Santaquin Canyon Hike

My younger brother (the same one I always hike with) told me about a cool hike up Santaquin Canyon. It was hard to imagine that canyon being very scenic because from I15 it looks very dry and barren. My brother told me that the hike was really easy. It has about 1,600 ft elevation gain so its not "really easy". We started early in the morning (around 7:00am). The canyon road wound up toward the top of the mountain beside a creek. Just driving up to the trail head was very scenic with great rock formations typical of most Utah canyons. The hike began in a pine forest near a campground. It always amazes me how cool the temps are up in the canyons even on a 95 degree day in the valley. If I wasn't hiking & generating some body heat, I would have needed a light coat. The hike made nearly a complete circle as it followed the rim of the mountains. There were a lot of guys on horses. That is the laziest way to hike and will never get you in shape, but allows the same incredible views. The hike was full of beautiful scenery. At one point in the hike there were waterfalls spilling down steep walls on both sides of us. There was a butterfly hangout that had every kind of butterfly imaginable near where water was coming out of the rock wall. We had to cross the creek numerous times, but used logs and stones to avoid getting our boots wet. This hike was worth the trip.