Pleasant Grove Timpanogos Trails
Pleasant Grove, Utah, being at the base of Mount Timpanogos has 2 canyons that give you access to the front side of the mountain. Both of these canyons are named after the creeks that cut them. Grove Creek and
Battle Creek to Grove Creek Hike Elevation Graph
Battle Creek both have beautiful waterfalls, great views of the valley below, great color and foilage, and frequent mobile phone coverage areas. Each canyon can be a great hike on its own. Or, if you are more adventurous and have more time, you can hike up one canyon and down the other.
Please be aware that both canyons have cliffs and exposure to falling dangers and in the heat of the afternoon can be a nice spot to find a rattlesnake. Look after your kids and pets!
While I have hiked each canyon separately, on my latest trip, I went up Battle Creek and down Grove Creek. I prefer this route because Battle Creek is steeper and not much fun to descend. My Scouts like to go on an annual night hike where we begin at dusk, hike up for a few hours, cook and eat dinner over our back packing stoves and then finish the hike. The boys in my Scout Troop were able to handle this hike just fine, although your experience will vary depending on each’s personalities.
Battle Creek Trailhead – Hike Battle Creek Falls
The Battle Creek trailhead (5255 ft according to my Garmin last night) can
Battle Creek to Grove Creek Hike
be found at the end of 200 South in Pleasant Grove behind the water storage towers and right next to Kiwanis Park. There is a small dirt parking lot that the trailhead and the park share. The trailhead is about 50 feet to the right of the park entrance. Battle Creek Canyon is smaller in area than Grove Creek, and without switchbacks, the trail is steeper and gains elevation much quicker. But the benefit to the Battle Creek hike is that the hike to the waterfall is much shorter (about .6 miles versus 2.25 miles in Grove Creek) and has a second waterfall not much higher than the first. Most hikers stop at the waterfalls, but if you are continuing onward to the meadows above the canyons or up to Big Baldy, after crossing the creek a few times, you will climb out of canyon at about 6,232 feet and will meet up with the trail to
Crossing Battle Creek at Night
Curly Springs at about 1.3 miles (6,350 feet). The trail at this point begins to be a bit less steep, but you will continue to climb through meadows and trees up to the Great Western Trail at about 2.5 miles (7,332 feet) where you can turn right to get access to the top of Mount Baldy and Provo Canyon. To get to Grove Creek Canyon from here, turn left onto the Great Western Trail. The GW Trail will meet up with a dirt road, go right on the dirt road. You will find a trail somewhat overgrown with long grass on the left of the road directly above the Grove Creek Canyon that you will see below on your left.
Grove Creek Canyon – Hike Grove Creek Falls
From the dirt road, you will descend at a nice rate through a big grass meadow until you reach Indian Campground. A nice spring comes out of the ground at this location. Many like to camp near here as there is some flat ground. This is a nice spot to stop and take a break have a snack or cook dinner as we did.
At this point, you have about 3 miles left to get to the Grove Creek
The Famous Grove Creek Bench
Trailhead. I prefer Grove Creek Canyon over Battle Creek and I think that you will quickly see why. You will descend with a couple of switchbacks through a beautiful pine forest and suddenly you will be on the bridge crossing Grove Creek (About 2.25 miles – 6.756 feet – up the canyon). Just a hundred feet or so below later on the trail, you will encounter the famous grove creek bench. Some kind hiker brought this up. Be kind to the bench and have a sit for a bit if you are tired.
A Nice Night View of Pleasant Grove from Grove Creek Canyon
From here, you will pass through a cliff area with some fall danger exposure. Be cautious with those in your party. You will leave the creek at this point, staying high above as you descend down to a switchback high above Pleasant Grove where there are some nice views. You will switch back where you encounter the creek again and then quickly reach the trailhead.
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