Cedar City
UTAH

Cedar City, Utah, bustles with activity—and good old-fashioned hospitality. This small college community is ideally located to serve as the gateway city to Utah’s national park country. Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks are just a short drive away, as is Cedar Breaks National Monument.

When tourists have their fill of the scenery, Cedar City provides plenty of other options, including festivals, live theater, historic landmarks, summer recreation and simple relaxation.

Mormon pioneers were first sent to this area to mine iron deposits.  Iron remained the major source of income for Cedar City citizens -- and Iron County -- until the 1980s.

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. Many of Cedar City 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.

Few towns in America can boast the year-round calendar of celebrations that Cedar City hosts every year. Everyone will find an event or two that appeals to them!

City festivals include, but are not limited to:

• The Great American Stampede
• The Utah Shakespearean Festival
• Utah Neil Simon Festival
• Cedar City Cowboy Gathering
• The All-American Children’s Christmas Festival
• Festival Royale
• Winterfest
• Paiute Pow-Wow
• Cedar SkyFest Balloon Festival

Is it any wonder Cedar City has earned the distinction of being Festival City, USA?
 

While Cedar Ridge Golf Course is probably not as well-known as some of the courses to the south, it is definitely one of Utah's finest community-operated courses. The 18 hole course is friendly enough for beginners

but provides enough challenges to make the seasoned golfer happy.

Especially in the early morning or late afternoon the desert backdrop provides soothing pleasure to your experience. You can tee off within minutes of arrival, without being rushed.

Remnants of the Anasazi, Fremont and Paiute cultures are seen throughout the southern Utah region, including the Parowan Gap Petroglyphs historic site, where an ancient Native American solar calendar was recently discovered.   The Anasazi are said to have disappeared several thousand years ago.  The reason the Fremont Indians disappeared about 700 years ago remains one of North American archaeology's most enduring mysteries.  Several medicine men have pointed out a similarity in community layouts and garbage disposal areas that might indicate that individual members survived even though the cultures disappeared.

The modern-day Paiute tribal headquarters is located in the heart of Cedar City.

The Monsters of Moab:  Earth has a vault of time vast beyond our human comprehension.  No geologic feature is permanent.  The mountains are constantly falling.  New islands are constantly rising.  Even the poles seem to shift now and then.  Three hundred million years of unhurried incremental changes culminated in exposing the Arches as we know them today.

Bryce Canyon, Photo Tour

The Little Sahara Recreation Area, 124 SQUARE MILES of four wheeling paradise.  Sure, a lot of it is nothing but sand and sage brush -- but there are miles of trails all through that. Plus, the endless dunes do go on -- and on, for miles. 

Cache Valley:  People travel to northern Utah to get away from the rest of the world. It is a place to regroup and gather your thoughts as you sit by a beautiful canyon lake or river. Fur trappers once roamed this area, and planned two of the largest rendezvous here.  

Cascade Springs is a must see for those heading over American Fork canyon on the Alpine Scenic Loop.  There is a $3.00 dollar use fee to access the canyon.

Cedar City:  This small college community is ideally located to serve as the gateway city to Utah’s national park country.

New Uranium Strike in Utah 

White Rim Ride in Canyonland National Park