Mt. Timpanogos Trail Falls

I'm super excited about this post because this hike is arguably my family's favorite Utah hike of all time. I know it's not the best hike in Utah, but there was something great about today. We had the perfect weather and this hike was the perfect length for our little family. That and Utah is so green this summer! It is blowing my mind and I'm loving it!

Anyway, I heard that you could hike up one mile on the Mt. Timpanogos trail and you would get to a waterfall. I figured it sounded like a good length and we love a good waterfall, so we set out this morning to try it. The hike was definitely a hike--not a stroll. It steadily climbed for a mile.

Location: Alpine Loop, right next to the Stewart Falls trail head. Coming from Provo or Orem, go up Provo Canyon, turn left when you see a sign for Sundance (after the tunnel), drive past Sundance and Aspen Grove and you will eventually reach a booth. Pay (or if it's closed, just drive past) and turn left immediately. This is the parking lot for both Stewart Falls and Mt. Timpanogos.
Cost: $6 in the summer. Some months of the year the booth is closed and it's free!
Distance: 2 miles round-trip
Kid-Friendly: Yes!
Toddler-Friendly: Yes! (depending on their mood, of course)
Baby-Friendly: Yes! Strap 'em on.
Stroller-Friendly: No

Our just-turned-three-year-old managed the whole thing by himself, with just a little hand-holding at moments. Our eighteen-month-old was a little more needy, but I think he was also just in a grumpy mood this morning for whatever reason toddlers get in grumpy moods. I probably gave him the wrong banana with his breakfast or something. Anyway, we ended up carrying him for a good portion of the hike, which gave us a great workout, but we made it and we even managed to thoroughly enjoy ourselves. My husband even said this was his favorite hike so far, so believe me, it wasn't too strenuous.

Go Right!

When you get to the parking lot, make sure you don't take the Stewart Falls trail. This trail is longer and I don't consider it to be toddler-friendly. You could probably do it with older kids and/or a baby strapped to you, but not with toddlers. I think it's a little too dangerous, but that's just me... I digress. Take the trail on the right. Once on this trail, you will see a few more forks. Always choose the direction of Mt. Timpanogos (not Lame Horse or Stewart Falls).

Once you get going, this trail is beautiful! We felt like we were venturing into our own private canyon out there. The trail is narrow, but generally not too steep, and it is surrounded by beautiful plants and flowers. A good portion of the trail is paved for some reason, which only made it easier for the little ones, so I thought it was kind of nice.

The trail will take you directly to the falls, which are gorgeous! The pictures do not do it justice. But let me just say that this hike was 100% worth it. You can climb down right next to the falls and put your feet in the water or sit on a large rock and just enjoy the breeze and the light spray from the falls. This was such a rewarding hike for us. We enjoyed every second and the falls were a lot better than we were expecting them to be.

Here is my lovely son refusing to walk. Oddly enough, his moodiness far from ruined the trip. I actually enjoyed taking it a little more slowly to accommodate his high maintenance-ness today.