Provo Canyon in the context of Orem, Utah

⭐ Core Definition: Provo Canyon

Provo Canyon is located in unincorporated Utah County and Wasatch County, Utah. Provo Canyon runs between Mount Timpanogos on the north and Mount Cascade on the south. The canyon extends from Orem on the west end to Heber City on the east. Provo Canyon is situated to the east of Utah Valley and grants access to the valleys and Uinta Basin regions that lie beyond the Wasatch front.

Through forces of erosion, the Provo River has carved out the canyon over time. Attractions in Provo Canyon include Vivian Park, Sundance, and Bridal Veil Falls. The canyon is known for both its natural attractions and practical uses. Deer Creek Reservoir serves as water storage for Salt Lake and Utah Valleys. Provo Canyon has served as a route of transportation between the valleys to the east and west of the Wasatch mountain range. The Heber Valley Historic Railroad operates passenger trains through the canyon. U.S. route 189 connects Provo and Orem with Heber City to the east. In early settlement, this route facilitated the settlement of communities to the east of the Wasatch Mountains.

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Provo Canyon in the context of Canyon

A canyon (from Spanish cañón; archaic British English spelling: cañon), gorge or chasm, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tendency to cut through underlying surfaces, eventually wearing away rock layers as sediments are removed downstream. A river bed will gradually reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water into which the river drains. The processes of weathering and erosion will form canyons when the river's headwaters and estuary are at significantly different elevations, particularly through regions where softer rock layers are intermingled with harder layers more resistant to weathering.

A canyon may also refer to a rift between two mountain peaks, such as those in ranges including the Rocky Mountains, the Alps, the Himalayas or the Andes. Usually, a river or stream carves out such splits between mountains. Examples of mountain-type canyons are Provo Canyon in Utah or Yosemite Valley in California's Sierra Nevada. Canyons within mountains, or gorges that have an opening on only one side, are called box canyons. Slot canyons are very narrow canyons that often have smooth walls.

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