Moab River Rafting Trip

I recently returned from a river rafting trip with the young women in our area. We went to Moab, Utah and floated down the Colorado River. Fun, fun, fun!

Beautiful red rock

It would be a great trip for families. The guides at World Wide River Expeditions did a great job! They had clean language, they do not drink or smoke at all on the river (that is a plus for me when taking my kids) and they are nice to be around.

3 of our fearless guides

The pricing for a youth trip was $149 per person for 3 days and that includes all meals. This is pricing for youth groups, but I noticed that the pricing for day trips was only about $50 per person and I have seen coupons on City Deals for around $39. The portion of the river that we floated was very mellow with only a few rapids. I think the 3-day trip would be a bit much for my kids right now, but the day trip would be perfect!

Games on the raft

What a great group of girls!

This year is a very low water year on the river...the 3rd lowest of all time. With that said, there is
a lot of paddling to be done to get you where you want to go :) I did see some families who had a guide that did all the rowing instead of having everyone paddle. Our group paddled, and paddled and paddled!

Ice cream fights, water fights, paddling in the ducky's, sunscreen, lemonade, floating in the river...my kids would love it. I guess it's time to book a family trip.

Overall it was a great time and one I think you could take younger children on and have so much fun!

Maple Canyon Equestrian Trail Hike

Maple Canyon has a nice 1-mile (each way) hike that is fantastic for small children and easy for adults as well. It is located in Mapleton, Utah and is a very 
beautiful trail that winds next to the road although you never see the road. It is nice 
and cool due to all the shade. I find this particular trail very beautiful in the fall when the 
leaves begin to change color. It is also a wonderful trail to run if you enjoy trail running. 
It is also open to mountain biking. (With it being such a short trail it is best for beginners, 
children age 8-10 and up, those making loops or those who want to continue on up through 
the campground to the trail at the top of the parking lot for more challenge).

To get there:

From I-15, take Springville exit 260. Head east 2 miles to the intersection of Main Street and
400 South. Turn right on Main Street, staying in the right lane toward Highway 89/Price.
Continue 2.3 miles to Maple Street. Turn left on Maple Street/State Highway 147 for .9 miles
to Main Street in Mapleton. Turn left on Main Street, then right on 400 North. Drive east on
400 North until you come to the canyon. After passing through the open gate you will drive
up a hill and after the hill there is a parking lot on the right hand side of the road. Pull in and
park. The trailhead is on the east side
of the parking lot. 

This is where those bringing horses into the canyon must park. The sign says equestrian trail
 parking I believe. 

The trail will end up at one of the campground parking lots. This is an out-n-back trail and is
easy enough to start the littlest of hikers :) If you choose to take the trail on the west side of the
parking lot, the bonneville shoreline, it ends where a property owner has put up a huge fence
and you will be considered trespassing. So stick to the east trail.

Go in a group in this canyon as occasionally we hear of weird people or experiences. There
has never been trouble when you are with a buddy. It is always important to never go 
alone wherever you find yourself.

Happy Hiking!

Disney DVD Replacements

If you have children I am certain that you also have some scratched or damaged Disney movies...am I right? Well, get this...

I just found out that Disney will replace any scratched or damaged Disney DVD for $6.95. How cool is that? That includes shipping! If you have Blue-Ray then it is a bit more expensive at $8.95 per disk. All you have to do is click here and fill out the replacement form, write a check and mail it in with the damaged disk. In about 2 weeks you will receive a brand new replacement disk.

I love that Disney offers such a great service. We have several DVD's that need replacing so I am going to get right on that. My kids will be so happy to get Cars back:)

Thanks Disney!

Utah's FREE Activities in July 2012

As July approaches I wanted to get an early calendar of events out. I will add new posts as I learn of new activities.

Let's start with the....

