Bridal Veil Falls

Bridal Veil Falls is prominently and easily visible in Provo Canyon from along Highway 189 about 3-3/4 miles east of the junction of Highways 189 and 52 in Orem. A large parking area is accessible from the highway just after crossing the Provo River, and closer access can be had by exiting the highway onto the old frontage road shortly before crossing the river (when coming from Orem). A footbridge crosses the river to provide access to the bike trail which crosses near the base of the falls, and a steeper trail climbing up the slope to the very bottom of the falls for the more intrepid.Bridal Veil Falls is perhaps the most well known waterfall in the state of Utah, thanks to its ease of access and prominent location within Provo Canyon, just a few minutes outside of the city of Orem. The falls drop over the cliffs on the side of Provo Canyon in multiple lacy veil-like steps. The falls are often cited as the tallest waterfall in Utah, with a total drop of 607 feet. When we surveyed the site in October of 2017 we were unable to obtain an accurate measurement of the falls, however this figure seemed highly unlikely for multiple reasons upon first glance. Even assuming Bridal Veil Falls to be 607 feet tall, there are several ephemeral waterfalls in Zion National Park which are taller - though one could make an argument that since they are so fleeting, they could be excused from counting. That said, Bridal Veil Falls is not nearly as tall as is often claimed.
Topographic data suggests that the height of the falls is more in the range of 440-480 feet in all, with an additional 200 feet of talus cascades between the bottom of the falls and the Provo River, which would explain where the commonly cited figure of 607 feet comes from. After consulting one meter resolution lidar data we've confirmed that this initial estimate is relatively accurate, the data indicating the falls to drop about 430 feet in three distinct steps of approximately 150, 25, and 175 feet, with the remaining 80 feet of the total height accounted for in talus cascades mostly between the second and third tiers of the falls.
The unnamed stream which produces Bridal Veil Falls seems to have a remarkably consistent flow, suggesting a spring-fed origin, though the snow melt from high up on Cascade Mountain does the majority of the heavy lifting for much of the first half of the year. The basin the stream drains from covers an area of only about one square mile, which in this part of the country would otherwise suggest an almost non-existent stream outside of isolated severe rain and snow melt. However the falls do appear to flow very evenly throughout the year, with a boost due to snow melt occurring in the spring and early summer months.