If you've driven Provo Canyon and only stopped at Bridal Veil Falls, you've been missing out. Just past the tunnel, South Fork Road peels off to the right and what unfolds over the next three-plus miles is one of the most underrated stretches of scenery in all of Utah Valley.
This is my all-time favorite spot in Provo Canyon. It shines at golden hour in early summer, and absolutely explodes with color in the fall. Whether you're after a riverside picnic, a quiet hammocking spot, a mountain trail, or the perfect photo backdrop, South Fork Road has it all. Here's a breakdown of every stop along the way.
Vivian Park
You can't miss Vivian Park it sits right at the South Fork Road turnoff and has been a canyon gathering spot since the 1800s. Today it serves as the northern terminus of the Provo River Parkway Trail, a paved multi-use path running over 15 miles from here all the way to Utah Lake, open to walkers, joggers, cyclists, and longboarders.
Anglers can cast a line into both the Provo River and a stocked fishing pond, the pond is especially great for kids just learning to fish. The pond holds rainbow and brown trout, with a daily limit of two fish. Summer brings tubers and rafters who use the park as their take-out point after floating down from Deer Creek Reservoir. There's also a sand volleyball court, playgrounds, open grassy areas, and reservable covered pavilions.
If you want to try the river float yourself, outfitters like High Country Adventure and Pro Rafting Tours offer guided and self-guided rafting, tubing, and kayaking trips with Vivian Park as a common endpoint a true Utah County summer tradition.
South Fork Park
This is my absolute favorite park in the canyon. The combination of a bubbling stream, an open meadow framed by canyon walls, wooded groves, and that warm late-afternoon light make this feel like a hidden garden most people drive right past. It is especially beautiful at golden hour and in the fall.
South Fork Park has a nice mix of individual picnic tables, fire pits, and group pavilions, with permanent restrooms, running water, and electricity. Streams run through the park and are wonderful for wildlife viewing. There's plenty of green space for hammocking and exploring.
Follow South Fork Road another couple of miles and you'll reach Big Springs Park — watch for the small sign, it's easy to miss. Named for the natural springs that feed the stream running through it, this park is one of the best fall color stops on the entire road. The mix of quaking aspens and bigtooth maples puts on a show every October, and the open layout makes it a natural spot for family photos.
The park has lots of picnic tables, each with a grill, two large pavilions available for groups, a large grassy field, and a shallow stream perfect for kids to wade and explore. Big Springs Park also serves as a trailhead for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, and motorcycling on the adjacent National Forest land.
The Big Springs Hollow Trail is a 4.34-mile loop with 554 feet of elevation gain, rated easy, making it a great option for families and casual hikers. Expect mountain views, lush valley vegetation, and frequent wildlife sightings — elk, deer, and moose are regularly spotted in this area.
Great Western Trailhead
At the very end of South Fork Road sits the trailhead for the Great Western Trail. You don't have to hike far to feel the reward a short walk up the double-track brings you to open terrain with mountain views.The trailhead features horse trailer parking and a year-round portable restroom, and is used as a staging area for trail rides in Big Springs Canyon and on the Great Western Trail and other Forest Service land. It's become a popular spot for photos and picnics on its own the kind of wide-open mountain meadow that doesn't look real in pictures.
Through Wasatch County, the Great Western Trail follows the county line ridge atop the Wasatch Mountains with breathtaking panoramic views, passing historic mining areas before skirting the Mount Timpanogos Wilderness area.
Getting There
From Provo Canyon (US-189), turn onto South Fork Road just before or after the tunnel depending on your direction. Vivian Park is immediately at the junction. Big Springs Park is 3.2 miles up the road. The Great Western Trailhead is approximately one mile beyond Big Springs Park near the end of the road.
