What’s Cedar City? Well to begin, it’s in Utah, so you know you’re going to be surrounded by alien landscapes (unless you’re from the West or Middle East) and adventure. That alone is enough to convince me to pack my backs for a weeklong adventure getaway.
But after some research, it turns out Cedar City, Utah is a veritable adventure hub full of outdoor possibilities and history. Utah itself even made Fodor’s “Go” list for 2016. Naturally I couldn’t help myself and came up with a list of six reasons I want an adventure getaway in Cedar City, Utah.
THE HIKING
Most are lucky to have some park trails near their community. Cedar City laughs at your park trails and raises you some of the finest national parks this country has to offer, which is saying something. If there’s one thing the United States does well, it’s parks.
Nestled into Southern Utah, Cedar City is a 90-minute drive from both Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. Many independent travelers have called Zion National Park the most beautiful in the country. It’s the eighth most-visited park for a reason.
While there are no shortage of hikes — starting from the easy 1.2-mile Pa’rus Trail — I’m eyeing the 14-mile Kolob Arch hike following along La Verkin Creek Trail.
KOLOB ARCH
Speaking of Kolob Arch, that’s out near Cedar City, too. What’s Kolob Arch? Why, just the second largest natural arch in the United States, spanning about 290 feet. It’s only a hair shorter (relatively speaking) than Landscape Arch up in Arches National Park. While I’d be plenty happy to hike to it, braver souls can try a canyoneering route.
SNOW SHOEING
Cedar Mountain is just east of Cedar City and, as rated by travelers themselves, is said to have some of the best skiing and snow shoeing around. Now seeing as my skiing abilities are that of a toddler on the bunny hill, I’d look for an afternoon of snow shoeing during a winter trip out to Cedar City.
ROAD CYCLING
I think I’ve already written about why cycling is my favorite way to travel. So naturally I’d need to find my way to a saddle when having my adventure getaway in Cedar City, Utah. With all those national parks and forests, I’d love to get out there with my bike and coast along the park roads once my feet get tired of hiking.
STARGAZING
Photo by Mike Saemisch
I’ve been on a bit of a space kick as of late. First it was Interstellar and then both the book and film adaptation of The Martian. They reminded me of all those things we learned about when we were younger, more imaginative versions of ourselves. That is, there’s an entire universe out there waiting to be explored!
Since my new obsession with all things space began, I’ve had it in my head that I need to plan some kind of stargazing trip. I can’t think of a better way to wind down after a day of wandering around Cedar Breaks National Monument than by staring at the sky from in child-like wonderment — one of the 10 great places to stargaze, according to USA Today. Who wants to go to a Southern Utah Space Foundation star party? This guy!
THE PETROGLYPHS OF PAROWAN GAP
Taking a break, I’d look to travel back in time by visiting the petroglyphs of Parowan Gap just north of Cedar City. Experts believe it’s one of the largest collections of petroglyphs in the western United States housing 90 panels and approximately 1,500 figures. Some are even said to date back nearly 5,000 years.
This, I’m sure, barely even scratches the surface of what you can do out in Cedar City, Utah. But between the hiking, cycling, history and stargazing, it’s already skyrocketed to the top of my travel list.
Photos: Cedar City & Brian Head Tourism Bureau
Sponsored: This post is sponsored by Cedar City & Brian Head Tourism Bureau.
