Pets allowed
Not Allowed
Elevation Gain
-50.00 ft (-15.24 m)
Trail type
Loop
Distance
2.00 mi (3.22 km)
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Alpine Pond Loop is a short trail located in Cedar Breaks National Monument, one of the few trails available in the park. The views are not as good as the nearby Chessman Loop, but this is still a very pretty hike.

The unique atmosphere of the trail comes from having a mix of alpine and desert terrain combined with heavier-than-normal precipitation. The steep cliffs of nearby Brian Head condense the rising air and create frequent storms year round. The loop doesn't have the best sights of the hoodoos, but it does have heavily wooded forests, a ton of wildflowers, deer, porcupine, hummingbird, the occasional bristlecone pine, and a large number of mushrooms.

The trail overlaps with Chessman Loop on the far end, and you can combine the two to make a 4-mile round trip. The pond is not very deep, but it is a decent size, and you can see it from above on the upper loop. The yurt at the trailhead is a warming hut for snowmobilers and snowshoers that frequent the area in winter.

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Summer
Fall

Congestion

Low

Parking Pass

General Day Use Fee

Pros

Short and easy. Beautiful forests and flowers.

Cons

Not great views.

Trailhead Elevation

10,567.00 ft (3,220.82 m)

Features

Bird watching
Wildlife
Big vistas
Old-growth forest
Wildflowers
Fishing
Geologically significant

Typically multi-day

No

Location

Nearby Adventures

Nearby Lodging + Camping

Comments

07/08/2018
The wildflowers and foliage are very lush this year. The views are not constant from the lower loop, but when you get a chance to peek through the trees, they are spectacular.
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