An ice climber scales Provo Canyon’s Stairway to Heaven section outside of Provo, Utah
Visit Utah
Right now, Provo is probably a sweltering 90 degrees, typical for August and not the kind of Fahrenheit cities boast about on Instagram. But travel is a planner’s game, and for fall getaways, Allegiant Airlines has a new direct route from San Diego to Provo—a first for each city. There are already flights from SAN to Salt Lake City, but this one brings San Diegans straight to its sister city 45 minutes down the road, best-known for hiking, a thriving craft soda scene, and Brigham Young University.
Visitors who stay in town are treated to an almost comical bevy of natural wonders. The subterranean alterna-verse that is Timpanogos Cave National Monument connects three cave systems, twisting and turning underneath a 12,000-foot peak by the same name. It’s the second-tallest in the Wasatch mountain range east of Provo. Provo Canyon features some of the state’s best ice climbing during winter months, like the aptly named Stairway to Heaven section. A thousand feet of vertical rock covered in ice serves as a tangible reminder of gravity as climbers inch ever closer to the sky kingdom.
As for other mountaineering activities, they make wall posters and entire movies about the skiing in Provo. With 450 acres of groomed terrain winding below Mt. Timpanogos, Sundance is just 12 miles outside town, as are many other world-class mountains and resorts. There’s plenty of hiking, whether the moderate and popular Y Mountain (which gives a sprawling birdseye-view of Utah Valley and the BYU campus) or Provo Peak via the Slide Canyon trail in Uinta National Forest a bit further.
After an active day, it’s possible to find a stiff drink at restaurants like Black Sheep Cafe, as well as dives like City Limits Tavern, but Provo’s a dream for the sober-curious crowd and sugar fixers. An estimated 80-90 percent of the population is Mormon (who don’t typically drink much alcohol), so Provo is peppered with noncaffeinated soda joints serving a rainbow of flavored options. Try local chain Sodalicious, Station 22, which boasts an entire wall devoted to tonics from across the globe, or The Wash, which is open late and serves creative diner food like mochi waffles and loaded fries plus a full menu of specialty booze-free sodas, floats, and sugary concoctions.
For those looking to use Provo as a base camp for wilderness exploration, this direct flight gets San Diegans even closer to Utah’s outdoor action. Provo is further south than SLC, delivering adventurers to the state’s famous desert shrines, like Goblin Valley National Park and Arches National Park, which are both a few hours’ drive from Provo’s airport.
It’s a straight shot to some divine inspiration.
