Falls are spectacular

If you haven't been to Bridal Veil Falls recently, you should really consider going. The falls is essentially a 607-foot-tall waterfall that splits into multiple cascading falls in the south end of Provo Canyon. My husband and I recently took our two toddlers for a picnic dinner.

We didn't want to make the drive to one of the canyons farther away, so we decided on the closer alternative. Neither of us had been there in many years.

We headed up 800 North in Orem to the south end of Provo Canyon. At the entrance to the trailhead, we sat at one of several tables and ate our dinner.

The picnic tables are situated between Highway 189 and the mountains. Providing a buffer between the road and the trail is the Provo River, which gushes by at a high enough speed to block the road noise. Through the tranquility of the surrounding forest of trees, we were barely aware that we were picnicking alongside a major highway. The trail is paved and a fairly easy ascent from the trailhead to the falls. My 1-year-old and 3-year-old had no difficulty walking the distance.

We passed many families, some biking, some in-line skating and some strolling.

Of course, we also passed several college students on dates, as we would have expected. We chuckled at how being in the mountains at sunset can provoke such "googley-eyedness" among those that we observed.

Coming upon the falls is a splendid sight. Although not as large, they evoke the thought of more widely recognized waterfalls like Multnomah Falls in Oregon.

The trail sits up against the chilled pool of water into which the rushing water of the falls exits before exiting into the Provo River. With temperatures being as warm as they have been, it is a refreshing treat to slip off your sandals and wade into the brisk mountain water. (I recommend wearing flip-flops as the pool has a rock bottom.)

There were many families enjoying the naturally cool waters, and the geography of the mountains provides conveniently located rocks on which to sit and relax.

We watched several older children and teenagers scale the rocks along the mountainside at the back of the waterfall. They were soaked from head to toe, demonstrating that as much or as little of the water could be perfectly enjoyable.

The descent back to the parking lot at the trailhead was quite enjoyable. It seemed to be the perfect distance to dry soggy pant legs and shoes. We, again, were able to enjoy the serene surroundings of trees and greenery as we walked alongside the rushing river. As the sun was setting, we enjoyed the singing of birds high in the treetops above us but wished we had applied more bug repellent.

Bridal Veil Falls is a perfect way to experience the majestic Utah mountains right in our own back yards.

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E-mail: msagemcnett@yahoo.com