Cedar Breaks National Monument
Cedar Breaks is a 3-mile-long natural amphitheater that plunges a half-mile into the Markagunt Plateau, offering spectacular scenery and fewer crowds than at the area's better known national parks. Mostly short alpine hiking trails trace the rim, meandering past wildflowers in summer. You can get a nice view of these distinctive red-rock formations that bear a strong resemblance to those of Bryce Canyon at the handful of overlooks along Highway 148—which means hikers, skiers, and snowshoers can usually find solitude along the trails.
Winter is one of the best times to visit, when snow drapes the red-orange formations. As of this writing, the park service was constructing an attractive and much-needed new visitor center by the Sunset Trailhead parking area—it's slated to open in late summer 2023. From here, you can hike the 1-mile round-trip Sunset Trail, which is paved and wheelchair accessible, or embark on the most memorable of the park's hikes, the 5-mile round-trip South Rim Trail. This latter trek is moderately challenging, but if time is short, just hike the first mile to the Spectra Point viewpoint for an eye-popping panorama. Across Highway 148, the easy 0.6-mile round-trip Nature Trail connects with the Point Supreme Campground, which has 25 tent and RV sites. In winter, call ahead for conditions (the road is sometimes closed due to heavy snowfall), and keep in mind that visitor facilities are closed from October through late May.
