Cedar Breaks National Monument Utah - Part 1 - Orlando / Florida Guide
Florida Guide > Places to Visit
Cedar Breaks National Monument is situated in the state of Utah on US 89 about 30 to 40 minutes drive from the moderately sized town of Cedar city. If you are combining a trip to Cedar Breaks with other National Parks in the area it is 45 miles from Kolob Canyons, 60 miles from Bryce Canyon and 80 miles from Zion National Park.
Although smaller and less well known that it' s next-door neighbor Bryce Canyon, the park still receives hundreds of thousands of visitors every year which sounds a lot but one of the biggest advantages of its lesser status is that it is far less crowded than Bryce and solitude is easy to achieve. For UK visitors you are far less likely to hear a familiar accent here than say in Bryce or Zion and the distance you have travelled can often make you a tourist attraction in itself as we found several times on the day we visited!
The Cedar Breaks National Monument covers an area of approximately 3 miles and is over 2000 feet deep. The highest point on the rim of the amphitheater is approximately 10, 000 feet above sea level which means that even in the summer months the air can be chilly so dress appropriately. It' s vistas are very similar to those of Bryce Canyon, cliffs and hoodoos which constantly change colour depending on the light and the weather. The scenery is simply breathtaking.
Part of the US national parks service, Cedar Breaks is open year-round but because of its high elevation winter snow starts falling from mid October and means that much of the monument is not accessible to motor vehicles during the winter months. After the spring thaw however, usually around mid-May, the roads will be open and once again the park is fully accessible.
The fact that the snow can be heavy in winter does not mean an absence of visitors and snowshoeing, cross country skiing and snowmobiling are all popular at this time.
Weather and temperatures may be a factor to take in to consideration when visiting the park, it is generally much cooler and somewhat unpredictable when comparing it to surrounding areas. Even in the height of the summer the average high is only between 60 - 70 degrees Farenheit, possibly not what you would expect so spidering the general summer temperatures in Utah. Thunderstorms and lightening are both common occurrences and although they are often short lived you need to carry appropriate clothing and be prepared to take shelter.
Unless in possession of A national parks annual pass the entrance fee to the park is five dollars per person and is valid for seven days from purchase. The fee is payable at the entrance station and is an honor based payment system, there is no payment booth on the entry road and visitors are asked to park up and go to the payment booth.
Read on in part 2! !
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