The best part of writing a Utah guidebook is exploring new cities and places I haven’t already been to. Of course, I spent a lot of time in Southern Utah before moving here, but Cedar City was new to me. I had passed through en route to Bryce Canyon National Park but never stopped to look around. While the location is perfect for exploring various destinations in Southern Utah, the town itself is really worth exploring. It’s a cute town and I was surprised by all the fun things to do in Cedar City Utah, including lots of cool outdoor activities. We stayed here for a few days before embarking on a Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reef road trip.

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Things to Do in Cedar City Utah

On my first visit, I was actually surprised at all the cool things to do in Cedar City Utah. I planned on breezing through en route to Bryce Canyon National Park, but we managed to suss out some neat things; from art to the great outdoors. I’ve since returned to Cedar City two more times to explore the surrounding attractions of Southern Utah. It makes a great base, with lots of affordable accommodation options.

Southern Utah University Art & Sculpture Stroll

This was by far my favorite Cedar City attraction, which is surprising because I’m not a big art connoisseur, but this is a really neat feature on the Southern Utah Museum of Art campus. And it’s free! Even if you’re just passing by Cedar City on a Utah road trip, this is a great place to stop and stretch your legs as it’s about a 45-minute self-guided walking tour through the Southern Utah University campus.

Grab a guide at the Cedar City Visitor Center or download one online. There are many different themes of art throughout the campus, many with a nod to Shakespeare. The Centurium (pictured above) features 12 great thinkers of Western civilization, like Aristotle and Einstein. On a sunny October day, this stroll through the Southern Utah University campus was lovely. On a more personal note, it was here that I learned my sister would be having her 3rd baby, my nephew Jack…so maybe I just had good endorphins here!

Hike Kanarraville Falls

For a classic Utah hiking experience, I highly recommend the hike to Kanarra Falls. The hike starts in the small town of Kanarraville, just 13 miles south of Cedar City. You must pre-purchase a permit for the hike, as they do limit the number of hikers per day, which I think is awesome! The ticket is only $15, so it’s really nice to have fewer hikers!

The total hike is around four miles round-trip, and there’s not a ton of elevation change as it follows Kanarra Creek, but it’s definitely a moderately challenging slot canyon hike. You start off in a wide canyon with beautiful views in every direction, and the canyon continues to narrow until you are walking in water with sheer walls on either side of you. There are several sets of falls and a ladder if you want to climb them and keep going. My feet were frozen, so I turned around after climbing the first ladder.

Cedar Breaks National Monument

There are nine National Monuments in Utah, and Cedar Breaks is one of the coolest! It looks a LOT like Bryce Canyon National Park, minus the crowds and development surrounding the park. This natural amphitheater is over 2,000 feet deep and three miles wide. You can see all of the different layers of rock and the cool hoodoo formations that were left behind. Utah has some great national parks, but you shouldn’t miss this Utah National Monument!

From Cedar City, it’s about a 30-minute drive to Cedar Breaks National Monument. The road is open from May through October, as the Monument is over 10,000 feet in elevation. There are hiking trails along the rim to various overlooks, and sunset is a great time to visit! We made a loop and returned via the northern route through Brian Head. No matter when you visit Cedar Breaks, bring a jacket…it’s chilly that high up!

Nearby Three Peaks Recreation Area is another popular place for camping and trails near Cedar City.

Old Irontown

Just 20 miles west of Cedar City, you can visit a Utah ghost town at the Old Irontown ruins. The main ruin here is the beehive oven where iron was processed. You can even walk inside. A short interpretive trail leads past some other interesting artifacts, including an old house foundation. There aren’t a ton of things to see here, but it’s a nice short walk with some interesting history.

Brian Head Resort

Not far from Cedar Breaks is Utah’s southernmost ski resort. Brian Head Resort is really a year-round destination, but at an elevation of 10,000 feet, they get quite a bit of snow despite being so far south. I love that you can see the unique red rocks of Southern Utah from the ski slopes! In the summer, Brian Head has mountain biking and fun summer events and activities. The high elevation of the surrounding Dixie National Forest is definitely a neat place to check out and escape the summer heat of Southern Utah. Eagle Point Resort can also be skied in a day trip from Cedar City. I skied both Brian Head and Eagle Point while staying at a Cedar City hotel. Both are affordable ski resorts with nice, easy runs for beginners.

