Explore The Outdoors / Explore Utah

Stroll Along the Provo River

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Serene – that’s how I would describe a stroll along the Provo River, especially after a welcomed morning rain.  Twelves miles of the Provo River flows through Heber Valley.  This section of the river is known as the Upper and Middle Provo River and offers some of the best fishing in Utah.

This world of boardwalks, cattails, and dirt trails through overgrown brush reminded me so much of hikes in my home state of South Carolina.  Guess I wasn’t exactly expecting to find this type of hiking scenery in Utah.  Four of us set out on a leisurely morning walk.  We had two choices – go left on the dirt path or go right on a boardwalk.  We went right and were immediately immersed into a wetlands world with slender fuzzy cattails rising out of the water, and even found some wild raspberries.  Of course I picked one and popped it in my mouth.  Delicious!

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We weaved our way along the boardwalks and onto a dirt trail where we had an unexpected visitor.  Of course all four of us squealed at the sign of a snake, literally cross the path about a foot in front of my friend Pam.  I did a little research on the silvery white and black striped snake and think it was a harmless garter snake….or at least that’s what I’m going to believe!  After laughing at our snake sighting screaming session, we continued on to get right by the river and watch some fly fisherman casting lines.  I asked how the fishing was and they said super.  With clouds and just after light morning rain, it was perfect conditions for fishing.

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As we walked on, I noticed some green stalks with bright yellow flowers.  Pam has PlantSnap app on her phone and was able to tell me its Mullein, considered a weed but the flowers have a medicinal purpose and have been used for years in the form of a tea to treat respiratory issues.  Amazing what an app can teach you!  After that hike I downloaded the $3.99 app too since I’m always wondering what plants and flowers I see on hikes.

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I kept seeing these pretty purple flowers, but they are musk thistle.  While the flowers are pretty, the noxious weed is highly invasive.

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Along the trail I kept seeing Morning Glory flowers.  These small flowers on the trail were pink, white or a combo of both colors.

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We meandered our way along the river for about 30 minutes, taking in its beauty and the tranquility of the water flowing downstream.  It really is a picturesque setting.

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We made our way back to where the trail switches between boardwalks over small ponds and dirt trail.  Just as we were getting close to the trailhead I noticed a batch of Heavenly Blue Morning Glories.

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As we finished the final boardwalks and passed the raspberries again – yes, I picked a couple and savored their sweetness – I took a look back and enjoyed the view as our stroll along the Upper Provo River came to an end.

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