UTAH COUNTY, Utah — One of the most popular and easily accessible natural attractions in northern Utah is the focus of a proposed land swap between Utah County and the U.S. Forest Service.
The Utah County Commission is looking to acquire the land surrounding Bridal Veil Falls in Provo Canyon, currently owned by the Forest Service, in hopes of creating a better and safer experience for visitors through unspecified "improvement and maintenance projects."
In exchange for the Bridal Veil Falls land, the county would trade adjacent land in the canyon that it owns with the Forest Service. A notice from the county says it is already working with the Forest Service and the state's congressional delegation on the swap.
Utah County leaders look for solutions amid safety concerns with Bridal Veil Falls:
A steady stream of visitors already flows through the canyon to visit Bridal Veil Falls, despite bare bones infrastructure and safety measures. Several people each year are injured at the falls, which are dangerous to those who are inexperienced in climbing on its rocky cliffs and terrain.
"The immediate goal is to enable the county to create an enhanced and safer viewing area at the base of the falls to allow more room for pedestrians, runners, and cyclists. The current design is a bottleneck that has created ongoing safety concerns," the county wrote on a release this week.
Falling ice seriously injures Bridal Veil Falls visitor:
A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, in which the public is invited to share their thoughts on the proposed swap. The hearing begins at 2 p.m. at 100 East Center Street in Provo.
