Bridal Veil Falls is a double cataract

waterfall A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf. Waterfalls can be formed in several wa ...

in the south end of

Provo Canyon Provo Canyon is located in unincorporated Utah County and Wasatch County, Utah. Provo Canyon runs between Mount Timpanogos on the north and Mount Cascade on the south. The canyon extends from Orem on the west end to Heber City on the east. Provo ...

, close to US189 in

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 it ...

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 primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Battle Creek Falls is on the same mountain side, approximately 10 miles north of Bridal Veil Falls.

History

*An

aerial tramway An aerial tramway, sky tram, cable car, ropeway, aerial tram, telepherique, or seilbahn is a type of aerial lift which uses one or two stationary ropes for support while a third moving rope provides propulsion. With this form of lift, the grip ...

service to the top of the falls was built in 1961, and the small, six-passenger tramway functioned as a recreational attraction and as the only access to the mountaintop Eagle's Nest Lodge and restaurant, situated on a cliff at the top of the falls and built by Groneman Construction. When the tramway was in operation prior to the 1996 avalanche, it was heralded as the "world's steepest aerial tramway," although that claim is difficult to ascertain. *The falls were a featured point along the route of the Heber Creeper tourist train until the train discontinued its service past the falls, in the late 1980s. The train tracks in front of the falls were removed and converted into a recreational trail. Now, the falls and a small park just west of the falls (Bridal Veil Park) can also be accessed via U.S. Highway 189. *In early 1996, an avalanche destroyed the building housing, the tramway machinery, and a gift shop, and they were never rebuilt. *In July 2008, an arson fire burned the building at the top of the tramway, and very little remains. *In August 2008, the Utah County Sheriff's Office ordered the property owners, the Grow family from

Orem Orem is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, in the northern part of the state. It is adjacent to Provo, Lindon, and Vineyard and is approximately south of Salt Lake City. Orem is one of the principal cities of the Provo-Orem, Utah M ...

, to pull down the remaining cable, fearing adventurers might use it to scale the rocky face by the waterfall. * In October 2016, 2 deaths occurred which put the falls in the hot seat for being a dangerous place to hike, noting that there is about 1 death here per year. Rather, in October and November, the rocks can become very slippery due to the rapid temperature change creating thin layers of ice. * Starting in April 2017 the remains of the tram and restaurant are to be removed from the site.

In art, entertainment, and media

*The movie ''

Savannah Smiles ''Savannah Smiles'' is a 1982 family film written and produced by Mark Miller. Miller also played one of the male leads in the film. The film was directed by Pierre De Moro, and starred Bridgette Andersen as the title character, with Mark Mille ...

'' (1982), contains scenes in

, including Bridal Veil falls. The film also shows a scene with characters in the movie riding the tramway when it was still functioning. It can also be seen in James Bryan's horrorfilm "Don't go in the Woods" from 1981

Gallery

File:BridalVeilFallsIceClimbersByPhilKonstantin.jpg, Climbers on the frozen falls, 2003. File:Bridal Veil Falls Utah hiking trail ascent.jpg, Several hiking trails ascend around Bridal Veil Falls. File:Plaque over Bridal Veil Falls near Provo, Utah.jpg, Plaque overlooking Bridal Veil Falls telling a local legend.

References

External links

Waterfalls of Utah Landforms of Utah County, Utah Tourist attractions in Utah County, Utah Tiered waterfalls {{Utah-geo-stub