Swift Creek flows out of the Salt River Range just east of Afton, and the canyon it has carved provides the valley's most accessible mountain scenery. The trail from the trailhead to the Periodic Spring is about 2 km each way, gaining little elevation, and runs through a narrow canyon shaded by tall cottonwoods and bordered by willows and wildflowers. The creek itself is a quick, clear stream worth a closer look — and worth fishing if you have a Wyoming licence.
In winter the canyon fills with snow and becomes a popular snowshoeing and cross-country ski route. The creek sometimes freezes into dramatic ice formations along the canyon walls. The trailhead is reached by heading east from Afton on the road signed for Swift Creek — about 3 km from the town centre.