Provost and his party of mountain men set up camp near the mouth of the Provo River. It wasn't until 1849 that the first permanent settlement, begun by a party of Mormons, was established. The Mormon settlers erected Fort Utah as their first building. Today, Provo is the seat of Utah County and the state's third-largest city.

Provo lies in the middle of a lush, green valley. To the north stands 12,008-foot Mount Timpanogos; to the south is the perpendicular face of the Wasatch Range; to the east Provo Peak rises 11,054 feet; and to the west lies Utah Lake, backed by more mountains.