About Cedar City:
Cedar City, UT, is a beautiful city in Southern Utah surrounded by multiple national parks. The city sits on the edge of the Black Mountains. It is known as the “gateway to the parks” because it is close to Arches National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, and Zion National Park. Due to the closeness of the national parks, the city is truly a gateway to a fantastic adventure. During winter, visitors can head up into the mountains to take in the snow and hit the slopes nearby in Brian Head, UT. During the summer, visitors can take in the natural scenery of Cedar Valley with the massive number of hiking and biking trails in the mountains near the city, or take a short trip to the numerous national parks for the iconic scenery. During the fall, visitors and residents can take in the annual sheep parade, where farmers will guide their sheep through the city as they change pastures.
Festivals and Events
Utah Shakespeare Festival
Originally founded in 1961, the Utah Shakespeare Festival has been providing performances of Shakespeare plays in Southern Utah. (5) The festival started by playing only three plays yearly on a nightly rotation. The performers who participate in the plays walk on and play multiple roles throughout the festival for the various plays. There are no special guests or performers for the festival. During the roughest times for Cedar City, the Utah Shakespeare Festival has strengthened the community financially and emotionally. (7)
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Utah Midsummer Renaissance Faire
The Utah Midsummer Renaissance Faire has been happening for over forty years in Cedar City. The faire is an opportunity to dress up and role-play as someone from medieval times. The faire hosts various medieval events and performances, such as a yak show for nomads, a ventriloquist, a harpist, and a dancing troupe. All the performances are from local and around the state residents to showcase their talents and love of the medieval times. Individuals and groups seek to be a part of the faire entertainment. (13)
Utah Summer Games
The Utah Summer Games was founded in 1986 and is an organization and event that creates an atmosphere of competition that is supposed to provide a feel and tradition of the Olympic Games. Southern Utah University runs the games every year. The games connect athletes of all ages from multiple states in the Intermountain West and Southwest Regions. The Summer games host events from 5K/10K runs to dancing, from football to cornhole and horseshoes, from mountain biking to wrestling. The games try to create a sense of community and connection. (2)
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Cedar City History
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National Parks near Cedar City
Cedar City is surrounded by beautiful natural geography, sitting on the side of the Black Mountains. Due to its natural beauty, Cedar City is a prime location to stop by while visiting a few national parks. Cedar City is known as the “gateway to the parks” due to its proximity to three national parks: The Arches, Bryce Canyon, and Zion.
The Arches National Park
Arches National Park is well known for the many pictures of the arch rock formations within the park. The park has many arch formations due to the erosion that has happened for many years. The rock formations show various kinds of rock and layer formations. The Native Americans from the surrounding tribes hold the park area as their ancestral and traditional homeland. Within the park, one can see ancient rock markings. (10)
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Zion National Park
Also known as “Utah’s First National Park,” (12) Zion National Park is on the edges of three ecosystems: the Mojave Desert, the Colorado Plateau, and the Great Basin. The park is known for the popular sites of Angels Landing and The Narrows. (17) It has various hiking and biking trails for visitors of all different levels. Within the park, there is the Parashant National Monument and the Sunset Crater Volcano. Due to the park's geography, visitors can view different rock layers and experience various ecosystems. (12)
Bryce Canyon National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park is located along the Pink Cliffs by the Paunsaugunt Plateau. The Park has beautiful scenery and different rock formations, especially Hoodoo formations. Due to the lack of light pollution and the park's elevation, one can have a wonderful stargazing experience and receive help from one of the park’s Dark Rangers to make the most of it. Throughout the park, there are hiking and horse trails that travelers can use to experience the beautiful scenery that the park has in store. (11)
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Cedar City Physical Geography
Climate
Cedar City is situated in the Southeastern portion of the Great Basin on the Northeastern edge of the Mojave Desert. It has no water supply or nearby reservoirs but obtains water from limited watersheds and aquifers. (15) According to the Western Regional Climate Center, the city receives approximately 10.64 inches of precipitation annually, with an average of 45.1 inches of snowfall. (3)
Landform
Cedar City is situated at an elevation of approximately 5,800 feet above sea level. The city is in a semi-arid climate surrounded by 10,000-foot mountains to the east and a desert area to the west. (6)Cedar City is near three national parks: Zion National Park, Arches National Park, and Bryce Canyon National Park. The city is situated on the edge of the Tushar Mountains, atop a fault line.
