Cedar Breaks National Monument is located Near Cedar CityUtah, United States. Cedar Breaks is a natural amphitheater canyon, stretching across 3 miles (5 km), and having a depth of over 2,000 feet (600 m). The elevation of the rim of the canyon is over 10,000 feet (3,000 m) above sea level.
The eroded rock of the canyon is similar to formations at Bryce Canyon National Park, but has its own distinct look. Because of its elevation, snow often makes it inaccessible to vehicles from October through May. Its canyon-rim visitor center, tiny compared to nearby and better-known Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks, is open only from June through October, although park headquarters at a lower elevation in Zion is open the rest of the year. It is not as popular as some of the other National Parks, but still, several hundred thousand people visit annually.
The bristlecone pine, a species of tree that lives longer than any other known thing, 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 around Alpine Pond, which is within an easy hike from the road along a clear trail. Aspen, Engelmann Spruce, Subalpine Fir trees, and Limber Pine also grow here.
Spring begins in June at this elevation, when wildflowers cover the canyon rim. Wildflowers bloom all during the short growing season, and visitors can enjoy Indian Paintbrush, Lupine, Blue Columbine, Cinquefoil, Shootingstar, and wild rose, among others. In the earliest spring, Mountain Bluebell, spring beauty, Lavender Fleabane, Larkspur, and various Penstemons appear. The summer winds down with goldenrod and Asters.
Cedar Breaks looking northeast from the canyon rim, possibly from Point Supreme.
The canyon-rim visitor center at 10,350 feet (3150 m) is tiny compared to many and is open only 5 months of the year.
History and geology
Colorful hoodoos are visible looking west from Point Supreme.
The amphitheater covers the west side of the Markagunt Plateau, the same plateau forming parts of Zion National Park. Uplift and erosion formed the canyon over millions of years, raising and then wearing away the shale, calcitelimestone, and sandstone deposited at the bottom of an ancient lake about 55 million years ago. It continues to erode at a pace of about 12 cm a year (2 inches every 5 years). Atop the plateau, volcanic rock known as rhyolitictuff covers much of the area, formed during cataclysmic eruptions around 28 million years ago.
The rocks of the eroded canyon contain iron and manganese in various combinations, providing brilliant colors that led Indians to call it the Circle of Painted Cliffs. Iron oxides provide the reds, oranges, and yellows, while manganese oxides provide shades of purple.
The area is another form of badlands—canyons, spires, walls, and cliffs so steep and confusing that the land is worth nothing except aesthetically. Early settlers called them badlands or breaksand created its current name by combining Breaks with cedar for the many juniper trees (often incorrectly called cedars) that grow in the area.
Cedar Breaks National Monument was established in 1933.
Attractions
There are several hiking trails throughout the park, and a campsite near the canyon rim.
National park proposal
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 adjacent Ashdown Gorge Wilderness, some private land and nearby Flanigan Arch.
