Chessman Loop Trail

Chessman Loop is a fun and easy way to walk through beautiful forest to see the hoodoos and spires of Cedar Breaks National Monument in the distance. Located next to the overlook by the same name, the highly elevated walk overlaps a bit with the nearby Alpine Pond Loop. These two trails might not give you the stunning sights of Spectra Point, but they are much safer, especially in bad weather, because they are off of the canyon rim. The charming trail has a great feel to it and gives you much more opportunities to see Cedar Breaks than the nearby Alpine Pond Loop.

Keep an eye out for many wildflowers and the occasional bristlecone pine. Also keep an eye out for deer, porcupine, and plentiful mushrooms that grow thanks to the higher-than-normal precipitation the area gets. The elevation gain is minimal thanks to the elevation of the trailhead at 10,500 feet. The heavily wooded trail stays nicely shaded in the early and late parts of the day. The weather changes quickly here so be careful.

The upper loop is nothing spectacular; consider a there-and-back on the lower trail.