*FREE Movies in the Park:

SLC Friday Night Flicks

Sundance Institute Summer Series at Red Butte Garden on Wednesdays

Utah State Capitol Movies Under The Stars

Cottonwood Heights Movie in the Park - July 13, Bywater Park

Draper Ampitheater Outdoor Family Movies July 19

Sandy City Movies in the Park July 11, July 25

Riverton Movies in the Park July 20

West Jordan Summer Movie Series June 15
Springville City Movies in the Park July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Concerts in the Park
Mapleton Concerts in the Park July 7, 14, 21, 28 at the City Park

Brigham Young Historic Park Concerts in the Park every Tuesday and Friday
The Homestead Resort Saturday Night Concert Series 7pm

And now *FREE events:

The Homestead Resort Friday Night Cowboy Campfire 8:30pm Fridays

Big Cottonwood Canyon Parade July 4 - 11:00am 

Cove Fort Historical Site 8am-sunset

*Free Skating Classes every Saturday @Hollywood Connection 11am-12

*Home Depot's Kids Workshop July 7, first Saturday of the month 9-noon
*FREE Natural History Museum Day July 9 (purchase tickets July 3 @ noon)

*Springville Museum of Art Family Night July 2, 6-8pm the first Monday night of every month.
*Garden Tours on Temple Square Call (801) 240-5916 for scheduling

*Utah Museum of Fine Arts SLC, July 5,  FREE Admission Day

Natural History Museum presents *Science Movie Night July 10, SLC Library

 *Art Activity for Families: July 21 Speed Family Day, 1pm Utah Museum of Fine Arts
*Temple Square Free Events - all throughout July just click for calendar
Firework Extravaganza, Mapleton at Ira Allen Park 1600 So. 800 W.

*Lowe's Build and Grow July 14-15, July 28-29 must register 2-4 weeks prior

*Unbound, A Book Club for Art Lovers  Springville Art Museum July 25, 7-8pm

Maple Canyon Hike

Maple Canyon is a beautiful little canyon located in Mapleton, Utah. The trailhead begins above Whiting campground.

From I-15, take Springville exit 260. Head east 2 miles to the intersection of Main Street and 400 South. Turn right on Main Street, staying in the right lane toward Highway 89/Price. Continue 2.3 miles to Maple Street. Turn left on Maple Street/State Highway 147 for .9 miles to Main Street in Mapleton. Turn left on Main Street, then right on 400 North. Drive east on 400 North for 2.7 miles to the campground. Continue on the road as it winds through the campground to the parking lot. The trailhead is at the far end of the parking lot and is marked with a sign.

This trail allow dogs and horses. It is quite shady so it works well on a hot day. Stay on the main trail. There is no destination here, but kids love it and there are many places to stop and have your lunch on a log or in a small clearing. You can go as far as you want to before turning around.

This trail is open to horses, motorcycles and mountain bikes. We trail run this trail sometimes.

 

This is the trail marker to go to Spanish Fork Peak. It is found across the river on the right side of the trail. It is 5 miles to hike up to the peak. We stayed on the main trail for today and will do the peak another day.

 

 

Happy Hiking!

The Best Fireworks in Utah...HONEST!

The BEST fireworks in the state..not kidding! I debated giving away our little secret because then everyone would show up....I decided oh well, the more the merrier :) 

The last 2 years we have attended this fireworks display and quickly decided that we would make it an annual tradition. I didn't expect much the first year and I was BLOWN away. They seemed to keep going and going. The finale was incredible!

Here's our secret: Mapleton City has the best 24th of July Fireworks display! Click here to see the newsletter mentioning the fireworks. The firework extravaganza can be seen at Ira Allen Park which is located just south of 1600 South and about 800 West.

Along with fireworks they have live music, a great ping pong ball drop for the kids (winners receive bikes...last year my youngest won. It was the highlight for him) and food. Bring your blankets or chairs and find a piece of grass. There isn't one area better than the others...that is how great this display is.

Trapnell Orthodontics owns the company that put the show on and I want to say THANKS! It is fantastic. I love it, my husband loves it, my kids love it and my parents love it. Try it out and see what you think.

With the fire danger so devastating this year, we will not be lighting any of our own fireworks...we have a responsibility to know when to be cautious. I think that time is now. Organized, professional fireworks are much less likely to go awry or start a fire.

