Bridal Veil Falls

Provo Canyon / Orem / Provo / Mt Timpanogos, Utah, USA

About Bridal Veil Falls

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Bridal Veil Falls was easily the most impressive and scenic waterfall that we managed to visit in the Salt Lake City vicinity.

Its spring-fed year-round flow coming out of Cascade Mountain consisted of a pair of plunging drops followed by a long cascading segment.

Bridal_Veil_Falls_Provo_124_05282017 - The full context of Bridal Veil Falls
The full context of Bridal Veil Falls

Combining all of these parts, Bridal Veil Falls had a cumulative height of 607ft, which made it one of Utah’s tallest.

Being a private waterfall, apparently this place had a history of development dating back to the 1960s.

This included the Eagle’s Nest Lodge and Restaurant, an aerial tramway to the waterfall’s top, and even a tourist train called the Heber Creeper that went along the Provo River before the falls.

Over time, these facilities were destroyed by avalanche and fire.

Bridal_Veil_Falls_Provo_022_05282017 - Looking up at the Bridal Veil Falls from across the fish pond at its base
Looking up at the Bridal Veil Falls from across the fish pond at its base

By the time we showed up on Memorial Day Weekend in 2017, we didn’t see much evidence of these things except for some fenced off construction site across the Provo River next to the Provo Canyon Road.

When we came back in mid-August 2020, we still saw the presence of construction vehicles and fencing around Bridal Veil Falls so whatever was going on here appeared to be long term.

I wondered if they were seeking to remove any further remnants of such facilities.

Or maybe, they tried to mitigate the after-effects of flood damage (when the Provo River might swell from heavy snowpack and snowmelt) or rockfalls and avalanches (from the canyon’s steep walls).

Bridal_Veil_Falls_Provo_076_08102020 - Context of the parking area at the base of Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon as seen in mid-August 2020
Context of the parking area at the base of Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon as seen in mid-August 2020

Although the falls was easily seen while driving the Hwy 189 through the south end of Provo Canyon, we were able to experience the falls in a handful of ways.

Experiencing Bridal Veil Falls from a scenic roadside lookout

The easiest and our most favored method of experiencing Bridal Veil Falls was from a scenic roadside lookout area (see the picture at the top of this page).

This was where we were able to best appreciate the overall grandeur of the falls from an elevated photogenic spot right by the Hwy 189.

As a result, we could enjoy this waterfall without driving the Hwy 189 distracted.

Bridal_Veil_Falls_Provo_095_05282017 - Julie and Tahia enjoying a similar view of Bridal Veil Falls later in the day
Julie and Tahia enjoying a similar view of Bridal Veil Falls later in the day

As the falls faced in a more westerly direction, we found out that the best time to take photos was in the afternoon when it benefitted from good backlighting.

We learned this the hard way as we were looking against the sun when we showed up earlier in the day.

Experiencing the base of Bridal Veil Falls

The second method of experiencing Bridal Veil Falls was where we were able to do a short paved stroll alongside the Provo River towards the base of the waterfall.

This was where there was a little stagnant pond full of algae (said to be a fish pond) as well as a neck-cranking view right up at parts of the waterfall.

Bridal_Veil_Falls_Provo_014_05282017 - Context of Julie and Tahia on the concrete stroll passing before the base of Bridal Veil Falls
Context of Julie and Tahia on the concrete stroll passing before the base of Bridal Veil Falls

Both the lowest cascade and the waterfall’s middle tier were easily visible, but the uppermost tier was only partially seen from this position.

By the way, that paved path was said to be where the old Heber Creeper tourist train tracks were once laid.

Scrambling up to the base of Bridal Veil Falls’ Main Drop (Difficulty: 2)

While it was easy to be content with treating Bridal Veil Falls as a virtually roadside attraction, scrambling up to the base of the waterfall’s tallest drop yielded a different and more intimate experience.

After crossing the footbridge over the Provo River near the base of Bridal Veil Falls, there was a shelter with some scrambling trails ascending immediately behind it.

Bridal_Veil_Falls_Provo_005_08102020 - After crossing the footbridge over the Provo River near the base of Bridal Veil Falls, I encountered this shelter with some scrambling paths behind it leading to the base of the waterfall's tallest drop
After crossing the footbridge over the Provo River near the base of Bridal Veil Falls, I encountered this shelter with some scrambling paths behind it leading to the base of the waterfall’s tallest drop

This trail ascended a ledge trail that quickly went into a very steep and eroded gully.

While most people (myself included) climbed directly up this very steep and eroded gully (steep enough to kick loose rocks or even slide down on a misstep), it turned out that there was an easy-to-miss switchback.

The continuation of the trail actually climbed to the left at the start of the apparent eroded scramble, but then it eventually reached another switchback.

