Provo, UT

One of the greatest things about Bridal Veil Falls is that it can be enjoyed on so many different levels. Except during winter months when they close the lower road (the old highway) for avalanche danger, you can drive right to it. The paved Provo River trail skirts its base, providing access to walkers, skaters and bikers.

I “discovered” the falls when I used to run five miles up the river trail from the mouth of Provo Canyon to Bridal Veil several times per week. Nothing felt better than to take my shoes off and wade in the shallow pools at the base of the falls. I would sit and watch swallows flit and dive gracefully through the sky below. I would look for any possible excuse to stay longer before donning my shoes and heading back down the canyon.

A relatively good dirt trail (with a few sections where the trail has been worn away by people taking illegal shortcuts) leads from the river trail to the base of the falls where you can stand in the refreshing mist and forget all about the summer heat! The view up, down, and across the canyon is easy to take for granted once you’ve seen it dozens of times, but if you stop and remember to see it again with new eyes, it will take your breath away.

A sign at the base of the falls welcomes hikers and invites them to enjoy the refreshing mist, but prohibits climbing above that point. Some hikers continue beyond anyway, which results in at least half a dozen rescues per year - usually (thank heaven!) for climbers who get ledged out and wisely choose to wait for expert assistance. The steep, loose rock of Provo Canyon is NOT SAFE. Please exercise good judgment!

Search and Rescue services are free, by the way, so when you need us, please call 911 before you get hurt! We’re always courteous and won’t make you feel foolish for getting youself in trouble or waking us up in the middle of the night!

On any warm day, you can find children playing in a shallow, cold pool next to the river trail. The kids always look excited as they splash along the edges and toss pebbles into the pond. Mothers stand by chatting and relaxing, the pool captivating their children’s attention and making their job of watching the kids easy.

Bikers, skaters, runners and skateboarders also seem to congregate in little crowds along the river trail below the falls. Everyone always seems congenial and happy – and why not? It’s hard not to feel good in such a beautiful area.

Three main parking areas serve the falls. For the lower parking areas, take the Nunn’s Park turn off on your right (south) four miles up Provo Canyon. The lower lot is as the base of the hill 100 feet from the turn. There are two port-a-potty’s there, or find nicer restrooms at Nunn’s Park, just across the highway (turn left under the highway alongside the river). There are also eight picnic tables with BBQ grills and nice grassy picnic areas between the falls and the lower parking lot.

Continue straight to the second lower lot next to the old tram house. A bridge just up-canyon from the tram house crosses Provo River. For the upper lot, continue past the Nunn’s Park turn off to the top of the hill 100 yards later and turn right. Follow a paved trail at the far end of the lot (east) to access the old highway and lower area. This lot is closed during winter months.

A tram advertised as the steepest in the world ran from the base of the falls to a tram house perched in the cliffs high above for about 22 years, until a 1996 avalanche destroyed it and much of the surrounding park. There has been some talk of reviving the tram, though no official announcement has yet been made (read a 2007 news article).

Before the avalanche and before I joined SAR, we used to sometimes carry accident victims in stretchers down from the tram house tied on TOP of the tram! What a view that would be! In another story, a medical helicopter landing to transport a victim flew between the two sets of cables stretching between the top and bottom of the falls. “That was some pretty fancy flying between the two sets of cables,” someone told the pilot. “WHAT two sets of cables?!” answered the pilot, who had only seen one.

Daring teens sometimes scale the cliffs to reach the tram house but this is NOT advised! The ascent includes steep, exposed areas where one slip can send you falling hundreds of feet. DO NOT trust garden hoses or other questionable items left to “secure” the climb. If you do, you could end up in one of the stories we search and rescue types tell about the “crazy” things people do. Remember: going down is scarier and more dangerous than going up.

In winter, Bridal Veil provides a world-famous venue for the extreme sport of ice climbing. The total height of the falls (upper and lower) measures just over 600 feet, and the area is surrounded by many other routes, including world-famous Stairway to Heaven, just down-canyon from the falls, which boats the tallest continuous ice climb in the lower 48 states.

During cold spells when the ice forms up, you can park along the highway and watch the climbers through binoculars. Keep your distance from the cliffs themselves without a helmet and decent hiking boots.

I’ve climbed most of the way up Stairway and rappelled off in the dark. I vividly remember standing on narrow, sloped ledges of ice, drilling screws into the ice for anchors, and glancing down at the canyon floor far below. I don’t remember if I felt perfectly safe or just chose not to think about the possible danger.

I’ve participated in rescues where climbers had fallen over fifty feet and lived, and recoveries which did not include such happy endings. In all cases, I’ve found Stairway to Heaven’s name to be very appropriate. 800 feet of vertical ice will get you closer to God - one way or another.

With locations as beautiful and accessible as Bridal Veil Falls around, you should never have to sit at home and wonder what there is to do! Hop on your bike or in the car and come on up. I guarantee you’ll feel better after a few minutes at the falls.