Choosing a favorite hike was really difficult so I decided to pick one non-National Park hike and one National Park hike. That seemed easier.
I think the winner for a non-National Park hike is a hike in Cedar Breaks National Monument. We visited the Monument on our first full day of vacation. We’d spent the night in St. George, Utah after flying into Las Vegas and driving north. We were to check in to Zion Lodge later in the day so I’d planned on hitting Cedar Breaks early that morning to check it off the list. I had no idea how much we’d all enjoy the Monument itself much less it be a top hike for me.
We really didn’t know what to expect but we headed north to Cedar Breaks. I hadn’t done much research on this destination but boy were we surprised by the beauty of the Monument. Since we didn’t have much time we stopped at the Ranger Station and inquired about a short but fun hike. The Ranger suggested the Alpine Pond Loop Trail.
We opted for the one mile version due to time, but oh I wish I could go back and hike the entire 2 miles.
The trail began at an overlook. It was beautiful! It was like a miniature Bryce Canyon (or at the time, what I thought Bryce Canyon would look like).
There was a small box at the trailhead that included Alpine Pond Trail Maps for a small donation. The map was super helpful for pointing out interesting facts along the trail. You can learn more about the Zion National Park Forever Project at Cedar Breaks at this link: https://zionpark.org/cedar/
The trail started and quickly entered an alpine forest. Tall, beautiful trees surrounded us.
The temperature had dropped too as we climbed the mountain to Cedar Breaks but I was still surprised to find some snow along the trail.
The trail meandered through the forest and back out again to reveal large meadows that fill with wildflower in late summer. I’d love to go back to see that too!
Most of this hike did not include view of the actual canyon with the beautiful rocks but I think that’s why I liked it so much. It was completely different than the rest of the hikes we took during our two weeks. Plus, it was the coolest place we’d be for the next two weeks as well since our temperatures kept rising throughout our vacation.
My advice is to always seek out the lesser known places when you’re on a trip. I doubt there are many that plan a trip solely for Cedar Breaks but it’s definitely a place everyone should stop to see.
Thanks for continuing to follow along with our Utah vacation. There is so much to share and these days it seems so little time to do so. I’ll keep posting, I hope you’ll keep reading!
Betsy
Betsy@MagicalAdventuresTravel.com
304-993-0292
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Betsy Walker Travels 