August 2019 – One of the things that Cedar Breaks National Monument in southern Utah is most known for is the brilliant display of wildflowers that happens in mid-July and early August.
Summer wildflowers at Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah
The overlooks at Cedar Breaks are stunning, of course, and well worth the trip to go see.
Cedar Breaks National Monument – WOW!
Stunning red rock views at Cedar Breaks
Monsoon clouds over Cedar Breaks
The wildflowers, however, are out of this world. They aren’t everywhere, but we found them in thick pockets here and there. They were especially dramatic on a hillside along the highway on the back side of the Monument. What a gorgeous and colorful meadow!
Hillside full of wildflowers at Cedar Breaks.
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Soft, undulating shades of lavender filled the hillside, and we wandered among the flowers for a long time admiring the blanket of pastel hues.
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Little sprigs of red Indian Paintbrush were visible here and there. What a lovely contrast to the purple flowers and green grass all around.
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A red paintbrush in a canvas of purple flowers
Over the years, when we’ve chatted with other travelers about this area, they’ve often asked us, “Did you go to Brian Head?”
Well, “Brian Head” is the name of a ski resort near here, and after hearing so much about Brian Head we made a special trip to the ski resort years ago. It was an interesting place, but didn’t impress us as being some kind of magical “must see” spot.
This year, while we were out and about, we noticed a sign at the start of a dirt road that said: “Scenic Vista.” This sounded promising!
The road wound around and climbed up a steep ascent. At the top, we realized we were at Brian Head — the Brian Head everyone had been talking about!
Brian Head is a knoll at an elevation of over 11,300 feet, and it offers a commanding view of the surrounding area. Back in the 1930s the CCC built a stone monument for visitors at the top.
At the Brian Head overlook there is a stone building built by the CCC in the 1930s
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There are a few trails that take you to various views, and they were all terrific. But the most dramatic was the one overlooking the amphitheater of Cedar Breaks National Monument in the distance.
The red rocks of Cedar Breaks glow in the distance.
We had arrived on a blustery late afternoon during the “golden hour” just before sunset, and the red rocks of Cedar Breaks were lit with a magical glow.
What a cool view of Cedar Breaks!
From this perspective we could see how the Cedar Breaks amphitheater was cut right out of the side of the mountain. How totally cool!
Cedar Breaks seen from Brian Head
There are several hiking trails around Cedar Breaks National Monument, and the Alpine Pond Loop Trail is where lots of wildflowers hang out. However, it is not pet-friendly. So we walked the dog friendly trail between the main overlook, Point Supreme, and Sunset View quite a few times, and we found lots of wonderful flowers in bloom.
Some of them seemed to have been carefully arranged by a divine hand.
I looked down and saw this awesome little flower arrangement right at my feet
Nature’s handiwork
A pair of columbines
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A busy bee
Mother Nature’s arrangement of Indian Paintbrush with a log in the background
Buddy checks out some flowers
On our RZR rides in the area, I had noticed a clump of purple flowers nestled against a triangular rock. I had a hunch they would be especially pretty at sunset, so I headed out one evening to take a pic. I wasn’t disappointed — what a beautiful flower arrangement Mother Nature had made!
This cluster of flowers looked so cool during the day I returned at sunset to capture them with a pretty sky
As the days went by, some types of flowers began to fade while others began to bloom. Patches of bright yellow flowers appeared here and there.
When one group of flowers faded another bloomed. Yellow flowers appeared after a few days.
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We met lots of different folks who came to the area to see the exotic red rocks at Cedar Breaks, but we also came across a few travelers who were visiting at this time specifically to see the wildflowers too.
Indian Paintbrush
If you decide to put Cedar Breaks National Monument on your travel itinerary, be sure to get to Brian Head, the “real” Brian Head!
And if you go in mid-summer, keep an eye out for Nature’s handiwork in the colorful wildflower displays all around.
Columbine
A soft blanket of flowers
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More info about Cedar Breaks National Monument:
- Cedar Breaks National Monument Official Website
- National Park Service Map of the Monument
- RV Camping Options
- Locations of Brian Head and Cedar Breaks
Other blog posts from Cedar Breaks:
- Cedar Breaks National Monument – Wild Skies & Summer Storms
- Cedar Breaks National Monument – Glorious Amphitheater of Red Rocks!
- Cedar Breaks National Monument – A Hidden Jewel in Utah
- Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah – Better Than Bryce?
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Emily,
Love the colors of the rocks and flowers. Great picture of Buddy overlooking the valley during the golden hour.
Bob
Thanks, Bob! It was such a fun surprise to get up on that plateau. Buddy kept himself busy looking for critters, but I was able to catch him for a split second as he looked out at the view!
Spectacular wildflower pics❣️
Thanks, Mary. Have fun with that super cool new trailer!!
Cedar Breaks National Monument…yes, indeed – WOW !!!
The stalky red of the Indian paintbrush punctuates the blankets of blues/lavenders…and that sunset sky crowns that floral bouquet. Beautiful shots of the individual flowers….Mother Nature at her best.
Those flowers were so colorful and vibrant. We drove by the big patch a few times before we finally made a specific trip to that spot to commune with them for a while!!
Gorgeous! I’ve been there in the fall but would live to see it in the spring too!!
It’s gorgeous any time!