Frontier Homestead State Park

For a bit of a history lesson, head to this small state park museum on Cedar City’s Main Street. Learn how and why the Mormon pioneers decided to populate this area in the 19th century. There are indoor and outdoor components to the state park, including several hands-on activity stations and fun events throughout the year.

Cedar City is a great destination for Spring Break in Utah!

Cedar City Events

See why Cedar City is called “Festival City!”

Utah Shakespeare Festival

The Utah Shakespeare Festival is one of the top theater events in the United States. Each summer/fall season, Shakespeare fans travel from all over the world to partake in the festivities. The festival has even received a Tony Award for America’s Outstanding Regional Theater. The facilities are impressive, with TWO Globe theater replicas on the campus of Southern Utah University. This is why many of the sculptures you see have a Shakespeare theme.

Cedar City Livestock & Heritage Festival

The other big annual event in Cedar City is the Cedar City Livestock & Heritage Festival in October. It’s a time to celebrate the agricultural history of Cedar City, with a sheep parade, rodeo, and various contests. This is definitely on my list for my next trip to Cedar City.

Day Trips from Cedar City

Southern Utah is pretty vast, and there are a lot of things to see. If you’re willing to drive a couple of hours, you can really see a lot in a day trip from Cedar City. Of course, St. George is another favorite Utah town, but on my last sweep through the region, I stayed in Cedar City to catch a bunch of random sites for my book.

• The Parowan Gap Petroglyphs are less than 30 minutes away; it’s one of the most accessible places to see petroglyphs in Utah! There are also dinosaur tracks nearby.
• From here, you can take one of Utah’s Scenic Byways, the Patchwork Parkway Scenic Byway to Panguitch.
• St. George is less than 1 hour from Cedar City; it’s one of my favorite cities in Utah, so I always need more than a day, but if that’s all you have, don’t miss it!
• Zion National Park is also nearby; the Kolob Canyon section is just 20 minutes from Cedar City, while Zion Canyon and Springdale are about one hour from Cedar City. You can also stop by Grafton ghost town near Springdale!
• Veyo Pool Resort is just over one hour, or you can stay in Cedar City and check out the Cedar City Aquatic Center
• Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab is 90 minutes from Cedar City
• Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park is 90 minutes from Cedar City
• Frisco Ghost Town is just over one hour from Cedar City, and a great detour if you’re coming down from Salt Lake City.

Plan a Southern Utah road trip!

Cedar City Utah Hotels

If you are a Marriott traveler, the Courtyard Cedar City is a modern hotel, recently renovated and located right off the interstate. (Having stayed at both, I found it to be much better than the nearby Springhill Suites.) When you visit Cedar City, it’s less about where you stay and more about what you do! That said, do NOT stay at the Hampton Inn Cedar City. I cashed in some points on a recent stay and regretted it immensely. I even went home early; it was that bad!

Cedar City sits at 5,800 feet of elevation; follow these tips to avoid altitude sickness.

Cedar City Glamping

20 minutes south of Cedar City, there’s a brand new glamping village. Little Village Retreat has 3 geodesic domes set on wood platforms. The inside of each dome is anything but rustic! Each has a king-sized bed, tons of pillows and blankets, plus a little sitting area where you can take advantage of the spectacular view. There’s a bathhouse with 3 units; all have hot water, heat, and flush toilets and there’s one shower stall. The night sky here is phenomenal!

Checks rates at Little Village Retreat

Check out these other Utah glamping resorts!

Cedar City Restaurants

Cedar City isn’t exactly a culinary destination (yet!) but I have found a few places that I would recommend when visiting Cedar City.

• Centro Woodfired Pizza has a great menu; my mom and I split a pizza and a salad and it was the perfect meal after a day of exploring Cedar City.
• Las Flores Family Mexican Restaurant is a great Mexican option; they have my favorite dish, sopes, so I was happy!
• Nearby Parowan is home to the Parowan Sweet Tour, a trail of tasty cinnamon rolls!

Getting to Cedar City

Cedar City is 3 1/2 hours from Salt Lake City; it’s a straight shot on I-15. Las Vegas is 2 1/2 hours from Cedar City. For all Southern Utah road trips, I recommend flying into SLC and out of Las Vegas, or the other way around, so you don’t have to backtrack and can spend more time exploring! Cedar City Airport has two daily direct flights from Salt Lake City, too.