189. The easiest way to get to US-189 is to probably take exit 272 on I-15.
  2. After exiting, head east on UT-52.  Drive until UT-52 merges with US-189.
  3. Head north along US-189 until you get to the exit for Bridal Veil Falls. It’s only accessible heading north. There is no exit heading south, so you will have to find another exit and loop around.

Accessibility: 10/10 (easy)
Distance of Hike: 0.1 mile round trip to base of falls (paved)
Height: 607′

Where in the World is Bridal Veil Falls?

Battle Creek Falls, Utah

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Battle Creek Falls in early May 2013

Getting to Battle Creek Falls is relatively easy. Figuring out which trail to take…that can be a little bit confusing at first, though it’s a straight shot once you identify the trail. Hiking uphill…not the worse, but you’ll still feel your legs burn. It’s a pretty enjoyable hike (for a cooler day).

When I arrived, I was pretty confused. There seemed to be three or four different trails, and the directions I had could have possibly led to two possible trails. Someone noticed my confused face, and helped me identify the correct path. I later took a picture so I could help others identify the correct trail. It’s Battle Creek Trail No. 50 (which will also indicate junctions to Curley Springs Trail No. 51 and Dry Canyon Trail No. 49 in 1.5 and 2.5 miles, respectively). Once you’re on the trail, it’s flatter until you approach the falls, where it becomes steeper. I wasn’t as worn out compared to some of the other waterfalls I had hiked to in the area. (Many places say it’s 1.8 miles round trip to the falls, but I think it might have been closer to 1 mile round trip.)

The falls didn’t have a huge amount of water flowing in early May, though there was still some water. It did get warmer as the day progressed, and I can’t imagine hiking this in the dog days of summer. I’m not even sure there would be much water. There is a smaller drop further upstream, and you can keep hiking further upstream, though it becomes consistently steeper. I stopped exploring after 0.9 miles one-way.

Directions:

  1. The easiest way to navigate to the falls is to find the intersection of E 200 S St and S 1500 E St in Pleasant Grove.
  2. You will continue east along E 200 S St along a short dirt road to the parking area.
  3.  Find Battle Creek Trail No. 50, and head northeast along the trail. After 0.5 miles or so, you should reach the falls. They’re pretty hard to miss (though keep going if you don’t see them at the 0.5 mile marker).

Accessibility: 6/10 (moderate)
Height: 50′
Length of Hike: 1 mile round-trip (could be longer)

My AllTrails Map (I hiked further than the falls): map

Where in the World is Battle Creek Falls?