Stewart Falls - June 12, 2018

Hiking Tip 

If it's a very popular trail, go early.  On a weekday, we try to be at the trailhead by 7:00 am-ish.  On a weekend, you need to get there even earlier.  In the heat of the summer, we've gotten to a trailhead before 6:00 am on a Saturday and either weren't the first ones there or were joined very soon by others and passed many others coming up as we were hiking down.

Our Story

We hit the trail at 7:40 am.  We purposely chose the day predicted to be the coolest of the week.  Heat is my enemy.  Grrr.

** Side note - We got there early enough that the booth to pay for entrance to the park wasn't open.  We went to the self-pay area to get an envelope for our fee, but there weren't any.  So I used a piece of paper from my purse and several bandaids to make my own envelope.  :)  I wrote my license plate number on the envelope and put it in the pay slot.  I also wrote a note explaining the situation to leave on my dashboard, where I would normally leave the tear-off portion of the envelope.  When we got back, I noticed another car in the parking lot with the cash tucked into their wiper blades.  I guess the park staff hadn't made it out there yet.  I have seen them check and give tickets before though.  Plus, it always feels better to be honest. **

It's good to have a resourceful person, such as Robin, on all trips! We should mention, too, that we saw another fee tube at the beginning of the parking lot that we didn't see on the way in. Look for that!

Katy brought two of her kids, 8 and almost 10 years old.  (They're super adorable.) They were super excited and took off like a shot, although they mostly stayed close enough to see us and regularly came back to touch base.  It was a gorgeous day!  54* when we started.  Beautiful blue sky without a cloud in sight.

We passed a few people who were leaving as we were headed in.  But when we got to the waterfall we were the only ones there.  It was awesome!  It's always nice to be the only ones, especially if you want to take pictures of the waterfall.  We were at the waterfall for about fifteen minutes, snacking and exploring.  No one got in the water this time since it was a cool day.  (I've gone in the waterfall before.  It's very cold and high pressure. I wouldn't advise it for kids or anyone fragile.)  The waterfall is fed by snow runoff, so it's always cold.  It creates a river/creek at the bottom - super pretty.  Every time I've been there the creek was calm enough to play in.  I have no idea if it's ever not.

See Katy and her kids down there on the right?  It's a lot higher than it looks without people in the shot.

Gorgeous!

It's such a lovely trail!  So green, lots of shade, fabulous views, and the trail is in great condition.  It's one of the favorites in our area.

Great trail!  Some with rocks; some without.  Some in the shade; some in the sun.  And some through beautiful, tall grasses.

The kids did great on the way in, although Katy's daughter slipped and fell in some loose dirt on the trail.  It's only something that's a problem if you're running fast and not being cautious.  She got a bit scuffed up.  They loved the waterfall, although Katy's son took a similar spill while running around at the falls.  Luckily, Katy had bandaids.  She also had a triangular bandage that she was able to dip in the creek to wash off their wounds and for cooling, soothing water.  It helped both of them. 

Look at that! I get points for resourcefulness, too!

Just as we were getting ready to go, a group of ladies and their kids showed up.  As we hiked out a BUNCH of people in several groups were on their way in.  Man, did we time it right!

Me, with the creek behind me; Katy and her daughter; her son with one of his battle wounds.

The whole thing took us 2 1/2 hours (including our 15 minutes at the falls).  Keep in mind that I stop a lot for pictures.  The kids were a little whiny (what's a better/kinder word for that?) on the way back.  I think it was a little longer than they expected and they were tired from getting up so early.  They both slept in the car on the way home.

Hmm. No, whiny is good. Well, whiny is bad, but appropriate word choice. 

It's a great hike!  We had a wonderful time, and I recommend it to everyone in our area with any interest in hiking.  Just be mindful of your timing. (See the hiking tip above.)

Trail Info

* Difficulty rating: 3.5/10.  Hilly both ways.  Roots and rocks.  About 3.5 miles out and back with a little over 700 ft. elevation gain
* Popularity: Very
* Dogs allowed
* Bathrooms at the trailhead
* $6 fee for a 3-day pass, since it's within a state park; self-pay envelope, if the booth isn't open yet
* Late spring to mid-fall, depending on the weather
* WARNING - This area is prone to avalanches in the winter.  Please always check the Utah Avalanche Center website for info on the current conditions before hiking anywhere in the winter.  https://utahavalanchecenter.org/

The trail is up and down both ways.  A little more up than down on the way in, and the reverse on the way out, but enough that you shouldn't count on either way being significantly easier than the other.  The trail is easy to follow.  From the parking lot you head west and go left at the trail sign.  Then you just follow the trail.

There are significant enough hills that it's probably not great if you have knee problems.  And it'll be a bit tougher than 3/10 if you're out of shape.  There are rocks and roots all along the way that you have to step over.  Pay attention to your footing.  There are also a few high step situations, in case that's a problem for you.

Just a few of the challenging spots.

How to Get There

From Provo - Head north on University Avenue in Provo.  You'll need to be in the right lane heading into the canyon, as the left two lanes turn toward Orem.  Continue up the canyon for around nine miles, toward Sundance.  (There are signs that tell you how to get to Sundance.)  Take the Sundance turnoff, which is on the left side of the road a little after the tunnel.  Follow the road toward Sundance.  It's almost 5 miles up that road (it's past Sundance).  It's just beyond Aspen Grove Family Camp (there's a bridge across the road and a lodge to the left).  The parking lot for the hike is immediately past the Utah State Park booth, on the left.  This area is within the Alpine Loop.

From any other direction - I never go any other way.  If you're headed down the canyon, just follow the signs for Sundance.  After the turnoff, the directions are the same as from Provo.