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Print Friendly MapClosure Notice: As June 2023, there are several closed sections of the trail. Visit the Provo Parks Department webpage for updates and detour details.
Overview
The Provo River Parkway weaves its way through state, city and county parks, as well as residential and commercial areas following the Provo River, then along University Avenue (US 189) to the mouth of Provo Canyon. Its 15-mile length stretches from Utah Lake State Park in Provo to Vivian Park in Provo Canyon. At its northern end, the trail passes the base of Bridal Veil Falls for a spectacular view.
About the Route
The route is a Class 1, multi-use, gradual inclined, paved trail with a couple of short steep climbs. From Utah Lake State Park to the mouth of Provo Canyon, the path is 8-10 feet wide and nearly flat most of the way. In the canyon, the surface widens to 16 feet, and rises a little more steeply. There are some surface street crossings and some narrow underpasses. Water, restrooms, parking and picnic areas are available in the parks along the route.
Connections
The pathway is also part of a regional effort called the Golden Spoke network, which connects more than 100 miles of paved trails from Provo to Ogden.
The Provo River Parkway runs between Vivian Park (Provo Canyon) and Utah Lake State Park (Provo), both of which offer parking.
Parking is also available at:
There are numerous parking options along the route, please visit the TrailLink map for all parking options and detailed directions.
We rode this Oct 1st. We stayed at Lakeside RV Campground and were able to ride right out of the CG to the trail. The first 2-3 miles are so beautiful by the river and with a huge tree canopy. There are some pesky tree roots that have gone under the trail pavement making bumps. We just try to ignore the inconvenience. There’s a closure that’s shown on the map but an easy to follow diversion to get around and back on the trail. Then it goes thru some parks and underpasses and behind some nice houses.
Long and good trail but not safe in early mornings cause guys hide in bushes and will appear out of nowhere and try to talk to you
Rode this trail from Utah Lake State Park up to Vivian Park and back. The first 10 miles are mostly in town even though you follow the river. The river make the ride cooler and more casual. The last 5 is moving through the canyon with the roadway nearby and can be loud. Mostly a gentle climb all the way to the turn around point. Of the first 10 miles about 6 of those miles are the roughest paved trail I have ever been on. Hopefully with all the 2024 construction that will improve. Mostly a downhill ride coming back. Be careful since there is a lot of foot traffic and several underpasses that are single lane only. Some of the in town sections near BYU are very narrow. Be patient.
Sections closed due to maintainance and water overflow in the under street crossings
Nice ride but very crowded at times.
The trail is closed about a thousand yards west of the Lakeshore trailhead. Construction on a new bridge that's being built.
Trail is closed about a thousands west of Lakeshore trail head due to bridge being built.
Scenic but very poor condition. Had to avoid many holes and roots. Foot traffic was very congested at times. Had to avoid hordes of kids in packs running cross country!
July 2021 We started at the boat docks and went all the way up and back. The trail is not bad but has a few issues. It is bumpy in places and a few of the tunnels under the roads become so narrow that you will collide if someone is coming the other direction. We quickly learned to pause and yell to see if anyone was already under/inside. You bypass suburban neighborhoods and then follow the Provo River up the beautiful canyon past Bridal Vail Falls and to a small but picturesque park. Overall a fun ride.
Provo River Parkway is a mixed route that is hard to beat. From the lake (but see below) to the babbling river, to quiet residential areas, following an easy track along a main thoroughfare is hard to notice with the spectacular mountains in plain view. It's really quite good. The cherry on top is the ride up the canyon. Five miles of up can sound intimidating, but the grade is mostly low and the route is accessible to adv beginners. The views all along are fantastic, but Bridal Veil Falls and Vivian Park hollow are worth the effort.
