A sad day for myself, my friends, and Winter. The hike to Primrose Overlook was my last hike in Utah before I left for my next big adventure across the country. But that did not stop us all from having a great time! The loop route is listed in All Trails at 3.6 miles following Horse Flat Trail and Lame Horse Trail with less than 1,000 feet of elevation gain. We completed the route counterclockwise, which is 100% the way to go. Check out our experience below! *We tracked the hike closer to 4.2 miles, so as always take the all trails distances with a grain of salt.
Primrose Overlook
We got a bit of a late start for a Saturday hike, but once we hit the trail we were happy campers. The trail is really moderate with gradual elevation gain throughout the majority of the trail until you break off the loop to go to Primrose Overlook. The trail winds through several meadows that all 5 dogs loved running around in. Yes, you read that right, 5 dogs with 3 owners on this hike! We might be a bit crazy, but we do love our dogs.
In addition to the beautiful meadows, the aspen groves provided the perfect amount of shade on this sunny day as well. The trail is really straight forward and easy to follow. After about one mile you get to the split in the trail that takes you to Primrose Overlook. The trail immediately gets steep, but soon reveals amazing views of Mt. Timpanogos and the trail from Aspen Grove to the summit. We could even see the waterfalls along the Mt. Timpanogos trail we had previously hiked to, check out that blog post here!
We spent around 30 minutes taking in the views at Primrose Overlook and talking about what a great easy fall hike this trail would make. Then it was back down the trail to find Hidden Pond. But first we need to talk about the 10 minutes we lost of the dogs *face palm*. It turned out the silly boy could not figure out how to jump back over a fallen tree or how to go around the tree after chasing the other pups to a small leftover patch of snow.
We found the Hidden Pond and let the dogs go for a swim! After all dirty dogs are happy dogs. During the summer algae blooms would be a concern, but it had not yet gotten hot enough yet.
The rest of the hike was through aspen groves, all downhill, back to the trail head. Everything was green and lush, and overall it was probably one of my favorite hikes. Definitely a great last hoorah! I could not have asked for a better end to my time in Utah.
Before you go
The section of American Fork Canyon where this trailhead is located is also known as the Alpine Scenic Byway, which is a gorgeous drive, no matter the season. A few considerations though:
- There was limited parking at the Summit Trailhead. We had to get creative to park.
- Some parking is available in pullouts along the main road of American Fork Canyon but still limited.
- This trailhead is past the American Fork Canyon winter gates and therefore closed 6 + months out of the year.
While there are plenty of winter sports out there, this area is particularly high risk for avalanches. There was evidence of several from the winter season on the slope faces around Primrose overlook and throughout the hike. Always recreate in the winter with caution!
American Fork Canyon is a National Forest Service Fee area. For America the Beautiful Parks Pass holders, your parks pass is valid to use in American Fork Canyon. If you dont have the parks pass, you can stop at the pay station at the canyon entrances OR pay your day use fee via one of the many self-service pay stations throughout American Fork Canyon. It is a $6 day use fee and is valid for 3 days, just like many other national forests around the country.
Enjoying all our hiking adventures? Check out more on the archives page or use the drop downs to look for specific things. Thanks for reading along Winter and My adventures.
thank you for the article