Cascade Springs is the gentlest stop on the Alpine Loop, and one of the strangest. A paved spur drops east off the high point of the byway and down a forested ridge to a hillside where groundwater simply pours out of the earth — more than seven million gallons a day — and runs downhill through a stepped series of travertine terraces and clear, trout-filled pools before draining into Provo Deer Creek.
A short loop of paved path and boardwalk threads through it all, crossing the streams on little bridges and passing signs that explain where the water comes from. It is shady, cool, and almost entirely flat — fifteen or twenty easy minutes among the springs, and a welcome contrast to the steep trailheads and switchbacks that make up the rest of the drive.
The closest stops worth working into your route