Spring is nature’s way of saying “let’s party!” Plants unashamedly flaunt their new leaves and flowers. Butterflies do their air dancing. The bugs form up columns for their parade into your home and garden. Although we (my wife Deb and I) hike every season, we look forward to spring. And what is more apropos than a springtime hike to Spring Creek Canyon? As it turns out, nothing.

It’s spring and life renews. All around us plants burst with new foliage; butterflies flutter and bees zoom to their flower chores; insects stretch and do some light yoga, readying themselves to invade your garden and home; and my wife Deb and I look forward to exploring more of southwest Utah. Our destination, Spring Creek Canyon, has the perfect name for a springtime hike and it’s the type we favor — a slot canyon. Spring Creek Canyon is located near Kanarraville in a Wilderness Study Area managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Being BLM land, the hike is free. (Our federal taxes do support the BLM, but there is no fee for this particular hike.) We — Deb and I and our friends Hi and Rob — began our adventure on a Wednesday morning in mid-April. Heading north on Interstate 15 we took Exit 42, the Kanarraville exit, and turned right (east) on the short connector road. In a couple of hundred yards, turn left (north) onto Old Highway 91 (which becomes Main Street in Kanarraville). Stay on Old Highway 91 for four miles till you reach the southern outskirts of Kanarraville and then turn right onto the signed Spring Creek Road. This road leads southeast to the parking area and trailhead after approximately .8 miles. The trailhead is about 5,600 feet in elevation with a high point on the trail of about 6,100 feet. Because the 500-foot elevation gain is spread along the trail, there are no strenuous uphill sections. At 10:30 a.m., when we began our trek, the temperature was in the low 60s with an overcast sky. Begin by following the stream bed up the canyon for about 1˝ miles to the narrows. We crossed the running stream several times, although most of the trail is on the right side. Don’t be in a rush, the lower canyon features an abundance of life. Being early spring, the trees, grasses, cacti and flowers welcomed the warmer weather and began providing color. Along the way, we spied a herd of about a dozen deer on a mountainside on the other side of the canyon. (Most of us saw about a dozen, but Hi claims he counted 41.) We also saw several huge cat paw prints in the dried mud. Evidently a large mountain lion claims Spring Creek Canyon as his or her territory. While we brought along snacks, we had not planned on being a snack, so it’s probably a good thing the lion did not make an appearance. The mountains and rocks in the lower section are predominantly volcanic in origin, near the narrows the formations are dominated by sheer 750-foot-tall red-orange Navajo sandstone cliffs — real eye candy. The narrows appears impenetrable, but follow the trail and you are soon surrounded by several-hundred-foot-tall rock walls. Entering the narrows, the stream fades away and is replaced by dry sand, stones and some rather large boulders. The narrows varies from several hundred feet to 15 feet wide. Some narrower sections require a bit of easy boulder hopping and scampering up and down a small number of dry falls. Like most slot canyons, this one has many turns, sometimes by 90 degrees. If you have the time, there are several enticing side canyons waiting to be explored. While never particularly tight, there are three or four lengthy enclosed deep and shady passages where the temperature is noticeably cooler. One has to admire the aspen and pine trees clinging to small niches in the sheer rock walls — the tenacity of life. We traveled more than 1˝ miles into the canyon narrows (3-plus miles total one way) and stopped at a lengthy narrow section. It was cool, quiet and perfect for admiring the monolithic rock walls. You can hike another one-half mile to a fork in the main canyon. We traveled more than six miles in less than 3˝ hours and encountered only one family group along the trail. Spring Creek Canyon is an easy hike into a typically wonderful Southern Utah slot canyon. Being located just outside the Kolob Canyons area of Zion National Park, it shares Zion’s Navajo sandstone formations and generates the same sense of awe. This is a good slot canyon for both beginners and experienced canyoneers. It is a claustrophobic-friendly slot canyon because the slot portions never become too closed-in. Prior to our adventure, I did some Internet research about Spring Creek Canyon — it looked great in Internet photos, and much better in person. Take a short drive and experience nature’s erosive powers.