I Love Utah! Gorgeous!

This is why I love living in Utah. 

No explanation needed :)

This hike is located up the left fork of Hobble Creek Canyon in an area known as Whitemore. To access it, you have to know the land owners as it starts on private property...so we happen to be lucky enough to be friends with them. 

It is roughly a mile or so to the first lake. If we would have gone on, there are 4 more lakes beyond this one. The lakes are accessible from the other side of the mountain.

Stewart Falls Hike

Yesterday I took the kids and those in my hiking group to Stewart Falls. Our hiking group consists of mothers and children...and occasionally our husbands:) I started this group to help others who want to get out and hike but don't know where to go, who may be scared to go alone or who may not have enough experience to do it on their own with children. It has been fun so far. Take a look at what we saw:

Stewart Falls is located up Provo Canyon above Sundance Ski Resort. To get to Provo Canyon, from I-15 take the 800 North exit in Orem and drive East until you get to the mouth of the canyon. Drive 9 miles up the canyon to the Sundance turn-off. Turn left and drive up the canyon past Sundance and Aspen Grove until you come to the pay booth. (Remember that this canyon has a $6 per day use fee or you can use/purchase a National Parks Pass which is $80 for the year). After the pay booth pull into the first parking lot on the left side of the road. There are 2 trailheads leaving from this parking lot. To access Stewart Falls you need to be on the trail that leaves near the bathroom and be sure you stay to the left...do not go on any of the spur/side trails as this will take you up Mt. Timpanogos.

 The trail is approximately 2 miles one way...4 miles round trip. I love this trail because it isn't too difficult for my children and the first half of the hike is in the shade of the trees.

The first time I did this hike carrying my child in a baby backpack was more difficult...just FYI. Along the way we saw a tree that had been marked by a bear and the kids thought that was great. There are several geocaches hidden along the way.

Stay with your children as you get towards the end of the trail. There is an outcropping of rocks towards the end that my friends boys and my youngest decided to climb...as they were a bit ahead of us. The other side is a drop-off of about 40 feet. As you reach the outcropping, the trail continues down to the left to the waterfall where the kids can cool off.

This is a great family hike.

My son had a self-carved walking stick and hand-carved whistle that we set down while we were in the water...someone walked off with them. He was so upset because of the time it took for him to make it. We like to assume that the person didn't know or didn't see his name engraved on the stick....just putting it out there because you never know if someone may find it:)

Happy Hiking!

Utah Rodeos 2012

One thing my family can attest to is that I LOVE cowboys and rodeos. This time of year it is always so fun to take the kids to the rodeo. My favorite event?... Bull Riding! Here are some local Utah rodeos to get you going.  Yee-haw!

July 3-4 - Tooele Bit & Spur 4th of July RMPRA Rodeo, Tooele
July 3 - Salina Rodeo, Salina
July 3 - Plymouth IMPRA Rodeo, Plymouth
July 4 -7 - Western Stampede Rodeo, West Jordan
July 4 -7 - Oakley Rodeo, Oakley
July 12-14 - Ute Stampede Rodeo, Nephi
July 12-14 - Dinosaur Round-up Rodeo, Vernal
July 23 week - Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo, Ogden
July 20-24 - Fiesta Days Rodeo, Spanish Fork
July 24 - PCBRA Rodeo, Enterprise
July 24 - RMPRA Rodeo, Ogden
July 19-24 - Days of 47, West Valley
July 30 - PCBRA Rodeo, Tooele


August 2-3 - Deseret Peak Stampede Rodeo, Tooele
August 11 - The Moab Bull Challenge, Moab
August 15-16 - Davis County PRCA Rodeo, Layton


If I missed any...please leave a message and I'll add it ASAP.

Don't forget your cowboy hats.

FREE Utah Activities for Families June 2012

Here are some more FREE activities to add to your calendar for the last week of June:

June 26 - Storytelling: Terrific Tuesday at the Gale Center 6pm.

June 27 - Deer Valley Community Concert Series.

