Cedar Breaks National Monument

Cedar Breaks National Monument is located in between two of the most popular national parks in Utah, yet it is visited by just a fraction of the visitors from those other parks. At just 58 miles from Bryce Canyon National Park and 75 miles from Zion National Park, Cedar Breaks makes for a great two or three-hour side trip.

Cedar Breaks National Monument Details

Distance – Typically about 100 feet to each of the four overlooks
Elevation at Cedar Breaks National Monument – 10,350 feet at Visitors Center and the monument high point is 10,467 feet at Chessmen Ridge Overlook.
Difficulty – Easy, You will drive to the each viewpoint.
Amount of water recommended – 1 liter, this is a “Car hike”. Bringing water isn’t a necessity, but if you’ll be hiking at other locations during the day, I would recommend drinking some water during this trip to keep you properly hydrated.
Bathrooms – At the Visitors Center, near Point Supreme Overlook
Season to hike – Late Spring to early Fall
Hazards – Lightning. At over 10,000 feet in elevation, Cedar Breaks receives a lot of lightning strikes.
Permits – $4 per person fee, paid at the Visitors Center ranger booth.

How to get there:

There are two ways to get to Cedar Breaks National Monument from I-15. If coming from the north, take th exit for Parowan (Exit 78). Turn left and go over I-15 heading south. Enter Parowan and stay on Main Street to 200 South. Turn left (East) on to 200 South. Follow 200 South for four blocks, turn right onto Canyon Road, which is UT-143. Follow UT-143 for 15.3 miles This will take you right to the northernmost lookout at Cedar Breaks National Monument, North View Overlook. Note that UT-143 can be closed due to snow.

If coming from the south take I-15 take the exit for Cedar City (Exit 57) The off ramp turns into Main Street. Follow Main Street to Center Street where you will turn right. Take Center Street east and it becomes UT-14. Take UT-14 for 17.4 miles to the Cedar Breaks National Monument Visitors Center. Note that UT-148 can be closed due to snow.

If coming from the east, take US-89 to UT-14. Take UT-14 for 22.5 miles and turn right onto UT-148. Take UT-148 for 3.5 miles to the Visitors Center. Note that UT-14 and UT-148 can be closed during the winter or due to an early snowstorm.

Cedar Breaks National Monument was created August 22, 1933, and is managed by the National Park Service. Since Cedar Breaks is at an elevation of over 10,000 feet, the best months to visit are during the months of May through September. During winters with heavy snowfall, the roads may not be open until mid June. The average high temperatures at Cedar Breaks National Monument are only in the low 60s during July and August, which make it a perfect place to escape the heat down in the valleys.

In 2012, Cedar Breaks National Monument had 550,000 visitors. Nearby Bryce Canyon National Park had 1.39 million visitors while Zion National Park had nearly 3 million visitors. While there isn’t nearly as much to do at Cedar Breaks, it’s definitely a break from the crowds.

The Rattlesnake Creek Trail is the one trail from the rim of Cedar Breaks down to the valley some 3500 feet below. It is a difficult trail to follow, and is about 10 miles in length. It is located at the northern most part of Cedar Breaks National Monument, down an unpaved road that heads west off of UT-143 about a half of a mile north of the North View Overlook. The trail involves several switchbacks while descending the canyon but allows for beautiful, rarely seen views of Cedar Breaks. The trail can then be hard to follow as it is unmaintained trail. The route will eventually take you all the way down to Ashdown Gorge and UT-14. As far as the name of the trail, it crosses Rattlesnake Creek and while rattlesnakes rarely found above 10,000 feet, they are more frequently spotted in elevations of lower than 9000 feet.

On the map above, the four main viewpoints are marked, and make for a pleasant car sightseeing trip. Each overlook brings amazing views of canyons with nearly every color in the rainbow. I found myself taking dozens of pictures at each viewpoint.

After spending just a couple of hours at Cedar Breaks and cooling off from the summer heat, you’ll be ready to descend back to the west toward Parowan or Cedar City, or you can head to nearby Bryce Canyon National Park or Zion National Park. Below are pictures from each of the overlooks.

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