Big Springs Hollow Hike

Alex is here to tell us about one of her favorite year round hikes with kids! Read on to see how she loves to hike during each season.

Big Springs Hollow trail is a wonderful treasure that my good friend, Joey introduced me to a couple of years ago.

It's a fantastic trail for little kids, even toddlers with a little hand holding, because there's no drop-off and the trail is mostly flat.

While the whole trail is 4-5 miles, we typically hike to the meadow, which is a little over 1 mile. (See more below.)

For the last few years, it's been our go-to hike for a Black Friday #optoutside hike. It's really beautiful any time of the year, even in the snow.

When snow is melting, ice can accumulate on the trail, so be warned. It's totally hike-able if you have some added traction to your boots.

The whole trail is 4-5 miles roundtrip if you choose to hike all the way to the spring that the park is named after.

The city of Provo has capped off the spring though, so there's not much to see at the end.

I've never hiked all the way to the spring, but I've heard it gets pretty steep toward the end.

With our kids, our goal is to hike to the large meadow that's a little over 1 mile in.

Along the way there are little bridges that cross the small creek. All of the bridges we cross are small, with shallow water running under them (all year long), and they're wonderful for some playtime on a warm summer day. They're also really fun to play in when there's snow and ice on the ground. 

In the spring and summer, flowers are blooming and the trail is lush and green; especially in the late spring. In the fall, colors are beautiful and in the winter, the trail is fun to trek when there's snow on the ground. Sometimes we'll tow our preschoolers on a sled and explore how the ice accumulates on the grass and under the little bridges.

How to get there: From I-15, take exit 272 and head into Provo Canyon. Turn right at Vivian Park onto S. Fork Road. Stay on S. Fork Road for about 3.2 miles and you'll see a small sign for Big Springs Park. Turn right into the park and head up to the upper parking lot. There are vault toilets close by and a covered picnic shelter with a BBQ grill and a water spigot. You'll see a big sign where the trailhead is. In the winter, the road isn't plowed quite as often as other main roads, so take that into consideration if you go.

Tip* Big Springs Park itself is beautiful to play and explore too, with big open grassy area and lots of shaded picnic tables. Definitely a great place to get away that isn't super far.

-Alex