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Near the city of Provo is Bridal Veil Falls. It’s a 607 foot waterfall just off US 189 at the south end of Provo Canyon. There’s a parking lot right off the highway and a small park with picnic tables.
An easy path leads down to the base of the falls while a steep but short trail allows visitors to climb to the middle cascade. Another more difficult trail for experienced hikers and climbers leads to the top of the falls. A resort once sat on the cliffside with an aerial tramway leading up to it, but it was destroyed in an avalanche in 1996. A fire in 2008 thwarted plans for its renovation.
The Legend of Bridal Veil Falls
A plaque in the parking lot tells the legend of Bridal Veil Falls:
“Many moons ago, an Indian named Norita and a brave from a rival tribe, named Grey Eagle, met and fell in love. They planned to meet near a streamlet high on the mountainside and elope to a land far away from both their tribes. On that fateful night, instead of her lover, Norita was confronted by braves from her own tribe. Fearing her lover had been destroyed she leapt from the high ledges.
Mother Nature was touched by her wild beauty, and she caught up Norita’s streaming tresses and she made from them a Bridal Veil of falling water. From her flowing gown an altar was formed on the face of the mountain. Then her spirit was sent out as a mist, causing a green carpet to spread over the mountainside.
The intruders fled while her lover stood and gazed down at the strange yet beautiful transformation. His grief was more than he could bear, so out of compassion for his sorrow, Mother Nature molded his massive frame into the mountain and stretched his mighty shoulders high into the heavens like silent sentinels to guard over his loved one. His cries of anguish were softened into love calls to whisper forever.”
Provo Canyon
While admiring the falls, turn around and check out your surroundings. The views of the canyon are spectacular.
