A Slide Over the Trail on Friday Afternoon
A rockslide near Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon, Utah, closed part of the Provo River Trail and the park at the falls on Friday, October 23, 2026. The slide happened around 2:30 p.m., according to Utah County Sheriff's Sgt. Ray Ormond, and covered part of the trail and park area. Officials described the closed section as about a quarter-mile long, running east from the parking lot along the trail, a length they said reflects how large the slide was.
No one was hurt. Ormond said "no injuries have been reported," though several trees and some utility infrastructure were damaged.
Rocks Kept Falling
The danger did not end with the initial slide. Sheriff's officials said rocks were still falling about an hour later. Emerson and Bailee Hamilton were driving through the canyon when they saw the slide and recorded rocks tumbling toward the canyon floor. They stopped to check whether anyone needed help, then heard more rocks coming down toward the popular trail. As they left, they filmed large boulders crashing onto the trail and shared the footage with KSL.
Rain Is the Likely Trigger
Utah County Commissioner Skyler Beltran attributed the slide to heavy rainfall, and the weather data supports that. National Weather Service numbers showed a few Provo Canyon rain gauges recording more than an inch of precipitation in the 24 hours before the slide, as remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel brought multiple inches of rain to parts of the Wasatch Mountains. Steep canyon walls shed material when soil and loose rock become saturated, and a fall storm that soaks the slope can loosen rock that has been in place for years.
Closed Through Winter
The closure was already coming. In a county Facebook post around 5 p.m., officials said the area will stay closed through winter, writing: "The trail was scheduled to close next week, but the rockslide has prompted an earlier closure." Cleanup is planned for next spring. No reopening date has been announced.
Beltran posted on social media that the trail is closed near the waterfall after the rockslide and said, "Please avoid the area. Thank you for your patience." He added that crews would clear the debris and make sure the trail is safe and passable before it reopens.
What It Means for Hikers
Bridal Veil Falls is one of the most visited short stops in Provo Canyon, and the Provo River Trail is a regular route for walkers and riders. For anyone planning a late-season visit, the message from officials is simple: stay out of the closed section. Rockfall zones stay unstable after a slide, and falling rock can continue for hours or days, especially after rain.
When heading into any steep canyon after a storm, check for county or sheriff updates before leaving, watch the slopes above the trail, and don't stop under cliffs or in debris paths. If rocks start to move, leave the area immediately and report it.
Search results also show a $7 million reconstruction project at Bridal Veil Falls that began in September 2025. The KSL and Deseret News reports did not discuss it in connection with this slide, so it's unclear whether the project will be affected.