Hydrology
The city has no local water supply and relies on limited water sources, including watersheds and aquifers. (15) The town receives water from the Shurtz and Quichapa Creeks and the Valley-Fill aquifer. (1)
Culture of Cedar City
For a small town in Southern Utah, Cedar City has world-renowned theatres, beauty, and outdoor recreation. It is also the home of multiple festivals and events. Cedar City is the home of the Southern Utah Museum of Art and the Spanish Trail Suite. (4) The Southern Utah Museum of Art showcases artwork from regional artists and some emerging and distinguished artists. (4) Regarding the Spanish Trail Suite, they celebrate three different cultures: Paiutes, Hispanics, and Pioneers. (4)
Regarding the performing arts, Cedar City is known for the Utah Shakespeare Festival, which happens every summer. What makes Cedar City and the Utah Shakespeare Festival well-known and successful is the variety and complete representation of Shakespeare’s work and the rotation of the plays every night each year. (9) Another thing that sets it apart is that the whole town gets deeply involved in the productions (9), as do the residents who are the actors in the plays, not some professionals. (7)
In addition to hosting the Utah Shakespeare Festival every year, Cedar City is home to the Orchestra of Southern Utah, which is part of the local university, Southern Utah University. (8) The orchestra has existed since the university's founding. (8) The Orchestra of Southern Utah's tradition allows bands from the local middle schools, high schools, the college, and the community to participate in symphony concerts and opera productions. (8)
Whereabouts of Cedar City
Cedar City Today
At Park Discovery, Facing West
At Park Discovery, Facing West
At Park Discovery, Facing Southwest
At Park Discovery, Facing South
At Park Discovery, Facing West
On 1600 S, Facing Northwest
On 1600 S, Facing South
On 1600 S, Facing West
Resources
Informational Sources
(1) A SUMMARY OF THE GEOLOGY AND HYDROGEOLOGY OF THE CEDAR VALLEY DRAINAGE BASIN, IRON COUNTY, UTAH. Utah Geological Survey. (1998, April). https://ugspub.nr.utah.gov/publications/open_file_reports/ofr-360.pdf​
(2) About the utah summer games. Utah Summer Games. (n.d.).. https://utahsummergames.org/sports/2023/12/20/about-the-utah-summer-games.aspx​
(3) Cedar City Faa Airport, Utah. CEDAR CITY FAA AIRPORT, UTAH - Climate Summary. (n.d.). https://wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?utceda
​​(4) Culture. Culture | Cedar City, UT - Official Website. (n.d.). https://www.cedarcityut.gov/176/Culture​​​​
(5) Festival history. Utah Shakespeare Festival. (n.d.). https://www.bard.org/about/festival-history/
​​​​(6) History. History | Cedar City, UT - Official Website. (n.d.). https://www.cedarcityut.gov/308/History
​​​​(7) Lewis, T. S. (1991). The Utah Shakespearean Festival: twenty-five years in retrospect.​​​
​(8) Orchestra of Southern Utah History. The Orchestra of Southern Utah. (n.d.). https://www.myosu.org/history​​​​
(9) Stevens, A. W. (1976). Utah Shakespearean Festival, 1975. Shakespeare Quarterly, 27(1), 80-82.
