The pleasant college town of Cedar City lies 250 miles south of Salt Lake City near some of southwestern Utah’s most scenic national parks such as Zion and Bryce. Known for its annual festivals and cool elevation of 5,800 feet, Cedar City is both a popular tourist destination in itself and a gateway to countless outdoor recreation sites.
For a small town, Cedar City embodies a metropolitan lifestyle usually reserved for much larger cities. As the home of the world-renowned Utah Shakespearean Festival and Southern Utah University, there’s a decidedly cultural and artistic flair to this town. Along with the packed festival schedule, the university student population keeps things active throughout the year.
The logical layout of Cedar City makes it a pleasure to walk around. All of the art galleries, shops, restaurants and bars are within a short distance of each other in the compact downtown area. But you’ll need a car to get to the six national parks, Brian Head Ski Resort and forested Markagunt Plateau, which are all within a short drive of town. Winter skiing and summer mountain biking are just two of the hot sports on offer in the wilderness around Cedar City.
Highlights
Bryce Canyon National Park: hike the trails through the colorful eroded rocks of Bryce which have been shaped into natural amphitheaters by the forces of nature.M.
Zion National Park: dramatic red rock cliffs, canyons and spectacular hiking trails await visitors to this hugely popular national park.
Brian Head Ski Resort: the best skiing in southern Utah is found at this family oriented ski resort featuring amazing scenery and some of the best snow in the region.
Iron Mission State Park: a collection of pioneer and Native American artifacts are used to tell the story of early Mormon missionaries in this region.
Parowan Gap Petroglyphs: just north of town is a rock cliff with some well-preserved Indian petroglyphs.
Markagunt Plateau: heavily forested, and minutes from town, this large plateau has the best hiking, biking, horseback riding and fishing in the area.
Utah Shakespeare Festival: held on campus at the Southern Utah State College each year, the festivals draws theater-goers on their hundreds every summer.