****WARNING*****
Do not attempt to make this hike unless:
1. You are in good physical condition
2. You have experience with rock climbing and scrambling
3. You have other people with you
4. There are good weather conditions
The Falls
Bridal Veil Falls is a highly visited area of the Provo Canyon in Central Utah. It attracts many visitors passing through the canyon and is a great recreational place for locals and tourists alike. There are many parks in the canyon as well as a well-maintained bike path through the canyon. There are many activities that you can do while in the canyon. Some very leisurely and others that will give the thrill seekers a memorable experience. The Hike to Bridal Veil Falls Restaurant is one of the later.
The restaurant has been abandoned for years. There used to be a tram that would carry visitors up to the building. It claimed the title as the worlds steepest tram but an avalanche in 1996 ended its years of operation. Since then the structure has been abandoned but visited by a few determined hikers.
There were plans to return the restaurant to working order but in 2008 there was a fire that sealed the fate of the used to be Eagles Nest Lodge. After the fire the cables for the tram were cut and the hollowed out structure remains.
There is an old maintenance trail that leads from the base of the falls up to the restaurant it is NOT maintained and is a strenuous hike.
These Images are from before the fire
BEFORE VS AFTER THE FIRE
The Trail
This picture was taken when i was on a black hawk helicopter flying up the canyon. It shows the trail from a better view. It was taken years ago and I didn't think to get a shot with the lodge in it but it should help!
This is what the trail will look like while standing at the base of the falls
There are a few steel cables left but it will be a good idea to bring rope. The rope up there needs replacing yearly due to the heavy snow and ice wearing on it all winter. You may need one adventurous and experienced person in your group to climb up without rope to hold onto, tie down the rope, and throw it down to the rest of those in the group.
As you can see there are some VERY steep and sheer parts of the trail.
Once you get to the top of the falls it takes a little trail finding skill to find the turn off to head up the side of the mountain. If you go too far up you will end above the restaurant and it is not easy to get back down. If you don't go far enough up before turning right then you will find yourself at a dead end.
(yes I have been in both situations)
Keep an eye out for another thin metal cable heading up the mountain on your right... it might take some time and trial and error depending on the shrub cover. I tried to draw it as accurately as i could on the firs picture of this section.
Good luck, have fun, and be safe!
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about the hike leave a comment below
Here is a link to some more pictures on my brothers blog DBOBIKE:
I wonder WHY , in the second to the last pic., the trees are all dead...
ReplyDeleteThere was a fire in 2008 that burned a lot of the area. That picture was taken after the fire . I haven been up in a few years but i imagine much of the vegetation ha started to grow back
DeleteI tried to do the trail with some friends but we lost it about halfway up after the first set of rope to the right of the middle falls. Where do we go from there?
ReplyDeleteYou work your way up to the left following the river. Things will slightly flatten out and then after you go up a little ways you take a right really steep up the side of the hill. There is no clear cut trail so you have to guess. I under shot the restaurant a few times and over shot it a few times and had to double back. The thicker the foliage the harder it is to navigate. Trial and error is the only method as there is no established trail! Hopefully my pictures with the red lines help. Best of Luck!!
Delete