Lost Creek Falls Trail

Lost Creek Falls Trail is a short, fun, and steep journey up to a beautiful multi-tiered cascade just across Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon. Much of the first half of this lesser-known trail is a straight shot up a large hill on a dirt utility road. The rocky ascent becomes much more dynamic as you make your way into Lost Canyon. Lost Creek runs along the trail in the final third of the hike, and several relatively easy river crossings are required. Water trickles down the sides of the canyon walls and creates a vibrant dash of greenery on the dark colored stone. Even though you are not far from the freeway, the tight canyon forms a secluded grotto-like environment that gives you a great sense of solitude on most days. This trail is not very popular, most likely because of the tough climb up the canyon and the lightly technical approach to the final falls, but also because many people don't even know it exists. The view across Provo Canyon toward Bridal Veil Falls is quite stunning and allows you to see the rarely viewed upper section of the famous waterfall and the beautifully striped limestone common to this area. After parking at the small lot at the entrance to Nunn's Park, cross over the river heading north and make your way along the fence line up to the utility road. Take a right onto this road and walk east parallel to the freeway until you see an old and small run-down building that almost looks like a bathroom on your left. This is where you begin the steep ascent into the canyon. The rocky utility road eventually comes to a large flat lookout, and the the "trail" finally begins here. Now inside the mouth of Lost Canyon, the scenery becomes much prettier, and the creek now leads you up to the falls. Watch your footing here, especially where the water comes off the side walls; it can be really slippery in certain places. This hike is not necessarily family friendly, but if your young ones are adventurous and you take your time then it can be done with kids, thanks to its relatively short distance. Several species of wildflowers bloom in the early summer, including columbine, Wyoming paintbrush, poppies, and lupine. The waterfall is fed from the southern slopes of mighty Mount Timpanogos to the north and has the highest flow from late spring to early summer. Along with Bridal Veil, there are several other nearby waterfalls, including Upper Falls and Stewart Falls in the nearby town of Sundance.