Spectra Point/Ramparts Overlook Trail

See a coral-colored citadel of crumbling pinnacles and spires in Cedar Breaks National Monument.

Trail description

At the parking lot, quaking aspens and mountain wildflowers greet you. The trail quickly passes through the alpine forest, and another few hundred feet puts you at the brink of the steep-cliffed basin that stretches more than three miles across and 2,000 feet down.

Trail to Spectra Point

The geologic history of the main rock strata in Cedar Breaks started 60 million years ago, with deposition into Lake Claron. Sediments washed in from highlands and accumulated in the lake. The siltstones, sandstones, and limestones that formed now make up the Claron Formation, which is especially vulnerable to chemical and physical weathering. Slightly acidic rain slowly dissolves the rock and widens existing cracks. Other forces, such as the freeze/thaw cycle of ice, and plants’ root systems, further break down the fragile rock and create the fins and spires (also called hoodoos), which are the “breaks” that give the park its name.

A bench sits to left side of the trail and a sign warns of the hazards of lightning and other exposure on the rim, where you’ll be for a good part of the hike. Follow the trail south, turning left at the sign. Spectra Point and Ramparts Overlook are 1 and 2 miles farther, respectively. Wildflowers — aspen bluebells, yarrow, and Indian paintbrush — trim the trail and are scattered throughout the forest and meadows to your left.

At about a half mile, you’ll see two water towers left of the trail. Here, you cross the Hurricane Fault zone, which is a series of small fractures that form the western boundary of the Colorado Plateau.

You can see the trail leading to Spectra Point, the white limestone finger to the north, as you descend through a forested area. Before long, you are hiking on the section of trail you saw from above. The trail curves around a talus slope to a barren saddle, where the roots of bristlecone pines are exposed from wind and erosion.

On towards Ramparts Overlook

A sign at 0.9 mile points to Spectra Point. For remarkable views of the amphitheater, walk 75 yards to the right, where you reach a fenced overlook. Return to the sign and go right on the trail that heads towards Ramparts Overlook. The trail meanders past some gnarled bristlecone pines before switchbacking down the side of a ravine. After the fourth switchback, the trail briefly parallels the lovely named Shooting Star Creek.

Much of the forest looks dead around 1.4 miles, a casualty of spruce bark beetles that have damaged many of the Engelmann spruce trees here. The beetles live under the bark and feast on the trees’ nutrient source, which eventually kills them. Though native to the area, the spruce bark beetle population has exploded in the face of a long-term drought and logging activities. A fungal root disease has weakened the trees and left them vulnerable to the beetles.

The trail continues to descend over the next half mile past more bristlecone pines. These hardy trees endure extreme conditions like dry soils, high winds and cold temperatures, explaining why they are one of the oldest living organisms. Despite their stunted appearance, the oldest bristlecones date over 5,000 years old!

You reach Rampart Overlook just shy of 2 miles. Climb up the knoll past the sign, following a lightly worn footpath for the best views. This spot gives a slightly different perspective of the amphitheater than the view from Spectra Point. Fiery oranges, pinks, and reds shine off the hoodoos and spires below, which arises from varying degrees of oxidation of iron and manganese in the rock and creates the Claron Formation’s vivid colors.

Beyond Cedar Breaks you can see Brian Head, the dark peak to the north. Looking west, you see the rather abrupt transition in the landscape of the Colorado Plateau into the Basin and Range Province, which stretches into Nevada and California.

Turn around when you’re ready and retrace your steps back to the trailhead.

Directions

From Cedar City, Utah, take UT 14 about 18 miles, and turn north on UT 148 towards Cedar Breaks and Panguitch Lake. The monument is 4 miles up the road. You pass through a green gate just before entering Cedar Breaks National Monument. Pull off to the left at the park visitor center to pay the entrance fee at the small kiosk. From the parking lot, a Spectra Point Trail sign marks the steps leading up to the official trailhead.