Rhonda and I just returned from a nice trip to Cedar Breaks National Monument, in southwestern Utah. Cedar Breaks is a fairly small in comparison to the surrounding National Parks of southern Utah, however it is well worth a visit. The landscape of Cedar Breaks is like a small version of Bryce Canyon National Park, but it offers some very nice advantages….
1. Less Crowds - It is much less visited than the “big 5″ Utah national parks, so the hiking trails are less populated.
2. Cooler Temps - With an average elevation of over 10,000 feet, it can be 20 degrees cooler than some of the other parks. Rhonda and I took an early summer visit (end of June) to Cedar Breaks and hiked in temperatures in the upper 70’s, leaving the 100+ temps in Moab behind.
3. Sunset! The main amphitheater at Bryce Canyon faces to the east so it just slips into dull shade at sunset. The amphitheater at Cedar Breaks faces west, so it glows in the warm light.
4. Summer Wildflowers - As an added bonus, peak wildflower season occurs in July. In contrast, the last wildflowers that we saw in Moab dried out in late May.
5. Bristlecone Pines - Bristlecone pines are among the oldest living organisms on earth, often approaching 5,000 years of age! They usually live long tortured lives in alpine environments above 10,000 feet resulting in a knurled and twisted appearance tree that is quite beautiful. Experiencing these trees is one of the main reasons for visiting Cedar Breaks!
Since this is a small park with a short 5 mile scenic drive, only 4 developed overlooks and 2 hiking trails, it is imperative that you take the time to hike the 2 trails - especially the Ramparts Trail (4 miles roundtrip) that leads to a spectacular Bristlecone pine grove and some great overlooks. (Remember that these trails are over 10,000 feet in elevation, so if you’re coming from down below you will feel the elevation.) If you don’t hike you will whip through this park in 20 minutes, which would be a real shame.
My only complaint: Last year the National Park Service redesigned all of their park websites using a standard, and fairly well thought out design. I rely heavily on NPS websites to plan my trips and generally I have been quite pleased with the information presented. Unfortunately, the website for Cedar Breaks stands out from the rest - it sucks! Apparently it is up to the individual parks to update their information and Cedar Breaks failed miserably. Believe it or not there is not even any useful information on their hiking trails! I think that their Frequently Asked Questions Page sums it all up pretty well… http://www.nps.gov/cebr/faqs.htm …yes, it’s EMPTY! Or maybe their Photo page - EMPTY. Nature & Science page - EMPTY. Outdoor Activities page - EMPTY. The list goes on and on. The NPS complains that park visitation is down so apparently Cedar Breaks is taking a new approach to combating that: Secrecy. “If you want to see what our park has to offer you’ll just have to come and see for yourself. It’s a secret!”
Anyway, in spite of the website I strongly recommend a visit to Cedar Breaks, particularly if you’re willing to hike a few miles to experience the bristlecone pines.
For more photos of Cedar Breaks, check out my gallery.
Robert & Rhonda have been exploring Southern Utah for over 20 years.