Jason and I needed a break this fall, and a break is exactly what we got in an excursion to Cedar Breaks and Brian Head with a sister. When you get to take a break to a break, you know it’s going to be good.
Jason and I stopped at Parowan Gap on the way to Brian Head. There, an impressive array of petroglyphs has accumulated from different cultures over more than 1000 years, including the Fremont, Paiute, and Hopi. Although Parowan Gap is just a few minutes off I-15, we had never even heard of it until this trip. If you are passing through Utah by way of I-15, this is a great quick detour near Parowan.
The next morning, we began our adventuring in earnest. We rented a six-seat UTV, a Ranger Crew 1000, and headed skyward. We rode it up to the Twisted Forest Trail in Ashdown Gorge and then took to our feet. The Twisted Forest Trail wanders through sparse bristlecone pines atop white and ginger streaked hillsides to a dramatic precipice.
Bristlecone pines are one of the oldest organisms in the world and are only found in six states. They can live over 5,000 years in harsh high-elevation climates. Between their fascinating figures and the views along the dizzying ridgeline, we didn’t mind undertaking this mile-long trek twice to allow a missing member of our group to also enjoy it.
After a double take of the Twisted Forest, we drove our UTV to the crest of High Mountain, which offered extensive outlooks on Cedar Breaks from its hidden backside.
The next day, we hiked at 10,000 feet above hoodoos, fins, arches, and gulches in Cedar Breaks National Monument. At Cedar Breaks, iron and manganese have been shaped by ice, wind, and faults over millions of years to create some of nature’s most exquisite geographic art. A couple of the kids in our group had never been to Cedar Breaks making the Ramparts Trail to Spectra Point and the Ramparts Overlook a must. Although this is probably the most popular path in the monument, it feels uncharacteristically hazardous for a standard route with no rails in most places and a 2,000-foot drop-off unnervingly close.
We added another dash of adventure to our trek with an extra spur from the Ramparts Overlook to Bartizan Arch, a new route for all of us. In total, we only rambled about five miles, but we worked hard for those steps. Wind whipped about us with gusts up to 50 MPH, and our elevation changed over 1,200 feet. When you are already at 10,000 feet, a little elevation gain goes a long way.
Our trip passed fast, and soon it was time to go home. However, we weren’t ready to relinquish just yet. We let the leisure linger a little with a hike to Hidden Haven Waterfall, just a 1.4-mile undertaking. The journey to this cascade comes with a little scrambling and creek hopping, but it is easy enough for all ages.
Afterward, we went to Yankee Meadows Reservoir for a picnic. I can’t say I’d recommend that area currently. It was badly burned by a fire in 2017. While it is starting to regrow, there are more cowpies and charred bark than living plants at this point.
Our little break to a large break held impactful scenery and a big impact on sanity. Yes, in case you are wondering, there is still a world outside your walls, and it continues to be magnificent.