If
you appreciate the colorful landscape of Bryce Canyon
National Park, you'll love Cedar Breaks National
Monument, located a half-hour's drive east of Cedar City.
Inside a deep sunken amphitheater are stone pinnacles,
arches and columns with canyon walls bearing shades of
yellow, red and purple. Surrounding the park is the Dixie
National Forest. Pines and aspens contrast with the
colored canyons, and in the summer months, meadows are
rich with wildflowers. The spring scenes with frostings
of snow on the tops of the ridges provide more
magnificent vistas.
To
get there, drive from Cedar City on Utah Highway 14. The
visitor center is north of the southern park gate. The
north entrance to the monument is reached by taking Utah
Hwy. 143 south from the town of Parowan. From Panguitch,
drive southwest via Highway 143.
What
to See & Do
The
The main season at Cedar Breaks runs from late May to
mid-September. A visitor center is open from June 1 to
October 15 (with changes depending on the weather). The
elevation is high, and daytime temperatures sit between
60 and 70 degrees during July and August. Popular
activities in the Monument include hiking, walking,
photography, nature study, picnicking, and camping. Park
rangers hold morning interpretive walks and afternoon
geology talks all during the summer season. Snow closes
the park road during the winter but access to the
monument is available from Brian Head Resort (the nearby
ski center, 2 miles north in the national forest) as well
as Duck Creek Village and Panguitch Lake. Winter activity
centers on cross-country skiing and snowmobiling.
Trails
There
are two hiking trails in the monument. Each is considered
to be an easy walk. Seniors and those with mobility
problems are cautioned that because of the high elevation
(10,000 feet, 3,048 meters), more time may be needed to
walk the trails than in the lower elevations.
Alpine
Pond Trail -- The trailhead is at the Chessmen Ridge
Overlook. It leads 2 miles through a forest to a
beautiful little meadow and a pool.
Wasatch
Rampart Trail -- Leading from the visitor center,
this easy trail passes along the rim of the plateau with
fine views along the way. The trail's length is 4 miles
and it takes about 3 hours to walk it. Spectra Point is
halfway along the trail, and many turn around at that
point.
Camping
The
only campground in the monument is open from June 15 to
September 15 and has water, restrooms, tables, and
grills. There is an outdoor amphitheater for evening
interpretation programs.
Overnight
accommodation is available at nearby Brian
Head,
as well as in Cedar
City,
Parowan,
and Panguitch. No motel services are available inside the
monument.