June 26-30 - The Mormon Miracle Pageant. Play begins at 9:30. Outdoors.

June 29 - Friday Night Family Flicks at Snowbird. Showing ET. Starts at dusk 8-9pm.

June 29 - Bountiful Concert in the Park. 7 - 8:30pm 400 No. 200 W. Crossroads band.

June 30 - Cool Air Concert Series at Snowbird. Music starts at 6pm on the Plaza Deck.

June 30 - Art on the Lawn.Cache Valley 

Brighton Silver Lake Boardwalk

View of Silver Lake from the Twin Lakes trail

Silver Lake boasts a fantastic boardwalk around the lake. It is accessible for strollers, the elderly and wheelchairs. It is easy for small children and adults who don't necessarily like to hike. The visitors center there is always a highlight of the trip for my 3 boys. They have binoculars to view the wildlife, a "guess who's poop I am" game, a huge old tree with historical markers on the coordinating tree ring and much more.

 As you stroll around the lake there are numerous wildflowers to find and identify, a "climbing wall" that the kids love, a fishing dock (fly fishing is the best and the lake is usually stocked by the 4th of July) and many forms of wildlife. As a family we have seen many Moose around the lake. Beware not to get too close. Moose can be dangerous. Always view them from a distance and NEVER get between a mom and her baby. We have seen deer, bucks, fox and badgers.

Just head up Big Cottonwood Canyon towards Brighton Ski Resort. At the top of the canyon head right around the circle as if going to Brighton and pull into the parking lot for the Solitude Nordic Center. It is the first right on the circle. Park and you will find the boardwalk on the north side of the visitors center.

If fishing, be aware that you may not get into the water as it is a watershed area unless you have waders. Dogs are not allowed or tolerated in this canyon. There are several geo-caches hidden along the way if you enjoy geocaching as much as we do.

The hike around the lake takes approximately 30 minutes, but most will stay longer to enjoy the beautiful area. Picnic tables can be found to both the south and north of the visitors center. Pack a lunch or dinner and have a picnic while you are there.

Lake Solitude Hike

Lake Solitude is an easy hike that our young children have enjoyed multiple times. We hiked it again today. Saturdays are always busy in Big Cottonwood Canyon and today we saw a number of people along our hike. On a typical weekday there are very few people making it even better.

Getting there is simple. Just head up Big Cottonwood Canyon towards Brighton Ski Resort. At the top of the canyon head right around the circle as if going to Brighton and pull into the parking lot for the Solitude Nordic Center. It is the first right on the circle.

From the visitor center head out to the boardwalk and take the counter clockwise direction around the lake. 

You will come to a fork in the trail. If you go left you will continue around the lake. To get to Lake Solitude go straight. 

Follow this trail 1.1 miles to reach the lake. Beware that this is also open to mountain bikers coming from Solitude.

We always pack a lunch and eat by the lake. It is beautiful up there and is easy for children to hike as well as for adults to carry a child in a backpack. This is an out and back trail.

Happy Hiking!

Make a Jedi Robe

How to Make a Jedi Robe

Last Halloween my children decided they wanted to be Jedi. I looked and looked for an easy way to make them and found these great instructions. I had never made anything resembling clothing before so patterns from the store were out of the question (too complicated). When you make your robe, think of it as a Mexican poncho that goes over your head, rests on your shoulders and happens to be sewn up the sides to make sleeves.

The Jedi Robe Buy some extra wide brown polyester fabric. 72" wide (or however wide your arms are stretched out). You will need a lot. Buy a whole bolt of it. Go to Wal-Mart. I got my fabric there from a bargain bin for $2/yard. If you can't find fabric wide enough, you will have to add extensions to the sleeves.

