Dry Canyon Trail

As you begin your hike up Dry Canyon Trail, the tight and steep canyon walls give you the sense that you are entering a remote and wild place just minutes from the nearby towns of Utah Valley. The first third of the trail is an open and exposed stretch that gives you great views up and down canyon.

The trail takes you up the southwestern slopes of Mount Timpanogos while Utah Lake and Eagle Mountain sit behind you to the west in the distance. The dynamic peaks of Timpanogos draw you up the nearly 3,000 feet of gain to the saddle pass with several more trail options at the top, including Big Baldy Peak. After passing through a few scrub oak forests, you reach the upper meadow, which now allows you to peer deep into Provo Canyon with beautiful Cascade Mountain above it. The final stretch of the trail is the steepest part, but once you gain the saddle the work is immediately rewarded with jaw-dropping scenery.

This hike has multiple intersecting trails, including the Bonneville Shoreline at the trailhead or Curley Springs and Little Baldy as you make your way up Mount Timpanogos. If you continue on straight (north) from the top of Dry Canyon, you will be on the famous Great Western Trail. A great trail link up for the ambitious hiker is Big Baldy, and the stunning 360-degree views of the valley, Mahogany Mountain and Box Elder Peak, and a lush valley meadow sitting in the foreground. Most everything is well signed and marked here, so its a fun place to explore even if you have done the Dry Canyon hike before.

If you do the hike in the spring, you may be able to view some waterfalls coming off the small upper valleys of Mount Timpanogos that typically dry up by midsummer. Note there are sometimes rattlesnakes seen on the trail, so keep your eyes and ears peeled. The footing on the trail can be suspect in several spots with the loose rocks combined with steep ascents, so having hiking poles is a good idea. Overall the hike is a bit of a challenge, but the amazing landscapes you get to see along the way and the views down canyon are fantastic.