From that switchback, the trail then went back across to the traverse of the eroded gully where I noticed bent poles and failing retaining infrastructure (illustrating just how much erosion happens here).

Bridal_Veil_Falls_Provo_067_08102020 - This was the very steep eroded gully that most visitors would scramble on not knowing that the continuation of the trail switched back to the opening on the left of this picture
This was the very steep eroded gully that most visitors would scramble on not knowing that the continuation of the trail switched back to the opening on the left of this picture

This would have been where the direct scramble would have ended up, but after having done it, I personally wouldn’t recommend it.

Not only was it unsafe, but it also undermined the trail that was traversing it due to the accelerated erosion of many people doing that scramble.

I’m thinking that a sign could be very useful here to point people towards that easy-to-miss switchback to curb the erosion here (though there was a sign earlier saying this trail was unmaintained and you proceed at your own risk).

Anyways, beyond this traverse of the eroded gully, the trail then continued its ledge hugging before finally ascending gently to the base of the tallest drop of Bridal Veil Falls.

Bridal_Veil_Falls_Provo_019_08102020 - Looking back at the context of the trail leading up to the base of the Bridal Veil Falls' tallest drop backed by the contours of Provo Canyon
Looking back at the context of the trail leading up to the base of the Bridal Veil Falls’ tallest drop backed by the contours of Provo Canyon

When I showed up at midday in mid-August 2020, I was pretty much looking up against the sun at the waterfall as I came at the worst time for taking photos.

However, it was a good time to look across Provo Canyon as well as looking further to the east for the canyon’s context.

I saw quite a few people climbing a nearby ledge to get a little higher on the slope to better feel the spray of the wispy waterfall.

And I also saw some people doing the direct scramble up the run of the cascading section of Bridal Veil Falls from its very bottom to get up here (another route I wouldn’t recommend).

Bridal_Veil_Falls_Provo_053_08102020 - Looking up at the tallest drop of Bridal Veil Falls from its base after having climbed up here on the unmaintained scrambling trail
Looking up at the tallest drop of Bridal Veil Falls from its base after having climbed up here on the unmaintained scrambling trail

So in total, I wound up spending a little over 30 minutes in total to do this scramble and returning to the parking area at the bottom of the falls.

I would bump up the difficulty of this particular way of experiencing Bridal Veil Falls to a 2 from a 1.5 due to the eroded sections and dropoff hazards.

A Separate Waterfall called Upper Falls?

Further east along the Provo River, there was a separate picnic area and parking lot for the so-called Upper Falls.

This waterfall was on a separate drainage from the Bridal Veil Falls.

Bridal_Veil_Falls_Provo_031_05282017 - Contextual view of what I believe to be the Upper Falls, which was on a separate drainage from Bridal Veil Falls. However, it was hard to get a good look at it
Contextual view of what I believe to be the Upper Falls, which was on a separate drainage from Bridal Veil Falls. However, it was hard to get a good look at it

The view of that waterfall from the picnic area was also only a partial one.

It turned out that the best place to view that falls was along the Hwy 189 though there wasn’t an official pullout to better enjoy it.

There was, however, only a road shoulder that wasn’t particularly wide so putting on emergency blinkers while stopped would be a good idea if you were to try this, especially with such high speed traffic driving on the highway.

We did none of the things to improve our experience of the Upper Falls so we can’t really say more about it, nor do we have a good picture of it as a result.

Authorities

Bridal Veil Falls resides in Provo Canyon near Provo in Utah County, Utah. It is administered by the Utah County Public Works Department. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: provo, provo canyon, orem, utah county, utah, waterfall, provo river, timpanogos, hebert city, provo river parkway



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Upper Provo River Falls May 7, 2024 8:09 pm by Philipp Merillat - Upper Provo River Falls may be viewed best by stopping at the Bridal Veil Falls Park in Provo Canyon east of Provo, Utah, then continuing through the park and upstream along the Provo River after viewing Bridal Veil Falls, the main attraction at the park. There are hiking trails, picnic tables, restrooms, and other facilities… ...Read More
Bridal Veil Falls March 10, 2023 8:47 pm by Philipp Merillat - Bridal Veil Falls is located in Provo Canyon east of Provo, Utah. The falls are among others in the canyon, so take the walk through the park and see them all if that's what you're intending to do. ...Read More
Bridal Veil Falls July 14, 2011 4:30 pm by Stacy Hunt - Wow! I lived in Utah until I was almost 25 and had no idea we even had waterfalls. I only recently visited Bridal Veil Falls going up Provo Canyon. I forgot my camera when I visited, but it's a beautiful falls and I'll make sure to take a pic and upload it here the next… ...Read More

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Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
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