Cedar Breaks: Taking the Slow Road to 10,350 Feet

Days two and three….

• 📍 Cedar Breaks National Monument

• 🚙 12 miles

• 📈 Elevation Change: 2,250 feet

Favorite moment: The cool air.

After several days of packing up early and moving on to the next destination, I decided to take my time this morning.

There was no rush. I had a slow morning at Cedar Canyon Campground, packed up camp and eventually headed back up the beautiful scenic drive toward Cedar Breaks National Monument.

I had driven part of this road the day before when I ended up exploring around Duck Creek, but this time Cedar Breaks was the destination.

And the drive was just as beautiful the second time.

As the road climbed higher into the mountains, the views seemed to get better around every turn. Forests, overlooks and wide-open mountain scenery made it one of those drives where getting there was part of the experience.

A Short Walk to Alpine Pond

Once at Cedar Breaks, I took a short hike from the Chessmen Ridge area toward Alpine Pond.

After several days on the road, I wasn't looking for a long hike. This was perfect—a chance to stretch my legs, enjoy the mountain air and take in more of the scenery without spending hours on the trail.

And there was still plenty more to see.

Camping at 10,350 Feet

Eventually, I made my way to Point Supreme Campground, sitting at more than 10,000 feet.

What a difference a little elevation makes.

The night before, I had been much farther down Cedar Canyon. Now I was camping high on the mountain, where the air was noticeably cooler. By morning, it was cold enough that I could actually see my breath.

Oddly enough, it didn't really feel that cold.

Maybe it was because I knew I was camping above 10,000 feet and had expected it to be cold. Or maybe there was just something about waking up in the mountains that made the temperature seem like part of the experience.

Either way, seeing my breath first thing in the morning was a pretty good reminder of just how high I'd climbed.

And the views were breathtaking.

Cedar Breaks immediately reminded me of Bryce Canyon. There were those same incredible shades of orange, red and white, with dramatic formations dropping into a massive natural amphitheater.

But it wasn't Bryce.

It had its own character and its own landscape. Beautiful in a familiar way, but still completely different.

The campground itself was small and very full—a big change from arriving at an empty Cedar Canyon Campground the day before.

The camp host made the rounds, stopping at every campsite to see how everyone was doing and answer any questions.

I had one very important question.

What's the shower code?

Finally, a Hot Shower!

This was the first campground I'd stayed at since starting the trip that had a shower.

After days of hiking, exploring, packing up camp, driving to the next destination, setting everything back up and then doing it all over again the following morning, a hot shower sounded absolutely amazing.

And it was.

It's funny how something so ordinary at home can feel like an incredible luxury when you've been camping for several days.

Clean, warm and settled into my campsite high in the mountains, I could finally relax and enjoy where the road had brought me that day.

Cedar Breaks was beautiful. It reminded me of Bryce Canyon, but I don't think I'd want to describe it as a smaller version of Bryce or compare the two too closely.

They each deserve to stand on their own.

And after a slow start to the morning, a gorgeous drive into the mountains, a short hike, breathtaking views and that long-awaited hot shower, Cedar Breaks turned out to be another pretty great day on the road.

Thanks for journeying with me!
~ Bridget