Things to Do in Pleasant Grove, Utah
Pleasant Grove is a suburb of about 37,800 at the base of Mount Timpanogos, and its wedge is two accessible waterfall hikes inside 15 minutes of town — Battle Creek Falls (about a mile round-trip, family-easy) and Grove Creek Falls (about 2.5 miles round-trip, moderate) — both of which most Utah County visitors drive past without knowing exist. Add the Purple Turtle (a legitimately old-school 1950s drive-in that’s been in continuous operation since 1961) and Pleasant Grove is worth a half-day sandwiched between Thanksgiving Point and Timpanogos Cave.
Prefer a guided trip? Compare guided tours and small-group day trips out of the Pleasant Grove area — kayak rentals, guided hikes, cave and canyon tours, family experiences:
Two waterfalls, both underrated
Battle Creek Falls trailhead is a five-minute drive from downtown Pleasant Grove: park at the Battle Creek trailhead, walk about a half-mile up a graded trail through a small canyon, and you’re at a 50-foot waterfall. Round trip is about a mile — genuinely stroller-friendly for the first stretch, then a short scramble to the base. Grove Creek Falls, one canyon north, is the more serious sibling: about 2.5 miles round-trip with roughly 800 feet of elevation gain, ending at a 30-foot cascade. Both hikes are shady in the morning, brutal in the afternoon on a summer weekend, and best done May through October (both freeze in winter — icy scrambles that don’t reward the risk).
The Purple Turtle and downtown Pleasant Grove
The Purple Turtle has been on Pleasant Grove Boulevard since 1961 — a working drive-in with car-hop service, burgers, and shakes. It’s a Utah County institution rather than a food destination; if you’re routing kids through the area, it pairs well with a Battle Creek Falls morning. Downtown Pleasant Grove has a handful of small shops on Main Street and a solid Saturday farmers market in the summer months, but the town center isn’t a destination — the payoff is the trails and the drive-in.
Strawberry Days — Utah’s oldest continuous community celebration (since 1921)
If you’re routing Utah County in June, Strawberry Days is the anchor to plan around. The festival started in 1921 — organized by the Wasatch Club to celebrate the local strawberry harvest — and has run continuously every June since, which makes it the longest continuously running community celebration in Utah. The rodeo half of the event, the Strawberry Days PRCA Rodeo, is also the state’s oldest, with an unbroken 100-plus-year run. The 2026 festival runs June 13–21 with the theme “Stars, Stripes and Strawberries,” and the format is the classic Utah city celebration turned up: a parade down Main Street (typically the closing Saturday morning; expect 40,000-plus lining the route), a PRCA rodeo with four nights of performances at Pleasant Grove Rodeo Grounds, a carnival on the city hall lawn, pageants, concerts, a 5K, and the signature giveaway — free strawberries and cream at the courthouse steps on the opening Saturday, a tradition city volunteers have preserved even though no strawberries are grown commercially in Pleasant Grove today. The city genuinely built the June week around this — hotels in the corridor (Lehi/American Fork/PG) book up two months out, parking is a scramble anywhere near Main Street on parade day, and the shuttle-lot pattern is worth knowing before you arrive. Even outside the festival, the historic Strawberry Days Rodeo Grounds and the downtown Main Street area are worth a 20-minute walk if you’re routing between Battle Creek Falls and the Purple Turtle. Check strawberrydays.org for the current year’s exact schedule and to buy rodeo tickets in advance — evening rodeo performances sell out most nights.
What most people get wrong
The classic miss is driving right past Pleasant Grove on I-15 assuming there’s nothing there. Both Battle Creek and Grove Creek trailheads sit within 10 minutes of the freeway; a two-hour detour delivers a family-friendly waterfall hike that most travel guides don’t mention. Second miss: trying either falls hike on a summer afternoon — the lower canyon holds heat and the shade thins out; go before 10 AM or after 5 PM in July and August. Third: assuming the Grove Creek trail is a scaled-up Battle Creek. It’s noticeably steeper and longer; not the right choice for stroller-age kids.
Frequently asked questions
What is Pleasant Grove, Utah, known for?
Pleasant Grove is best known for two accessible waterfall hikes — Battle Creek Falls (family-easy, about a mile round-trip) and Grove Creek Falls (moderate, about 2.5 miles round-trip) — and for the Purple Turtle, a car-hop drive-in that’s been operating since 1961.
How hard is the Battle Creek Falls hike?
Family-easy. About a mile round-trip on a mostly graded trail with a short scramble to the base of the falls. Stroller-friendly for the first stretch.
Is Grove Creek Falls harder than Battle Creek Falls?
Yes — noticeably. Grove Creek is about 2.5 miles round-trip with roughly 800 feet of elevation gain, versus Battle Creek’s roughly 100 feet in a mile.
When is the best time to hike the Pleasant Grove waterfalls?
May through October, and specifically morning or evening in July and August. The lower canyons hold heat and afternoon summer hikes are unpleasant.
Is the Purple Turtle worth stopping for?
As a Utah County institution and a kid-friendly stop after a morning hike, yes. As a food destination on its own, no — it’s a 1960s drive-in, not fine dining.
Keep planning your Utah County trip
For the full Utah County itinerary, other city spokes, and the road-trip context, keep reading: Utah County, Utah — Travel Guide · 7-Day Utah National Parks Road Trip · Best Time to Visit Utah.