I would have given five stars, but the route on the Utah Lake State Park end is still a mess (May 18,2021). The trail is closed at the first two trailheads starting at the lakefront access. We used N Geneva Rd, where the trail is also closed. Basically, everything west of I-15 is hit or miss. Expect unmarked detours. We were able to follow W Center St to Independence and back to the trail. Center St by I-15 looks like a major highway. There is a wide sidewalk just after the underpass that is easy to miss (and of course is not marked).
It's also a little confusing at W 2230 N St. The trail is marked closed. It appears that it will eventually continue along the river. The correct unmarked detour goes along 2230 St for about 1/2 mile. Turn left on the wide walkway at University Ave (Rt 189) and you're on your way to the canyon.
Also, the trail is often marked as three lanes, two for bikes in each direction and one for pedestrians. However, it was common to come around blind corners and encounter runners or walkers in the bike lanes. Be alert.
I started my ride at the portion of the trail near Utah Lake State Park. As soon as I got out of the parking lot there was a sign saying that the trail was closed ahead. I should have paid attention to that, because after riding through a section of trees, I came to a cul-de-sac and another sign saying that the trail was closed and not open to pedestrian traffic. I headed back to my car and decided to try accessing the trail at Fort Utah Park. Just after getting out of my car there I could see that the trail was also blocked at that location due to some sort of construction project. So back into my car I went and drove to Paul Ream Wilderness Park. I was able to get on the trail here, and rode northeast on the trail past Exchange Park. When I got to N University Pkwy, the signage was confusing to me and instead of staying on the trail I ended up riding parallel to the road before deciding to turn around near the Cold Stone Creamery. Not a good day of biking for me. Perhaps the northern section of the trail is better, but I probably wouldn't return to this part of the trail again, at least not until they've finished the projects that are blocking off sections of the trail.
This is a great trail for biking, inline, long boarding and running. There are multiple access points where you can park, but I would suggest starting at the base of the canyon and heading up the canyon. You’ll go through gorgeous trees right next to the Provo river. As you go further up you’ll get to a waterfall called Bridal Veil Falls, and two adds the end of the trail you’ll get to Vivian park. It does get pretty crowded during the summer, but not many people during the fall which is my favorite time to go!
If you wanna go for a nice evening ride this is a must. Absolutely beautiful ride. It’s bit crowded and watch out for really narrow and low bridges. Other than that it’s a great ride.
We have someone drop us off at Vivian Park and ride down the canyon. It is a beautiful, easy downhill ride. Usually, we end at the trailhead parking lot at the mouth of the canyon. This is a good distance for kids (8+).
Spending a week in Park City, we had to make the 60-minute journey to Provo for total Utah immersion. We, my youngest son & I, had an astonishing experience beginning with a superb LBS just west of BYU. We started by riding through the campus of BYU and trying to find the trail. Finally, we were guided to the trailhead by a local rider, thanks! FYI, ride the bike/walk trail north that is adjacent to N. University Ave. Beside the 1st dam, our guide said that the building to the left was the location of the first electrical college in the US. Once upon the trail, you ride up a fairly-shaded, gentle grade with the roaring Provo River and craggy mountains on your sides. You will want to stop around every corner and camp at every park. Earning your visitation to Bridal Veil Falls just make it better. You can continue to ride up by the 2nd dam to the terminus at Vivian Park, restrooms & picnic tables. While we did not go to Utah Lake due to trail construction, we rode miles through the residential areas. Pre & post ride meals at Noodles & Company and In-N-Out Burger just cranked the overall experience to “11”!
We too were disappointed with the trail from Utah Lake because of significant construction. We went about 2 1/2 miles before we were blocked. New asphalt was laid within site of where we stopped ( so tempting to ignore the barriers), and I know there has been a LOT of rain this year. The reviews have been good, so I hope to do it when the construction is done. We just drove over to the Provo River trail ( starting at the north shore of Utah Lake) to get some mileage in and enjoyed that as an alternative. Riding a bicycle with the Wasatch Mountains as a backdrop is a good day in the saddle. Provo was asphalt in pretty good condition but both trails showed some age( tree root issues) in spots.
