Timpanogos Falls

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Lower Falls of Timpanogos Falls

We love waterfall hikes, so today we took the boys on a brand new adventure to Timpanogos Falls. These falls are best to see in the Spring when the water is really coming down off the mountains, and in early May, the falls were gorgeous. There are actually two waterfalls here: Upper and Lower Falls. We will give you all the info you need to hike to one, or both, of Timpanogos Falls.

Upper Falls at Timpanogos Falls
Upper Falls at Timpanogos Falls

The trail to these falls lies along the Mount Timpanogos Trail that begins at Aspen Grove. That means that if you’ve ever hiked Timp, from the Provo side, you’ve passed right by these waterfalls, which are just trickles in September.

To access this trail, drive up Provo Canyon to the Sundance junction. Turn left toward American Fork Canyon and drive to the gate. It costs $6 to go past the gate, so some people prefer to park before the gate and walk in, but we feel like $6 is well spent on our National Forests. There are two trailheads at the parking lot for Timp. The one on the left is Stewart Falls, and the one on the right is Mount Timpanogos.

This sign marks the start of the trail to Mt. Timpanogos.
This sign marks the start of the trail to Mt. Timpanogos.

The trail climbs fairly steeply, but after a couple hundred yards it actually becomes paved and easy to follow. There are a few switchbacks as the trail climbs toward lower falls, but the scenery is beautiful, and the path is well-traveled. Our 3 year-old hiked all the way to lower falls, which is almost exactly 1 mile (2 RT).

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There are some rocky parts to this trail.
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Follow the signs to the waterfall. Go right at this junction.
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We found a ton of shells along the trail, so watch for them!
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You will cross a small bridge, but there was no water running underneath.
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Go left at this junction and head into the Timpanogos Wilderness.
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Part of the trail is paved which is sort of ironic in the mountains.
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There is an interpretive sign about the mountain peaks.
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It is a very beautiful trail. There isn’t much shade though. So come prepared with hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen.
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These boys were great hikers. They made it to the waterfalls with no complaining and this trail was hard.

You will begin to see and hear the lower falls which helps keep everyone excited to see the waterfall. We caught glimpses of the waterfall slightly past the halfway mark. When you arrive at the waterfall, there are a few places to walk down and get closer. In May, it was still covered with snow, and we decided not to walk any closer, but I’m guessing that in the summer you would be able to get pretty close to the base of the falls. Leave a comment below if you go when there’s no snow and let us know what the waterfall was like and how close you were able to get.

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We definitely got very excited when we caught a peek at Timpanogos Falls.
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Lower Falls is beautiful!
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There were others on the trail, so we were able to catch a family picture, which is rare!

You can see the upper falls from the lower falls, but you should definitely hike the extra quarter mile to see upper falls, especially in the Spring. It is an additional quarter mile, bringing the grand total to see both falls to around 2.5 miles RT. There was a lot of snow at the upper falls, but it never hinders you along the trail, at least when we were there.

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Here you can see Lower Falls and Upper Falls.
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The trail walks away from the waterfall before turning back towards the Upper Falls. Don’t worry, it’s only about 10 minutes.
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This was the only snow near the trail, and our boys were very excited to cool off with some snow.
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Shortly after you turn back toward the waterfall, you’ll be able to see Upper Falls.
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Upper Falls was quite amazing as it fell down below the snow pack.

Dad wanted to see the falls up close and specifically, how thick the snowpack was that was lying in the ravine at the bottom of the cascade. It turns out the snow was about 15 feet thick, which made it safe to walk on as long as you stayed away from the edges. If there is snow when you arrive, please be careful. It may not be safe to walk on, and you could end up with a dangerous, frigid plunge.

This is a look down under the snow where our dad headed down to take a video.
This is a look down under the snow where our dad headed down to take a video.
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We had a little snowball fight out on the snow, but always be careful around snowpack.
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Upper Falls is quite spectacular.

The waterfalls are really rushing, though! Check out the video and do this hike before the snow all melts off Timpanogos. We actually saw 5 different waterfalls higher up as the water comes down as runoff, so there is plenty to explore.

We’d suggest that this hike is moderate compared to the easier hikes listed on the waterfall link above. The length (2.5 RT) and relative steepness make it a bit more advanced, so start with the others. But if you manage to wear out that list, try Timpanogos Falls!

Timpanogos Falls

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This Post Has 7 Comments

  1. Annie

    Went here last night. Started at 6:30 pm. It was gorgeous! Shade the whole time this time of day. Loved this recommendation. Thank you for always providing excellent details and instructions!

  2. Shannon Titze

    Great hike! I love your descriptions and website. We noticed on the way down to the lower fall that there’s a bunch of “stinging nettle” on the side of the path. It might be nice if you added it to the post since a lot of people don’t know what it looks like. I have a picture of it if you want me to email it to you

    1. Natalie

      Thank you so much for letting us know about the stinging nettle. We would love to add the picture and info to our blog. Send us the picture at utahsadventurefamily@gmail.com.

  3. Katie

    I trekked to the upper falls with my 9 and 5 year olds today. Thank you for the very helpful guide. We are visiting from Virginia and LOVED the waterfall. My 5 year old was cranky on the way up, but once there he said “This is so awesome!”

    1. Natalie

      We are so glad that you enjoyed the hike, and hopefully your entire stay in Utah. It is a beautiful waterfall! Thanks for commenting–it makes our day!

  4. Julie bagley

    We hiked this trail today and it was so beautiful! The snow was all melted and tons of water was rushing. We only did lower falls because it was just me and my two kids but it was totally worth it. Thanks for the great directions. I love reading your blog!

    1. Natalie

      Thanks for the feedback! Keep on adventuring!