​​​​(10) U.S. Department of the Interior. (n.d.-a). Arches National Park (U.S. National Park Service). National Parks Service. https://www.nps.gov/arch/index.htm
​​​(11) U.S. Department of the Interior. (n.d.-b). Bryce Canyon National Park (U.S. National Park Service). National Parks Service. https://www.nps.gov/brca/index.htm​​​
(12) U.S. Department of the Interior. (n.d.-c). Zion National Park (U.S. National Park Service). National Parks Service. https://www.nps.gov/zion/index.htm​​​
(13) Utah Midsummer Renaissance Faire. (n.d.). https://umrf.net/​​​
(14) UTAH: An official website. (n.d.). Iron county. I Love History. https://ilovehistory.utah.gov/iron-county/
​​​(15) Water. Water | Cedar City, UT - Official Website. (n.d.). https://www.cedarcityut.gov/843/Water#:~:text=Located%20in%20the%20southeast%20Great,businesses%20and%20their%20water%20needs.​​​
(16) Wimmer, R. E. (2010). The Walker War Reconsidered. Brigham Young University.​​​
(17) Zion National Park. ZionNationalPark.com. (n.d.). https://zionnationalpark.com/
Picture Sources
(I) Arrington, L. J. (1994). Colonization of Utah. Utah History Encyclopedia. https://www.uen.org/utah_history_encyclopedia/c/COLONIZATION_OF_UTAH.shtml
​(II) Blair, A. (2017, March 17). The Dominguez-Escalante Expedition Reaches Utah Valley. Intermountain Histories. https://www.intermountainhistories.org/items/show/35
(III) Cedar City: A Look Back – Union Pacific Train Depot. Homestead Telegraph. (2017, June 1). https://homesteadtelegraph.wordpress.com/2017/06/01/cedar-city-a-look-back-union-pacific-train-depot/
(IV) Four seasons in Bryce Canyon Region. Bryce Canyon Country. (2022, August 3). https://www.brycecanyoncountry.com/four-seasons-in-bryce-canyon-region/
(V) Holt, R. L. (n.d.). Paiute. Digital-Desert: Mojave Desert. https://mojavedesert.net/paiute-indians/
(VI) Ihler, M. (n.d.). Utah shakespeare festival opens 63rd season. Iron County Today. https://ironcountytoday.com/2024/07/03/utah-shakespeare-festival-opens-63rd-season/
(VII) Rich, C. (n.d.). The Walker War. Utah Historical Markers. https://utahhistoricalmarkers.org/c/uc/the-walker-war/
(VIII) Southern Utah University. (2016, April 14). Where are all the Colleges in Utah?. SUU. https://www.suu.edu/blog/2016/04/what-are-the-colleges-in-utah.html
(IX) SUU Welcomes the 33rd Annual Utah Summer Games. SUU. (2018, June 11). https://www.suu.edu/news/2018/06/utah-summer-games.html
(X) T, Dr. (2023, July 11). Forsooth! The Utah Midsummer Renaissance Faire Is Upon Us!. News Talk KSUB. https://ksub590.com/forsooth-the-utah-midsummer-renaissance-faire-is-upon-us/
(XI) U.S. Department of the Interior. (n.d.). Nature & Science. National Parks Service. https://www.nps.gov/zion/learn/nature/index.htm (XII) Utah shakespeare festival. Shakespeare Theatre Association. (n.d.). https://www.stahome.org/utah-shakespeare-festival-1
(XIII) Visiting Arches National Park. Boarding Pass. (2021, July 21). https://boardingpasstraveler.com/2021/07/13/visiting-arches-national-park/
(XIV) Williams, C. (2017, March 30). Looking back at the origin of SUU 120 years later. KSL.com. https://www.ksl.com/article/43691610/looking-back-at-the-origin-of-suu-120-years-later
Map Sources
Esri. "interstates" [Digital Map]. 1:100,000. June 30, 2010. (April 27, 2025).​
Esri. "majroads" [Digital Map]. Scale Not Given. (April 27, 2025).​
Esri. "U.S. Cities" [Digital Map]. 1:50,000,000. December 30, 2015. (April 27, 2025).
​​Esri. "U.S. States (Generalized)" [Digital Map]. 1:50,000,000. December 30, 2015. (April 27, 2025).​
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) "Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US) 3.0 [Digital Map]. 1:150,000,000. January 31, 2022. (April 27, 2025).