So disappointed as we had been looking forward to this ride on our visit to Provo. Unfortunately, about 2 miles from the Utah State Park end the trail is closed due to construction. They had posted a detour that looked like an easy reroute through a neighborhood but the gate was closed and we could not take their detour. We we able to make our own detour but when we found the section that the detour was to take us to a new closure for construction was posted. Out we headed again on the 2nd detour. When we were finally able to reach the trail it was very loose gravel.
I thought the scenery on the canyon section of the ride to be pretty jaw-dropping, Bridal Veil Falls and Vivian Park a site to behold. I thought the lower section of the trail near Utah Lake to be rather nice but the middle section through town to be quite skippable. It seems that roots have grown under the asphalt and pushed the trail up making for some slow cycling (about 6mph) due to how uneven the surfaces was. I didn't like squeezing down skinny sidewalk sections through town, I didn't like stopping at cross-walks. I would recommend the Provo Canyon section of the trail only.
Dropped off a car at Utah Lake State Park and then rode DOWNHILL from Vivian Park. Left at 7:30 pm, took 1 hr 20 minutes. Not hot, little exertion. Sure there's some bumps and underpasses, but they add character to the ride. A cool slice of Provo through river bottoms, backyards, commercial zones, city parks and pastures. Not for serious cyclists but a great way to spend an evening with someone you like to be with. Pedestrians, skaters, dog lovers, couples, families--everyone I said hello to was smiling!
We rode this trail a couple weeks ago while vacationing in Utah. Beautiful scenery. Loved the huge waterfall and riding by the rushing river. It is well maintained with LOTS of people using it. We started at the Virgin Park Trailhead. We did not ride through the city part. Drove to the Lake and rode that end also. There is a great/beautiful train ride out of Heber City that goes to Virgin Park where the the rails end and the Trail starts. Then it goes back to Heber City. We rode the train, then jumped in our car and drove back to the Trailhead and got on the trail. One can really see the rails to trails concept as the railroad tracks literally end and the trail begins. Fun day filled with historic appreciation!
Near the point where the trail reaches Utah Lake, the stand of cottonwood trees along the river is being decimated by beavers. If this continues, what was a lovely wooded trail/river scene will be reduced to an eyesore. Please call the Utah DPR and ask them to remove the beaver to a more remote and less sucecptable location.
Scenic with shade. Some spots are unsafe for bikes but I routinely run through at about 10 mph without problems. Great for walking too.
For the most part the path is paved and pretty wide with room to pass. However, as another reviewer mentioned before from Geneva for about a half mile East the path is very narrow, unlit and generally unsafe. Whoever maintains this trail needs to at the very least paint some lines or do something. At another point, there is an under pass that cuts nearly 90 degrees.
I rode the Provo river parkway trail from Utah Lake to Vivian park on 4/25/2014. The section from the mouth of the Provo Canyon to Vivian park is spectacular and a great ride. However, the section from the mouth of the Provo Canyon to Utah Lake is pitiful and not fit for riding, in fact I would caution anybody to be very aware when using this section as the trail has huge ruts in the asphalt making cycling very difficult. Even walking and pushing a stroller would be difficult. In addition the sections going under roads are unlit and very dark as well as about 3 feet wide making it impossible for two people to pass while going opposite directions in total darkness. The design of this section of trail is not conducive to safe use. In addition entire corridors are fenced in giving no escape should it be necessary. I hope this section of the parkway is modernized as I wont ride it again until it is. I would be safer to ride in the streets with the cars.
Rode this trail August 11, 2012. Loved it. Very scenic and easy to follow. The narrow underpasses or "chutes" mentioned by others are definitely a severe safety problem. We were extremely careful around these spots. Could not believe they built these. They are blind curves and not wide enough. They are only on one end of the trail. The canyon part of the trail is the most scenic. Trail is highly used. We were riding hybrids.
