Red Ledges Picnic Area

Who knew there were Red Rocks and an Arch in Utah County? We sure didn’t, but we heard about Red Ledges Picnic Area just east of Spanish Fork and went to check it out.

Red Ledges Picnic Area

When you pull into the picnic area, you will feel like you stepped into Arches or Southern Utah. The rocks are red and there is sandy dirt all over. Because of this, there is not a lot of shade, so bring a hat and wear sunscreen. The picnic area has picnic tables, and a pit toilet, but you aren’t visiting for just a picnic.

This is the picnic area from the parking lot.
This is the picnic area from the parking lot.

After you eat your lunch, take time to explore the area. If you walk north from the pit toilet, you will see Diamond Fork Arch. This arch is thin, but tall. We were so excited to see an arch right here in Utah County.

Diamond Fork Arch
The Diamond Fork Arch
Diamond Fork Arch in Red Ledges Picnic Area
This is the arch when I’m standing underneath it.

There is a main trail heading west that walks deeper into the picnic area from the parking lot. If you follow this trail, you will walk up onto some slick rock and can explore around and take other trails back down, or further up.

boys exploring rocks
You will walk up these rocks if you head straight west from the parking lot.
Red Ledges Picnic Area
There are some unique rock formations here.

We also walked behind the pit toilet and climbed up the rocks. There is a narrow opening that my boys climbed into, even though I was terrified they would get stuck. Our kids had so much fun exploring all over the rocks.

climbing through rocks at Red Ledges Picnic Area
This is the tiny crack my boys were crawling in.
Red Ledges Picnic Area
There are some fun places to climb back behind the rocks.

We walked less than a mile around the picnic area. If you just want to see the arch, it’s very close to the parking lot so you’ll only have to walk about 50 yards on a flat trail to view it. You can spend as much time or as little exploring the Red Ledges Picnic Area, and be as daring or reserved as you want.

The one concern we had about this adventure is that there are drop offs and it involves climbing. We were constantly reminding our boys to stay away from the edge and be careful. So make sure you assess where you children stand on listening and how adept they are at climbing before you go.

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We saw lots of lizards, and a snake!
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Our 6 year-old loves Arches so he felt like he was back in Moab all over again.

Directions

To find the Red Ledges Picnic Area, take US- 6 east through Spanish Fork and into the canyon for 10.5 miles. Then turn left at the sign that says Diamond Fork. Once you are on this road, follow for about 6 miles until you see the Red Ledges Picnic Area on the left.

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  1. Tammy

    We did this hike tonight with some family. 6 kids and two babies. Loved it and what a hidden gem!! Totally felt like a southern Utah night.