Buffalo Peak Hike | Provo Canyon

Buffalo Peak Hike is one of the first trails we tried with our family of 5. We hiked it in the summer many times, but after visiting in the fall, it quickly became our favorite time to visit Buffalo Peak. This is the peak you can see from the valley floor just one peak north of Kyvh Peak. We like this hike because it is short and easy, but allows us to “summit” which is something our boys loved when they were little. While we label this hike as easy, we should clarify that there is a good amount of uphill along this trail. Since it is so short, it feels more bearable.

Where to find Buffalo Peak

The hike is only about a half mile each way (so one mile roundtrip), and it climbs up the back of the peak to a beautiful overlook of Utah Valley. To reach the hike, take 8th North in Orem up to the bottom of Provo Canyon. Then turn right onto Kyvh Peak Road. This turnoff is Follow the road until it splits– right to Kyvh Peak and left to Hope Campground. It’s fun to stop at the Kyvh Peak overlook, but we liked Buffalo Peak overlook better.

Turn left toward Hope campground. Right after the campground, the road becomes a dirt road. Warning: it is bumpy, dusty, and generally unpleasant. (This is a free activity except for the carwash!) At exactly 2.9 miles down the dirt road you’ll see a gap in the fence on the right and a “prevent forest fires” sign on the left. There is very limited parking right along the fence. They have added a parking lot slightly before the break in the fence where you can park. Then hop on the trail through the fence and stay near the fence as you head up to grab the start of Buffalo Peak Trail.

The Trail

Start out to the south (left) and walk parallel to the fence as you head up into the trees. This hike isn’t very long, but has a few short, strenuous sections. There is one branch in the trail, but don’t go right, stay straight ahead to the peak. On your left, you’ll come to a short trail to an overlook. Here you can look down into a large ravine and see the mountains. Keep the kids back from the edge as it is a bit of a drop. This is a good place to turn around if your kids are too small to make the summit, but you will still get a beautiful look of the valley and the mountains.

After the overlooks to the left, the trail begins to climb more steeply. It’s only another block to the top, but it’s pretty rocky and steep. Our 3 and 5 year-olds walked the entire way, but we held hands with both every bit of the last climb to precent anyone from slipping.

The summit is beautiful and overlooks everything from the point of the mountain, all the way back to the south end of Utah Lake. Continue west down to the “crown” of the hill and you can see BYU’s practice facility and LaVell Edwards Stadium on your left. Due to the sunset, we couldn’t see much straight ahead or to the right. This hike is better in the mornings for lightning reasons.

We did see a lizard, a few varieties of birds, and a mule deer. Overall, we were thrilled with this gem of a hike. It is short, simple, and with a great reward. This trail is an out and back trail, so once you are done enjoying the views, head back the way you came. This trail is beautiful in both summer for wildflowers and fall for foliage. For other great kid hikes, check out list of 101 family friendly trails in Utah.