Battle Creek Falls

Located in the foothills of the massive west face of Mount Timpanogos, Battle Creek Falls is a short hike to a 50 foot waterfall, that children of all ages will enjoy. The fact that it is only minutes away from civilization, makes it a popular destination on weekends for young families.

Battle Creek Falls Hike Details

Distance – 1.6 miles roundtrip
Approximate hiking time – 45 minutes to
Elevation at trailhead – 5221 feet
Elevation at highest point – 5671 feet
Elevation gain – 450 feet
Difficulty – Easy, however, very little shade along the trail
Trail – well maintained gravel, rock, horse and mountain bikes also use this trail
Amount of water recommended – 1 liter
Bathrooms – Vault toilets can be found in Kiwanis Park
Seasons to hike – Year-round
Permits needed – None
Pets allowed – Yes

How to get there:

There are several different ways to get to the Battle Creek Falls trailhead, all are hard to explain, becuase all require driving through residential neighborhoods. The best route is to take 200 South, also known as Battle Creek Drive, in Pleasant Grove, and follow it east until it ends at Kiwanis Park. The trail starts here. To make your way to 200 South you can take Interstate 15 to the Highland/Alpine exit and head east on the Timpanogos Highway (UT-92) for eight miles. Right before it enters American Fork Canyon, take a sharp right onto Canyon Road (UT-146). Follow this road south for five miles. It is a two lane road that will pass through Cedar Hills and north Pleasant Grove. As it proceeds south, Canyon Road will become 100 East. After traveling the five miles from the turnoff of Timpanogos Highway, you’ll arrive at the intersection of 100 East (which you’re on) and 200 South. Turn left onto 200 South and head east. You will take this road for about 2 miles until it ends at Kiwanis Park.

Coming from the south you can take the 1600 North Orem exit, and head east on it for 1.5 miles, crossing State Street. Four blocks after crossing State Street you’ll come to a peculiar 4 way stop. You will turn left here. It may be tricky because the sign on the right side of the road it says 400 West while the sign on the left side says 400 East. (1600 North is the border for Orem and Lindon.) Turn left onto 400 East and head north for 2.7 miles. Stay on this road, even when 400 East changes to 1500 East. At 2.7 miles, you’ll come to 200 South in Pleasant Grove. Turn right, and you’ll pass large water tanks right before you pull into Kiwanis Park.
(See Map at the end of this post)

Hitting the Trail!

After leaving the parking area, you’ll see that several trails head east, one goes around a closed metal gate which is just meant to keep out four wheelers. They all merge together about one hundred feet from the parking area. You will head up the gully which is a wide gravel trail. By mid May the growth along the trail is a lush green.

View of Mount Timpanogos from Battle Creek Falls trail

As the wide gravel trail goes up the canyon, you’ll see a dry wash on the left. Water from Battle Creek Falls flow into underground pipes at this point. About 0.3 miles from the parking lot you’ll begin to see the first sign of water collecting in a small pool before it enters the pipes. After another 0.2 miles, you’ll cross a footbridge and the trail begins to narrow and get a little steeper. The trail become primarily scree, which is small, flat, baseball to softball sized rocks. The will slow you down a little. The falls will come into view about 200 feet past the footbridge. From here the trail splits, one goes down to the base of Battle Creek Falls, while the other climbs to the top of Battle Creek Falls.

The mist from the falls make for a great way to cool off in the summer

Battle Creek Falls is fed by a natural spring, as well as snow melt from the west face of Mount Timpanogos. The water flow is greatest in the Spring, but runs year around. It is a great place to escape the summer heat, and the falls are usually gentle enough to stand under as well. Enjoy the cool mist from the falls while at the bottom. Battle Creek Falls received its name back from a battle between Mormon settler and Ute Indians near the present day Kiwanis Park back on March 5, 1949. Plaques are found at the park that detail the incident.

View of Battle Creek Falls from the trail that leads to the top of the falls.

After spending time at the bottom of Battle Creek Falls, I recommend hiking up to the top of the falls. Follow the trail another 100 feet past Battle Creek Falls, and you’ll see a small 10 foot cascade. The trail continues to past the cascade all the way up to the Great Western Trail, which runs along the base of Mount Timpanogos, and goes from Canada to Mexico.

When you’re ready to head back to the car, just retrace your steps back down the trail. Remember to take your time while descending the scree on the trail. You’ll find that it is a lot easier to slip on the scree going downhill as opposed to uphill.

What should you bring?