Featuring one of the most beautiful falls, Stewart Falls Trail is among the most scenic trails in Utah. Located near Pleasant Grove, Utah, the trail takes you through a beautiful forest to a 200 feet waterfall. It’s an out and back trail with a total distance of 5.4km and elevation gain of 196m.
It’s a well-marked and well-maintained trail that’s also used by horses sometimes, so be careful of that. To reach there, take Interstate 15 and get to the mouth of Provo Canyon, then turn left to go up the canyon when the road splits. Follow the road for 7 miles and you will pass through a short tunnel after which you have to turn left. Follow the road for 4.5 miles and you will reach the ranger fee station, just after the station, there is a parking lot, park your vehicle there. There are also restrooms in the parking area.
The trail is suitable for all hikers; it’s not too long and not too steep and fairy easy. The best time to visit the trail would be in late spring when the ice has melted and the waterfall is at its full flow. It’s a quite popular trail, so expect it to be crowded, and if you want to avoid the crowd, you need to come very early.
The trail begins by the restrooms, there are also some other trails there so find the sign Stewart Cascades and follow that trail. Follow the trail for 100 yards and then it turns left to take you through some pine trees. There is also a trail that goes straight, avoid that, and stay on your path.
The trail gains elevation slowly for the first half mile as you go through the forest where you will also get plenty of shade. You may also see some squirrels and chipmunks along with the trees. As you move forward, the trail turns south and reaches the water tank, which stocks up water for Aspen Grove. After that, the trail passes through pine and aspen trees, and after one mile into the hike, it begins to descend.
The last part of the trail is rocky; it’s quite steep and not well-marked. You can hear Stewart Falls from here. Soon, you will get the first look at the waterfall. To get the best view of both tiers of the waterfall, you can stand on the rock outcropping near the fall. It is also a good spot to take photos.