Figure out how tall you are at the shoulder. Double that number and cut that much fabric off of the bolt. If you are 5 feet tall (60") at the shoulder, cut 10 feet (120") off of the bolt.
Spread the fabric out on the floor folding it over on itself width-wise.
Lay down on the fabric with your arms stretched out and your shoulders at the fold in the fabric. Have someone trace around you. Don't trace too close to the body or else the robe will not flow right.
Pin the two layers of fabric together along the trace line.
Cut the traced shape out of the fabric about an inch outside of the trace line.
Sew along the trace lines.
Turn the robe inside out.
Make the front opening of the robe by cutting a line straight up the middle of the front of the robe to the shoulder fold. Make sure you only cut up the front of the robe.
Try the robe on to make sure the measurements are OK.
Hem the edges along the bottom of the robe, the ends of the sleeves, and the edges of the front opening. If you don't hem these edges, your robe will look really cheap and you will end up with a lot of little threads all over the house.

The Jedi Robe Hood
This part was a little tricky to figure out. It took a few paper mock-ups to figure out how to make a hood shape. In the end, it was simple: one rectangular piece of fabric, folded in half, with one side stitched up.
Cut a 1 foot by 2 foot rectangle of fabric.
Fold it in half to make a 1 foot square piece of fabric.
Sew one edge from the fold to the end.
Turn the hood inside out.
Attach the Hood to the Robe
Prepare the robe by cutting a 6 inch circular neck hole out of the robe centered around the top of the front slit. Discard the circular piece of fabric. The hood will be sewn to the circular hole you just cut.
Align the seam you stitched up the back of the hood to the center of the back on the neck hole.
Sew the two ends of the hood rectangle to the left and right sides of the neck hole. Depending on how big you made the neck hole, the edge of the hood may be too big for the neck hole. If this happens, just put a couple of pleats in when you attach the hood.
Hem the front edge of the hood.
The hood will look WAY too big, but that is how the Jedi robe hoods are.

The Inner Tunic

One thing that is characteristic of the Jedi wardrobe is the presence of a v-neck. This tunic will provide the appearance of a Jedi v-neck.
Start off with 3 pieces of tan fabric from a 60" bolt. They will make up the right and left side of the Jedi tunic and a belt to hold the tunic to your body.
You will have two pieces that go over each shoulder and cross at the waist in the front and the back.
Iron a small fold near the inner edge of each piece to give the appearance of multiple layers. I sewed my fold in place to make sure it stayed.
Put the two pieces of the tunic on and have someone position and pin them together when you get the desired "V" shape. Repeat for the back.
Sew the two pieces together at the waist so they don't come apart when you are wearing the tunic.
Put on the belt and place it over the stitch you made to hold the two pieces of the tunic together. Tie it in the back so you have sort of a cummerbund in the front.
Notes

We found that the bottom of the robe was too long at the sides (because shoulders slope down from the neck). Before we hemmed the bottom, we trimmed it making it curve up at the sides so the body of the robe was more bell shaped.
If you are making more than one robe, use the first robe as a pattern and just trace it on the fabric for the second, third, fourth... robes.
Unless you are entering a fashion show, don't worry about the robe being perfect. We were going to a big outdoor Halloween festival at night so we just wanted the suggestion of a Jedi robe. We had normal clothes on underneath.
Use a safety pin under your chin to fasten the robe shut. (If you didn't hem the edges, the safety pin will unravel the robe.)
Make sure you have a light saber to go with your robe. Otherwise you will look like a monk.
A fan wrote in to say that he used a heavy, flat bedsheet (king size) instead of extra wide fabric. Great idea!

Instructions found at http://www.degraeve.com/jedirobe/. Thanks for the great idea...

"it's a cinch"

Red Lake Hike Nebo Loop

Payson Canyon boasts many hiking trails. One of these hikes is the Red Lake Hike. This hike is 1.75 miles one way and is an incline the majority of the way. My son, age 5, completed the hike by himself. He was very tired by the time we reached the lake. The lake is nestled up in the mountains and we were able to find a couple of places to camp around the lake. Be sure to take plenty of water, snacks and sunscreen.

The trail begins on a nice trail that winds through the maple trees. After descending a bit and crossing a river with the strategically placed plank, the trail once again inclines. You will soon notice where the pipeline was laid into place. Follow it to the right until the trail becomes visible again on the left. You will know you are on the right track if you pass the remains of an old car. The trail continues on through aspens and conifers and eventually to red lake.

