If you are in the southern Utah area and looking for an impressive moderately challenging hike then look no further than the Spectra Point and Rampart Overlook located at Cedar Breaks National Monument. This is one of my favorite hikes I’ve done in Utah and I would highly recommend it to even inexperienced hikers.
Spectra Point and Rampart Overlook Overview
Cedar Breaks National Monument is one of the lesser known National Park locations in southern Utah that does not get as much attention as places like Bryce Canyon National Park. But it is still a worthwhile destination with some solid hiking.
In fact, the Spectra Point and Rampart Overlook trail is one of my favorite easy to moderate hikes I’ve done to date.
You’ll be amazed by the fantastic canyon views and encounters with beautiful conifer forests and some impressive Bristlecone Pine trees. The trailhead is located above 10,000 feet so this is a hike that is best done in late summer or early fall (when you can also check out some color change).
It’s a great location to beat the heat but be prepared for pretty cold temperatures in the mornings and evenings. Also, I think the main road (Hwy 148) going into the park is closed to vehicles from November through May.
- Distance: 3.7 miles
- Elevation Gain: 836 feet
- Route Type: Out and back
- Pets: No
- Difficulty: Easy to Moderate
- Time needed: 1.5 to 2 hours
Getting to the trailhead
The trailhead is located in the same parking lot as the visitor center. It’s a medium sized parking lot and while it was quite empty when we arrived early in the morning, it filled up to the brim as we left. If you’re visiting during a popular time such as the early fall, I would recommend getting an early start.
Once you arrive at the parking lot, you won’t be able to miss the sign for the trailhead.
Trail conditions
The trail is in fantastic condition throughout the entire hike, and it’s very easy to navigate without getting lost. The trail does wrap along some steep and dangerous drop offs so the biggest thing you need to be mindful of is how close you are to the cliff edges.
Route description
As soon as you step on the trail, you’ll be hit with some fresh forest scents as you enter into the beautiful forest full of Douglas-Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), Englemann Spruce (Picea engelmanii), Limber Pine (Pinus flexilis), and Subalpine Fir (Abies lasiocarpa).
You’ll have a slight incline in the beginning but then you will quickly come into view of the magnificent amphitheater of Cedar Breaks.
For the first half a mile you’ll travel along the rim. There are very dangerous drop offs but it’s not difficult to keep a safe distance from the edge during this portion of the hike.
We did not get good cell phone reception so we brought along our Garmin In Reach Explorer+, which I usually just clip onto the back of my backpack.
Just before you get to the half mile marker there is a short trail spur that has a pretty good overlook you might want to check out. It’s a sheer drop off so venture at your own risk.
As you travel along the rim it’s pretty trippy to look to your left and see what looks like just another road traveling through a meadow while on your right you have a canyon that drops 2,000 feet.
After the first half mile, you will begin to descend into the canyon. At this point you will have tremendous views of the canyon that continue to emerge as you make more progress on the trail.
Once you have ventured about 1 mile, you will be coming up on Spectra Point but before you get there you will have your first encounter with the Bristlecone Pine trees. (The oldest known tree in the monument is over 1,600 years old.)
These are fascinating trees that are thought to be the oldest living species in the world, with some living to be over 5,000 years old. This is one of the few places where you can easily get up close and personal with them.
They are also beautiful and have some gnarly looking trunks and limbs.
Note: We saw some people trying to climb into the bristlecone trees but please do not do this.
Once you pass up the bristlecone trees you can enjoy the great views at Spectra Point. For those with an aversion to heights, you will appreciate the railing.
From that viewpoint, it is about 1 mile until the end of the trail towards the Ramparts Overlook. As you make your way down, you will encounter more beautiful Bristlecone Pine trees.
The views will continue to impress as well.
As you descend below 10,000 feet you’ll find yourself in a pretty thick forest full of towering trees.
Over the course of about .7 miles you will drop nearly 400 feet making this the steepest portion of the hike.
Going down will be very easy but coming up may be moderately challenging depending on your fitness level. At an altitude of 10,000 feet, you might catch yourself getting a little bit more winded than usual.
Eventually, you’ll come to the end of the trail.
You’ll have some truly fantastic views. If you’re visiting in the fall, you can look around and find some nice patches of color change among the thick forests below and above. You’ll also have yet another encounter with Bristlecone Pine trees.
Be careful about venturing too close to the edge. This area experiences lots of erosion and you never know how unstable the ledges may be.
The good news is that you have plenty of space to wander around about. There is little to no shade at the viewpoint so if the sun is shining bright remember to put on sunscreen because it is much easier to get sunburned at such a high altitude.
Overall, this is a fantastic trail for hikers of all skill levels. If you begin the trail early enough you may have the lookout points to yourself but just make sure that you bring enough layers with you so that you don’t freeze out on the trail.