Conditions Right Now
Use sunset as your turnaround alarm.
Why Hike This
Twelve switchbacks and a little over a thousand feet of gain get you to a concrete letter you can see from most of Utah County. The grade is the point here, not the distance, because the whole climb is packed into 1.1 miles one way. Rest areas sit along the way and you will use them. Most hikers take one to three hours round trip, and the trailhead sits at the top of Terrace Drive above the BYU campus.
The Trail
Switchback up to the giant block Y over BYU. Steeper than it looks!
Pack Loadout (Moderate)
2 liters water, trail shoes, sun layer, snacks, small first-aid kit.
Getting There
Make it a weekend: Hope Campground (Camping, 3 mi) · Provo River (Lower) (Fishing, 6 mi) · Vivian Park Pond (Fishing, 8 mi) · Whiting Campground (Camping, 9 mi)
More hikes nearby: Bridal Veil Falls (Hike, 7 mi) · Battle Creek Falls (Hike, 9 mi) · Stewart Falls (Hike, 10 mi) · Mount Timpanogos (Timpooneke) (Hike, 13 mi)
Quick Answers
- How long is the The Y Trail hike?
- 2.4 miles round trip with 1074 feet of elevation gain.
- How hard is The Y Trail?
- Moderate. Kid rating: 3 out of 5.
- When should I hike The Y Trail?
- Best season: All year.
- Why hike The Y Trail?
- For the workout and the view, mostly. The Y is a 380 foot tall block letter on the mountainside above BYU, and the trail to it climbs 1,074 feet in just over a mile using twelve switchbacks. You get the whole Utah Valley laid out below you without committing to a full day.