Just two and half hours from the bright lights of Las Vegas, travelers will find a serene escape and a gateway to outdoor adventure. With more than ten recreation areas surrounding Cedar City, outdoor enthusiasts will not be disappointed with the offerings. Whether travelers are looking to camp with the family, hike along some of the most beautiful trails in the west or up their adrenaline by off-roading over volcanic rock formations – scenic southern Utah is the place to be.
Cedar Breaks National Monument
About two miles south of Brian Head lies Cedar Breaks National Monument, a huge amphitheater high atop the Markagunt Plateau, over 2,500 feet deep and more than three miles across. With spectacular colors formed by an abundance of mineral deposits, Cedar Breaks National Monument is breathtaking to behold. The formations in Cedar Breaks consist of ridges, pinnacles and buttresses carved from the steep cliffs by wind and water erosion over more than 30 million years. A six-mile scenic drive leads past four overlooks, each offering a different perspective of the amphitheater. For those who want to get off the beaten path, two hiking trails near the rim provide an added appreciation of the geology and flora and fauna of Cedar Breaks.
Camping, star-gazing, hiking and ranger led activities are just the icing on the cake of adventures to be had at Cedar Breaks.
Just west of Cedar City lies the Three Peaks Recreation Area. At Three Peaks, 4x4 rock-crawling enthusiasts turn out at least three times a year for hard-core rock-crawling competition where modified four-wheelers crawl and dig their way through amazing rock obstacles. Several national championships have taken place at the complex over the last four years, and the competitions have been highlighted on ESPN and the Outdoor Life Network, as well as in Four Wheel Drive magazine.
Established in 1909 as Mukuntuweap National Monument, the area expanded in 1919 and was called Zion National Park. Zion offers stunning scenery found nowhere else on earth. A geologic showpiece with sandstone cliffs among the highest in the world, Zion features one of the last mostly free-flowing river systems on the Colorado Plateau as well as a large, diverse plant and animal community.
Kolob Canyons is the lesser-known portion of Zion but is equally as spectacular. These canyons are a beautiful place to tour throughout the year. In the winter, the red Navajo sandstone glimmers with a fresh dusting of snow, and in the spring the waterfalls cascade down the rugged cliffs, streaking them black from the run-off. Wildflowers bloom in abundance during the summer, and with the coming of autumn, the yellow-gold leaves of the valley's scrub oak offers an interesting contrast to the vast scenery.
Plan on going to the 2010 Utah Shakespearean Festival from June 28 to August 28 or September 16 to October 16.Enjoy a spectacular countryside and its recreational offerings while relishing in one of the largest Shakespeare festivals west of the Mississippi. Since 1962, Cedar City, Utah has hosted the premier arts in the park and the Shakespearean Festival won a Tony Award in 2000 for outstanding regional theater.
Theater buffs and ordinary tourists alike relish their time spent here as they enjoy both Shakespeare and contemporary productions, the Green Show, the Royal Feast, seminars, classes and tours--all quietly accented by the stunning inspiration of the world-famous southern Utah scenery. Cedar City-Brian Head Tourism Bureau has specific schedules for all activities.
Other exciting activities planned for the 2010 Shakespeare Festival:
Nestled in the beautiful red rock country northeast of Cedar City, Brian Head Resort boasts plenty of excellent powder skiing. State-of-the-art snowmaking equipment guarantees early season openings, but Brian Head's high altitude (at 9,600-11,307 feet above sea level, the highest ski resort in Utah) ensures that the resort receives abundant nature snowfall throughout the ski season. The Giant Steps and Navajo Mountain, Brian Head's two ski mountains are connected with two new chair lifts and a skier bridge over the highway.
The resort's 64 trails, chutes and bowls offer terrain for all skiing abilities. Snowboarders are also welcome at Brian Head, and the resort’s snowboard park features a variety of pipes, jumps and slides. Other features include a tubing hill, night skiing, ski lessons, cross-country skiing, snowmobile rental, and child care services.
Few towns in America can boast the year-round calendar of celebrations that Cedar City hosts every year. Everyone will find an event that appeals to them! City festivals include:
During the summer, the town of Brian Head hosts a variety of weekend events, welcoming summer visitors to Utah’s only full-service resort. Summer is also mountain biking season, and the area's extensive trail system offers thrilling and scenic rides through forests and red rock country. Bikers can even ride a chairlift to a mountain peak and bike down. In addition, summer visitors will find ample hiking, fishing, ATV and camping options. Play a round at the well-kept Cedar City golf course. Winter in Cedar City boasts superb powder at Brianhead Resort, boundless snowmobile trails and beautiful backdrops for cross-country skiing.
The Cedar City/Brian Head area was first inhabited by Native American tribes, including the Anasazi,Fremont and Paiute tribes. Remnants of these cultures are seen throughout the southern Utah region, including at the Parowan Gap Petroglyphs historic site, where an ancient Native American solar calendar was recently discovered. The modern-day Paiute Indian tribal headquarters and reservation are located in the heart of Cedar City.
Father Escalante and Father Dominguez made first mention of the area in their records while searching for California. Later, Mormon pioneers settled the area when they were sent to the area to mine iron ore. The iron industry was the major source of income for Cedar City citizens and Iron County until the 1980s.
Cedar City’s historic downtown is garnering lots of attention since many of the merchants restored their buildings to their original turn-of-the-century splendor. The renovations have made the area a charming place to meet, dine and shop, with quaint shops and boutiques offering plenty of browsing options. The Old Rock Church, built during the Depression with local materials and donated labor, is a crown jewel symbolizing the fortitude and ingenuity of the city’s original residents, and a new 900-seat community theater features an old-fashioned town square shopping and dining complex. During its heyday, the Old Union Pacific Depot greeted visitors from around the world, many of whom came to see the area’s national parks.
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