I had initially planned to wake up early and hike on the day I tackled Scout Falls. But I ended up sleeping in a going later in the day, which worked out perfectly, minus the heat. This hike is located in American Fork Canyon at the Timpooneke Trail Head. The trail continues past Scout Falls to the summit of Mt. Timpanogos. All Trails lists the hike at just under 3 miles round trip with about 800 feet of elevation gain.
Scout Falls
The hike was half shaded and half exposed mid-day when Winter and I decided to go. Along the way I probably dumped about half my water on Winter to make sure she stayed cool. If you can start earlier in the day I would recommend it. There were a few water features along the trail but by August they are typically dried up. Even when we hiked the water flow was very low. Even without a ton of surface water present, the wildflowers were out in full bloom. This made the already gorgeous scenery even better. This section of the trial is can get crowded, especially on weekends. There is a mix of backpackers and day use hikers summitting Mt Timpanogos. Then there are the people like me, just hiking to Scout Falls and heading back down. This lower section of the trail to Scout Falls and back is easy.
Word of warning – make sure you don’t miss the turn off for Scout Falls. I added a little extra distance to my day because I missed the detour from the main trail. After you climb up some tree roots and get around a corner Scout Falls is in full view. The water is super refreshing and the alcove that hold the falls was much cooler than the trail. Winter and I hung out, enjoying the waterfall and the views looking out from the waterfall for about 30 minutes before heading back down the trail and heading home. It was a short day, but a great little adventure with my favorite adventure buddy.
Before you go
This section of American Fork Canyon is not accessible in the Winter Season. The winter gate in American Fork Canyon is just past the Pine Hollow trail head. On a side note, the Pine Hollow Trail in the winter can offer some great snow shoeing. The trail head parking lot for the Timpanooeke Trail is well maintained and large. It still fills up quickly in the mornings, and especially on the weekends. The trial head has a restroom and potable water source, and a Timpanogos Emergency Response Team (TERT) station. The TERT stations are maned on the weekends during the summer season.
American Fork Canyon used to honor the interagency/national parks annual passes. Unfortunately, this is no longer the case. American Fork Canyon is managed by the National Forest Service and has a $6 day-use fee. Another option is a $45 annual pass specific to the canyon, similar to Mill Creek Canyon. All the trails in American Fork Canyon are dog friendly and off leash (except those within the Timpanogos Cave National Monument).
Enjoying all of Winter and my adventures? Check out more hiking and trips we have taken on our archives page! And more hikes across Utah are also featured here! Other hikes in American Fork Canyon we have completed previously include the highly trafficked Stewart Falls Hike and a section of the Timpanogos Trail from Aspen Grove.
Great climb up the tree roots…Nice to see Winter on the trail with you.
She always has the best time hiking!