This is a short, fun hike for all ages, especially for those with small children. If taking a drive along the scenic Nebo Loop Road that goes from Payson, UT to Nephi, UT, be sure to spend 30 minutes and visit The Grotto.
The Grotto Hike Details
Distance – 0.6 miles roundtrip
Approximate hiking time – 30 minutes to one hour
Elevation at trailhead – 6330 feet
Elevation at The Grotto – 6489 feet
Elevation gain during hike – less than 200 feet
Difficulty – Easy
Trail – Dirt
Amount of water recommended – 1 liter
Bathrooms – None
Seasons to hike – April to early November (Depends on how soon they open the Nebo Loop Road after Winter)
Permits: None needed
How to get there:
To reach the Grotto Trail from the north, get off I-15 at Payson, Exit 254, turn left 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 about 7 miles up the road on the left. There is a parking area on the right side of the road.
To reach the trailhead from the south, I would recommend using the route above, but if you’d like to drive most of the Nebo Loop from Nephi to The Grotto, follow these directions. Get off I-15 at Exit 225 in Nephi. Once on the off-ramp, turn left and go under I-15. This is 100 N/UT-132. Stay on UT-132 for almost five miles. As the road gently curves to the right, you’ll see a road coming from the left, and a sign the says Nebo Loop. Get in the turn lane and turn left. From here, travel northeast on Salt Creek Canyon Road for 3.3 miles, and the main road will curve to the right, while another road comes in on the left. Stay on the main road, as this road is now the Nebo Scenic Loop Road. Stay on this road for 26.0 miles, and you’ll see The Grotto parking on the left, and the trailhead is just on the other side of the road.
What should you bring?
Some of my favorite hiking gear:
And here are some great hiking shoes for kids:
Hitting the Trail!
It’s not very often that the directions on how to get to the trailhead in your car, takes up more space than telling you what to expect on the trail. However, this is one of those hikes. It’s very straight forward. As you cross the road from the parking area to The Grotto trailhead, you’ll see a log fence, and that’s where you go. The trail is very well-marked and frequently used. On a few occasions, like during a weekday, I’ll have it all to myself, but on the weekends, there are always families with young children on the trail.
In recent years, they’ve made improvements to the trail by building steps and wide, flat logs to cross the shallow stream the flows from the Grotto. It’s a pleasant hike and is shaded nearly the entire way. As you approach the Grotto, you’ll see a spur trail that climbs to the left and goes up above the small waterfall. This is a great place to take pictures of The Grotto. The picture above was taken at that spot. As mentioned, during the weekends, this is a very popular hike, so remember to be considerate to other hikers. The flow of the waterfall varies during the year from a small trickle to a very powerful flow, depending on the amount of precipitation during the previous winter. The entire hike will normally take no longer than an hour, even with little children.
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The water flow varies at the Grotto depending on the season.
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