The Stats:

sits at 6972 feet

3.5 miles round trip

GPS coordinates:

Degrees Minutes Seconds:
Latitude: 39-56'44'' N
Longitude: 111-42'30'' W

Decimal Degrees:
Latitude: 39.9455111
Longitude: -111.7082613

To Get There: get off I-15 at Payson Exit 254, turn south onto Payson Main Street (State Route 77). Continue south until Main Street meets 100 North. Turn left and travel east to 600 East, then turn right, and follow this road south to the entrance to Payson Canyon and the beginning of the Nebo Scenic Loop. Continue up the canyon turning off at Maple Bench and drive past the campground. Take the first left on the gravel road and park near the restrooms. The trail skirts the fence.

The Venus Transit

Day 7 of Summer Fun

Did you know that this Tuesday, June 5, 2012 a once in a lifetime phenomena is going to take place? It is called the Venus Transit.  (Click on the link for more info) The Venus Transit occurs when Venus passes the face of the sun and with special glasses or telescopes we can see it. It will only happen once in your lifetime. The next scheduled transit is in 2117.

It begins Tuesday at 3pm and goes until 9pm. No. you cannot look at the sun without special glasses or you will damage your eyes. Did you get some glasses to see the eclipse 2 weeks ago? Those are the glasses you will need. BYU was handing glasses out and may still have some if you are in need of a pair.

If you live close to the Utah Natural History Museum, drop by for a look-see. They will have telescopes set up and you can enter for a chance to win one.

We are watching the Transit from the comfort of our own yard, but we won't miss this opportunity to see it.
             
Slooth Space Camera will provide a live broadcast from worldwide sites we can view online at

www.slooh.com

Happy viewing!

Utah's FREE Activities in June 2012

Look at all the GREAT things I found to do here is Utah in June! And best of all...they are FREE! Yipee.

Let's start with the....

*FREE Movies in the Park:

SLC Friday Night Flicks

Sundance Institute Summer Series at Red Butte Garden on Wednesdays

Utah State Capitol Movies Under The Stars

Cottonwood Heights Movie in the Park - June 15, Bywater Park

Draper Ampitheater Outdoor Family Movies June 15

Herriman Cinema in the Park June 8

Sandy City Movies in the Park June 6, June 20

Riverton Movies in the Park June 15

West Jordan Summer Movie Series June 15

And now *FREE events:

*Home Depot's Kids Workshop June 2, first Saturday of the month 9-noon
*Temple Square Performances
Brigham Young Historic Park *Concerts in the Park every Tuesday and Friday
*Art City Days Festival Springville, June 2-June 9

*Saratoga Splash Saratoga Springs, June 2-9

*Springville Museum of Art Family Night June 4, 6-8pm and the first Monday night of every month.
once in a lifetime event *Transit of Venus Natural History Museum June 5, 3-9pm
*Garden Tours on Temple Square Call (801) 240-5916 for scheduling

*Utah Museum of Fine Arts SLC, June 6,  FREE Admission Day

Springville Museum of Art *Children's Art Festival SLC, June 8, 10-2pm

FREE *Get Outdoors Day all National Parks, June 9
Natural History Museum presents *Science Movie Night June 12, SLC Library

*Crafternoon June 14, 10-2pm,  Springville Art Museum
*South Jordan Country Fest June 14-16
*Gateway Chalk Art Festival June 15-16
Canyon Rim Park *Venture Outdoor Festival June 16

 *Art Activity for Families: Ancient Jewelry, June 16, 1-4pm Utah Museum of Fine Arts
Pleasant Grove *Strawberry Days  June 17-24
*Bells on Temple Square - Summer Celebrations June 22

*Icelandic Festival Spanish Fork, June 22-24 at the city park (49 South Main Street)

*Lowe's Build and Grow June 23-24, must register 2-4 weeks prior

*Unbound, A Book Club for Art Lovers  Springville Art Museum June 27, 7-8pm

American West Symphony and Chorus *Pops Concert Sandy Ampitheater, 8pm

As always, check your local library for free events and story times.

Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Program...earn a FREE book.

If you have the Pass of All Passes:
Tracy Aviary every Monday of the month is FREE
BYU Men's Soccer Games on: June 5, 15, 16, 22 and 23
SL Bees Game June 12
Rocky Mountain Raceway June 8 for Moto Cross

The Grotto Hike

Day 6 of Summer Fun -

Gorgeous Falls with easy access

The Grotto is the next stop for us on our  

Summer Fun Family Tour. 

The grotto is a short hike in Payson canyon that is only .6 miles long and ends at a waterfall with an area for the kids to play in. In Springtime, the runoff will be higher than in the fall. Visiting the Grotto with children after a particularly wet winter would be wisest in the fall months when the runoff is lower. Where we had a low amount of moisture this past winter we are going in late spring.

Trail sign off the side of the road

The trail head starts here

A 2 year old hiked to the Grotto

Logs to navigate around the water

To reach the Grotto Trail: get off I-15 at Payson Exit 254, turn south onto Payson Main Street (State Route 77). Continue south until Main Street meets 100 North. Turn left and travel east to 600 East, then turn right, and follow this road south to the entrance to Payson Canyon and the beginning of the Nebo Scenic Loop. The trailhead is roughly 7 miles up on the left side of the road. Be cautious as this is a popular bicycle canyon.

Remember to Share the Road :)

Bring the kids swimming suits and shoes they can get wet. The kids will love this adventure and have a great time playing in the water. Plan on at least 45 minutes or longer if the kids want to play more.

Timpanogos Cave Hike

Day 5 of Summer Fun  -

After having a work day on Thursday my husband took the kids to visit Timpanogos Cave in American Fork Canyon the next day. If you have never been there before here are driving directions:

From I-15: If you are arriving from the north or south on Interstate 15 take Exit 284 (Alpine-Highland exit), then turn east on State Highway 92 and proceed ten miles (16km) to the monument.

From U.S. 40 or U.S. 189: If you are arriving from Heber City or Provo Canyon traveling on U.S. 40 or U.S. 189, take State Highway 92, passing by Sundance Resort and over the mountainous scenic route known as the Alpine Scenic Loop. Because of the narrow and winding road, buses and large vehicles over thirty feet are not allowed to travel on the Alpine Scenic Loop. The Alpine Scenic Loop is closed during the winter.

Hints for visiting the cave:
1. Call ahead to get your tickets. They are 50 cents more expensive to call, but it is worth making sure you will have tickets when you arrive. The cave is often times sold out. To purchase advance cave tour tickets, call (801) 756-5238 during the hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Please remember that anyone under 16 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.

Cave Tour Fees

Adults (age 16 and older) - $7.00

Junior (age 6-15)             - $5.00

Child  (age 3-5)               - $3.00

Infant (age 0-2)               - Free!

Senior/Access (Golden Age/Access) pass holders - 1/2 price

2. Bring plenty of water. The hike is 1 1/2 miles on a paved trail. It is a steep trail and gets very hot. Take more water than you would normally think necessary. My kids do the very best when they have their own camelback or hydration system that they carry with them. Our packs have a spot for snacks as well.

3. Strollers and wheelchairs are not allowed on the trail due to the steepness.

4. Backpacks must be left outside the cave when going on the tour. If you have a child carrier, that must be left outside and you will have to carry the child through the cave.

5. Cave tours are 45-60 minutes long.

6. There is a $6 fee for entering the canyon or you can buy a year long pass that gets you into all the national parks.  The yearly pass is $80. 

7. It may get chilly inside the cave so a light jacket or sweatshirt may be needed. It is about 45 degrees inside the cave.

This is a fun experience that the kids loved. The caves are cool and feel great after the hot hike up the trail. The rangers show you all sorts of different formations and neat rooms in the cave. This is an experience not to be missed.
The trail itself has drop-offs that are potentially life threatening so be sure to keep your little ones with you and away from the edge at all times.