The comments about the south end of the trail are valid. The problems may be corrected during the freeway construction. Start your ride at the mall/business center about a mile south of the canyon mouth. You can ride south toward Utah Lake for three or four miles as a nice "flat land" warm-up, turn around and head up the canyon. Since this is a rail-trail the grade is easy.
Trail Closed at I-15 July 2010 to summer 2012
From http://www.provo.org/displayarticle57.html
The existing Provo River Parkway Trail has potential safety hazards including narrow passing areas and bridge crossings with short height clearance at I-15. When reopened, enhancements to the trail under I-15 will include a 10-foot-wide, newly-paved trail, an eight-foot height clearance on bridge crossings and lighted undercrossing to improve safety and visibility.
During the two-year closure, trail users from the east will detour at Independence Drive to 820 North. On the west side, users will detour at Lakeshore Drive or Geneva Road to cross under the freeway via 820 North. For updates: I-15 CORE website, udot.utah.gov/i15core. Noel Keller 1 Feb 11
We recently rode the beautiful Provo River Parkway. It is a beautiful ride along the river, sometimes through town and even passing a lovely waterfall. However, there is a safety issue involved which detracts from the pleasure of ridding the trail. The passage ways in the city routing the riders underneath streets, and railroads are not conducive to safe riding. Most problematic are the narrow chutes under the streets. They are NOT wide enough for cyclists to pass each other. The ramps leading into them are short and fairly steep. The approach sometimes involves a blind 90 degree turn into (or out of) the chute! On our ride, a little girl came barreling towards me in this narrow passage way. An accident was avoided only because I yelled at her several times to STOP. It's surprising to have such an unsatisfactory feature on an otherwise beautiful facility. Happily, by mile 5.5, there are no more of them. The concern is this: No matter how careful one is as a rider, a careless person coming the other way can spell real trouble.
Also, there is one problem with missing signage. At mile 5.5, the parkway seems to continue under the street. However, it stops shortly thereafter. Fortunately for us, there was a local couple nearby who could direct us to take the street to University Blvd., follow that street for several blocks, and then pick up the trail again. This at least is an easy problem to correct. SIGNAGE is very much needed at that point on the trail for the sake of the out-of-towners.
I hope there is a way to pass these comments on. I didn't find one at the web page. This is meant only to be advisory as to potential hazards as we all need to be aware of the need and to make a suggestion which I hope will be take re: signage for the visitors from out of town.
That said, the Provo River Parkway is a very lovely ride, satisfying in many ways and I look forward to revisiting it whenever we pass through Provo.
The correct length for the Provo River section of the trail is 13 miles one-way(Provo to Provo Canyon)
"As a long time resident and heavy user of this trail/s, I feel the need to correct some errors in this listing. 1st, you have the location listed as Provo to Provo Canyon, which is an entirely different trail (21 miles long) that is all paved from the east shore of Utah Lake at the Utah Lake State Park marina thru Provo City then north along the east side of the city to the mouth of Provo Canyon, then east up the canyon past Bridal Veil Falls to the point 2/3rds up the canyon where it stops where the Heber Creeper Railroad ends coming down the canyon. Utah County calls this trail and their section of the trail from the north end of Utah Lake at the starting point of the Jordan River (going north to the Great Salt Lake)the Provo/Jordan River Parkway Trail System. At the Utah County/Salt Lake County line the trail is then designated just the Jordan River Parkway Trail. There is 8 miles paved to this county line and an additional 3 miles paved as it enters the south end of SL County for a total of 11 miles on that segment, plus the additional mileages you have listed with new sections being finished all the time. The trails have wonderful views of the Wasatch Mountains to the east."
"This is a beautiful trail with adequate length for all of the exercise one could want. The cool canyon breeze keeps you cool even in the summer and the mountain peeks, landscape and beauty is exquisite -- particularly in the fall."
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