Methods and apparatus for enabling a protection path within a network to be monitored are disclosed. According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for sending traffic on a path within an optical network system that has a plurality of nodes and a plurality of fibers includes identifying a circuit path within the optical network system which is associated with a first node and includes at least one fiber. The method also includes sending a signal that includes embedded path trace information on the circuit path from the first node on the fiber, and determining when the signal is received from the first node by a second node over the fiber. Finally, the method includes broadcasting path trace information to the plurality of nodes when it is determined that the signal is not received by the second node over the fiber.