When I imagine going up the canyon, I think of narrow, winding roads with thick trees and brush all around. I think of cozy little picnic spots nestled in the trees and a river or stream flowing nearby. This is probably due to the fact that I grew up living within a short driving distance of American Fork Canyon.
Recently, my little family and I went up American Fork Canyon to spend the evening with my brother-in-law, his wife and two kids, as well as other extended family. They were spending the night at the Granite Flats Campground, just a mile up the road from Tibble Fork Reservoir. We had been invited to come up in the evening and cook tin foil dinners and roast marshmallows.
Even though I have been to Tibble Fork many times, my family didn’t do a lot of camping growing up so I wasn’t familiar with the campground they were at, but as we drove to their reserved spot, I felt like it was exactly as a good campground should be. The individual campsites were separated from each other by trees and bushes, so you didn’t feel like you were camping on top of someone else. It gave a nice sense of privacy and made you feel like you were really camping outdoors. There was a set of bathrooms for every four or five campsites, easily within walking distance, which is great if you have kids (and even if you don’t).
Since getting married a little over 7 years ago, my husband and I have gone up a lot of different canyons with friends and cooked tin foil dinners. It is one of my favorite camping foods and so easy to prep and transport. We always cook our tougher veggies, like carrots and potatoes, halfway before putting them with the meat (usually chicken or ground beef/turkey), since the meat always cooks faster than the rest.
