Battle Creek to Grove Creek - 8.5

This is definitely a top 10 trail in Utah County.  The trail starts at the end of 200 South in Pleasant Grove (South of the "G"on the mountain), and follows Battle Creek up the canyon. There is an amazing waterfall just a half mile up this trail. The waterfall is a popular destination for hikers, and most turn around there.

After the waterfall, the trail continues a very steep ascent and tops out at the base of Utah County's majestic Mount Timpanogos.  From there, take a left and run a little more than a mile through the beautiful meadows on the back side of G Mountain.  Then take a left at "Indian Campground" and head down Grove Creek Canyon.  Note: there is a great spring at Indian Campground to fill up your water bottles.  Follow the Bonneville Shoreline Trail from the base of Grove Creek to back to the Battle Creek Trailhead to complete the loop.

click here to see the course on Mapmyrun.com


 Battle Creek - above the falls
 Beautiful view of Utah Lake at sunrise (Looking west)
West side of Timp - Someone from the shelter on top of Timp yelled at us as we ran through the spectacular meadow. They must have started their hike very early.
We couldn't help stopping several times for pictures.


At times, the grass and weeds were taller than us.  Because of a major rainstorm the day before, it was very wet.  We were soaked by the end.

 Trail sign at the top of Battle Creek










This area is accessible via American Fork Canyon with 4-wheel drive.  We came upon a parked jeep with two people watching for deer.  I felt bad that we chased away all of their deer.  I'm pretty certain we saw more than they did.


  Top of Grove Creek

 Grove Creek Spring at Indian Campground (top of Grove Creek) - This would be a fantastic place to camp.




 Interestingly, Grove Creek is very different that Battle Creek. We ran through tall pines and along rocky ledges in Grove Creek.
 This was a cool memorial half way down Grove Creek.
Here is an amazing panoramic view from the Les Case Memorial Bench

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hidden Oak Trail - Above Spanish Fork Reservoir

Image
On a 93 degree day, this trail was the perfect choice.  The Hidden Oak Trail (also known as Snell Canyon) starts at the end of the road just east of Spanish Oaks Reservoir. Most of the trail is through thick oak and pine trees, so it is very shaded.  Bring your bug spray as there were a lot of flies and gnats, particularly the first half mile. It's only 1.25 miles to the overlook , but it feels further because of the climb.  From that point the trail gradually starts to disappear in the tall grass and shrubs, though many people will bushwhack much further up Snell Canyon. Highlight: playing with a spotted fawn who kept running up the trail and then waiting for me to catch up.  The trail is a gradual climb until just over one mile, at which point there are two steep switch backs leading to an amazing view of the Spanish Fork City and River Bottoms.   Other fun trails in this area include: Look Out Point, Escalante Cross, and Red Knoll
Read more

Look Out Point - Above Spanish Oaks Reservoir

Image
As you can see on the map below, there is a whole network of trails in this area.  I had fun exploring the trails, and ultimately making it to Outlook Point - overlooking all of Spanish Fork.  This is a fun place to run or hike.  You can pick your distance and destination.   Interestingly, this was a third option.  Originally, I met Brian at Maple Canyon at 5:00 AM.  We had planned to run from Kirkman Hollow to Maple Canyon, but a rain storm convinced us to try another trail.  After driving for a few minutes toward Provo Canyon, where the skies looked clear, I realized I had forgotten my work clothes.  So I flipped around and did this short run closer to home instead.
Read more

Tower Mountain (Water Canyon to Dixon Peak)

Image
This was a killer climb, and very rocky. 966 ft. in the first mile alone.  4,082 ft. overall elevation gain. The front of the mountain looks a little dry, especially during the current drought.  But by mile four, we were running through luscious green trees, and bushes with red berries and yellow flowers.  I was joined by Matt Seeley and Garritt Page. Garritt is the brother of Lalena Page, a former college teammate of mine. Matt and Garritt were mountain goats on the uphill. Pics below are out of order, but you can see exactly where they were taken on Strava . Coordinates to the trailhead: 40.039171596858544, -111.63391146714346
Read more