Cedar Breaks National Monument
IUCN category V (protected landscape/seascape)
Cedar Breaks amphitheater
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Location	Iron County,Utah,U.S.
Coordinates	37°38′33″N112°50′56″W / 37.6424776°N 112.8488318°W /37.6424776; -112.8488318
Area	6,155 acres (24.91 km2)[1]
Created	August 22, 1933 (1933-08-22)
Visitors	688,644 (in 2022)[2]
Governing body	National Park Service
Website	Cedar Breaks National Monument

Cedar Breaks National Monument is aU.S. National Monument located in theU.S. state ofUtah nearCedar City. Cedar Breaks is a naturalamphitheater, stretching across 3 miles (4.8 km), with a depth of over 2,000 feet (610 m). The elevation of the rim of the amphitheater is over 10,000 feet (3,000 m) abovesea level. Rising above the rim is the prominentBrian Head, the peak of which lies a short distance outside of the National Monument boundary.

The rock of the amphitheater is more eroded than, but otherwise similar to, formations at nearbyBryce Canyon National Park, Red Canyon inDixie National Forest, and select areas of Cedar Mountain (SR-14). Because of its elevation, snow often makes parts of the park inaccessible to vehicles from October through May. Its rim visitor center is open from June through October. Several hundred thousand people visit the monument annually. The monument area is the headwaters ofMammoth Creek, a tributary of theSevier River.^[3]

Wildlife can often be seen in this high-altitude setting.Mule deer andporcupines are common, as are rodents and similar animals such asmarmots,golden-mantled ground squirrels,pocket gophers, andchipmunks.Mountain lions and other larger animals live in the area but are seldom seen. Common birds include theClark's nutcracker,violet-green swallows, and thecommon raven.^[4]

Thebristlecone pine, a species of tree that is known as the longest living single organism, can also be found in the high country, with some local specimens known to be more than 1600 years old. Subalpine meadows dot the canyon rim in such areas as Alpine Pond, which is an easy hike from the road along a clear trail.Aspen,Engelmann spruce,subalpine fir trees, andlimber pine also grow here.^[5]

Spring begins in June at this elevation, when wildflowers cover the canyon rim. Wildflowers bloom all during the short growing season, and visitors can enjoyColorado columbine,scarlet paintbrush,subalpine larkspur,pretty shooting star,orange sneezeweed,Panguitch buckwheat,prairie smoke,silvery lupin,yellow evening primrose,shrubby cinquefoil,Parry primrose,plantainleaf buttercup, and two species ofPenstemon.^[6]

The amphitheater, located near the west end of theColorado Plateau, covers the west side of theMarkagunt Plateau, the same plateau that forms parts ofZion National Park. Uplift and erosion formed the canyon over millions of years, raising and then wearing away theshale,limestone, andsandstone that were deposited at the bottom of an ancient lake 70 by 250 miles (110 km × 400 km), known asLake Claron, about 60 million years ago. It continues to erode at a pace of about 2 inches (50 mm) every 5 years. Atop the plateau, much of the area is covered by volcanic rock known astuff, formed during cataclysmic eruptions around 35 million years ago.^[7]

The rocks of the eroded canyon containiron andmanganese in various combinations, providing brilliant colors that led Indians to call it theCircle of Painted Cliffs. Iron oxides provide the reds, oranges and yellows, while manganese oxides provide shades of purple. The color of the rock is soft and subtle compared to the hoodoos at Bryce Canyon.

The area is a form ofbadlands—canyons, spires, walls, and cliffs so steep and confusing that the land, while of great aesthetic value, is of little utilitarian worth. Early settlers called thembadlands orbreaks and created the current name by combiningbreaks withcedar for the manyjuniper trees (often incorrectly calledcedars) that grow in the area.

Cedar Breaks National Monument was established in 1933. A small lodge designed byGilbert Stanley Underwood and built and operated by theUtah Parks Company once existed near the south end of the monument, but it was razed in 1972. The Cedar Breaks Lodge was the smallest of the park lodges in the Southwest. It was deemed "uneconomical to operate" by the Park Service, but protests associated with its demolition caused the Park Service to re-examine its policies concerning lodges in other parks, contributing to their preservation.^[8]

According to theKöppen climate classification, the area has a dry-summersubalpine climate (Dsc).

There are two well-advertisedhiking trails in the monument, and a campsite near the canyon rim. Trails^[12] range from .6 to 5 miles from easy to moderately strenuous.

In 2006,Iron County officials considered a proposal for legislation to expand the monument and rename it Cedar Breaks National Park. The new park would include the adjacentAshdown Gorge Wilderness, some private land and nearby Flanigan Arch.^[13]

• Cedar Breaks
• 
  Panoramic view from the canyon rim
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  View from the canyon rim.
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  Cedar Breaks looking northeast from the canyon rim.
• 
  Golden-mantled ground squirrel on thelimestone canyon rim
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  The canyon-rim visitor center at 10,350 feet (3,150 m) is open 5 months of the year.
• 
  Point Supreme
• 
  Cloudy day in September 2008
• 
  Panorama of Cedar Breaks National Monument.
• 
  Panoramic view of Cedar Breaks National Monument to the north during sunset.
• 
  Cedar Breaks from Point Supreme at sunset
• 
  Hoodoos at Cedar Breaks from Point Supreme at sunset

• List of national monuments of the United States
• Panguitch Lake
• Dixie National Forest

Wikimedia Commons has media related toCedar Breaks National Monument.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide forCedar Breaks National Monument.

• NPS: officialCedar Breaks National Monument website

• IUCN Category V
• Cedar Breaks National Monument
• Rock formations of Utah
• Landforms of Iron County, Utah
• Badlands of the United States

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