Cedar City Travel Guide

Cedar Breaks National Monument is located about 40 kilometers east of Cedar City, Utah, at the edge of the Markagunt Plateau, and is a breathtaking natural amphitheater rock wonder. This massive semicircular cliff drops 2,000 feet deep and spans over 3 miles, sculpted by millions of years of geological movement and wind and rain erosion. The cliff walls display brilliant layers of red, orange, yellow, purple, and white sedimentary rock, creating a natural giant open-air theater under sunset glow, with grandeur comparable to Bryce Canyon but more pristine and serene. The monument sits at an elevation exceeding 10,000 feet, representing Utah's high-altitude natural landscape. In summer, alpine wildflowers bloom along the cliff rim, creating picturesque scenes of flowers and colorful rock. The monument features a rim drive road and several hiking trails, with the Alpine Pond Trail being the classic route allowing visitors to descend into the cliff base for close-up views of hoodoos and arches. Due to high elevation, the monument is open only from June to October.