American Fork Canyon is a canyon in the
Wasatch Mountains
The Wasatch Range ( ) or Wasatch Mountains is a mountain range in the western United States that runs about from the Utah-Idaho border south to central Utah. It is the western edge of the greater Rocky Mountains, and the eastern edge of the G ...
of
Utah
Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
. The canyon is famous for the
Timpanogos Cave National Monument
Timpanogos Cave National Monument is a United States National Monument protecting the Timpanogos Cave Historic District and a
cave system on Mount Timpanogos in American Fork Canyon in the Wasatch Range, near Highland, Utah, in the United States. ...
, which resides on its south side. It is named after the
American Fork River
The American Fork (commonly known as the American Fork River) is a river in Utah County, Utah, United States.
Description
The river rises at the mouth of American Fork Canyon in the Wasatch Mountains about southeast of Salt Lake City. The unnam ...
, which runs through the bottom of the canyon.
The area is accessed by
State Route 92, through what is officially called the "Alpine Loop Scenic Byway." Visitors entering American Fork Canyon from the west can follow SR-92 up the canyon to the summit of the Alpine Loop, down the east side of
Mount Timpanogos
Mount Timpanogos, often referred to as Timp, is the second-highest mountain in Utah's Wasatch Range. Timpanogos rises to an elevation of above sea level in the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. With of topographic prominence, Timpanogos is ...
, past
Sundance Ski Resort and then out into
Provo Canyon to the south. Spurs off SR-92 take visitors to Tibble Fork Reservoir and Cascade Springs. A well-maintained gravel road continues east from Cascade Springs to
Midway.
This area is home to many hiking, biking, and equestrian trails with several established campgrounds. Tibble Fork Reservoir and Silver Lake Flats Reservoir are popular camping and fishing spots in the summer as well as offering excellent snowmobiling, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and backcountry skiing during the winter months.
Recreation Fee Demonstration Project
American Fork Canyon is part of the Recreation Fee Demonstration Project. The fees collected at the entrance stations remain in the area to improve visitor services, maintain recreation facilities, enhance wildlife habitat, and protect natural resources.
As of July 2019, fees for the canyon are as follows:
* $6.00 per vehicle for three days
* $12.00 per vehicle for seven days
* $45.00 per vehicle for an annual pass
The access passes for the Alpine Scenic Loop are transferable to the
Mirror Lake Recreation Corridor.
Beginning in 2013, visitors going just to Timpanogos Cave National Monument are not required to pay the entrance fee to the canyon (unless other recreational facilities are also utilized).
American Fork Canyon Camping sites
* Altamont
* Granite Flat
* Holman Flat
* Little Mill
* Mount Timpanogos
* North Mill
* Salamander Flat
* Theatre-in-the-Pines
* Timpooneke
See also
*
List of canyons and gorges in Utah
This is a partial list of canyons in the U.S. state of Utah along with any rivers, roads, and other features (such as rail lines) that pass through them.
See also
External links
{{Utah
Canyons and gorges of Utah,
Lists of landforms ...
References
External links
American Fork Canyon, MSS P 406at
L. Tom Perry Special Collections
The L. Tom Perry Special Collections is the special collections department of Brigham Young University (BYU)'s Harold B. Lee Library in Provo, Utah. Founded in 1957 with 1,000 books and 50 manuscript collections, as of 2016 the Library's special ...
,
Harold B. Lee Library
The Harold B. Lee Library (HBLL) is the main academic library of Brigham Young University (BYU) located in Provo, Utah. The library started as a small collection of books in the president's office in 1876 before moving in 1891. The Heber J. Gran ...
,
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-d ...
Canyons and gorges of Utah
Canyons and gorges of Utah County, Utah
Wasatch Front
Tourist attractions in Utah County, Utah
Wasatch-Cache National Forest
Wasatch Range
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