Guide to Fun Things to Do in Provo
I went to college at BYU and loved it. Provo is a beautiful city nestled against the mountains with great outdoor activities, unique food, and interesting experiences. This guide focuses on the good stuff - outdoors, interesting experiences, and great food. No cheesy tourist traps.
🏔️ Outdoors / Hikes
- Bridal Veil Falls – Super easy walk, iconic waterfall, beautiful even frozen.
- Provo River Parkway – Flat scenic trail through Provo Canyon (walk or bike if weather's decent).
- Rock Canyon Trail – Short but steep hike with big valley views.
- Squaw Peak Overlook – Drive-up viewpoint if snow limits hiking.
- Fifth Water Hot Springs – In Diamond Fork Canyon, about 40 minutes from Provo. It's a 2.5-mile hike one-way, but at the end you're rewarded with natural hot spring pools in a beautiful canyon where you can soak! Note: Some feel clothing is optional, so be aware.
- Alpine Loop – Drive through American Fork Canyon for jaw-dropping fall foliage.
- Nebo Loop Scenic Byway – South of Provo, stunning drive especially for fall colors.
🌊 Summer Water Activities
- Tube or Float the Provo River – Wear a life jacket (it's smart and the law).
- Utah Lake or Deer Creek Reservoir – Jet ski or boat for a fun day on the water.
❄️ Winter Adventure
- Sundance Mountain Resort – Skiing, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, or just lunch with mountain vibes.
🍽️ Food & Drink (local favorites)
- Communal – Best "destination" restaurant in Provo; seasonal, cozy, excellent.
- Black Sheep Cafe – Navajo-inspired food; very unique.
- Backdoor Burger – Unique amazing burgers.
- Bombay House – So popular that on weekends you'll see lines out the door. Their chicken tikka masala and garlic naan are legendary locally.
- Seven Brothers Burgers – Hawaiian-owned, with teriyaki burgers and fry sauce.
- J-Dawgs – The iconic hot dog stand started by a BYU student. It's the taste of Provo in one messy, delicious package.
🏆 Best Foods in Provo
- Best Burger – Backdoor Burger
- Best Sweet Potato Fries – Guru's Cafe
- Best Ice Cream – Tie between Rockwell's and BYU Creamery
- Best Donut – Provo Bakery buttermilk bars
- Best Kolache – Raspberry Nutella from Hruska's. Get there early on weekends, there's always a line and it sells out.
- Best Hot Dog – Utah dog from J-Dawgs (polish cross cut, onions, sauerkraut, pickle, and lots of special sauce)
- Best Sushi – Romeo and Juliet roll from Itto Sushi
🧠 Culture / Interesting Stops
Walk BYU campus – Super pretty college campus. BYU bookstore is fun college vibes.
- BYU Museum of Art – Surprisingly strong exhibits.
- Bean Life Science Museum – Quirky, fast, and memorable.
- Crandall Historical Printing Museum – A tiny museum where you can see a working replica of Gutenberg's press and learn about printing history (tours by appointment).
- Walk Center Street – Small shops, bakeries, and coffee.
- July 3rd on University Avenue – Some of the funnest 4th of July street parties you'll ever see.
📚 Chill
- Moon's Rare Books – Bookstore full of rare books and collectibles. Amazing.
🚗 Easy Half-Day Add-Ons
- Park City – Rich ski-town vibes, shopping, food.
- Salt Lake City – Better nightlife, tons of food options.
Mario-styled map based on Day 32