Red-rock Country Never Disappoints

Color comes to life in one of Kanarra Creek Falls’ many slot canyons.

Stunning view on a hike along the Navajo Trail in Bryce Canyon.

 Red rocks of Cedar Break National Monument at 10,350-foot Point Supreme.

Story & Photos By Stan Wawer

Cedar City. Ever heard of it? Probably not, unless you have driven Interstate 15 heading for Colorado or Southern Utah’s red-rock country.

Cedar City is a town of about 30,000 that still rolls up its streets on Sunday. It is also a town with a major university, a Tony Award-winning Shakespeare Theater Festival and surrounded by some of the most gorgeous scenery in America — Bryce Canyon, Zion, Kolob Canyons and Cedar Breaks National Monument.

“Cedar City is a pass through for tourists going to Bryce or Zion,” said Harry Brown, my guide on a Bryce Canyon and scenic byways tour. “If Cedar Breaks National Monument was a national park, we [Cedar City] would be on the radar.”

During my weeklong stay, I also learned that Cedar City residents are friendly and helpful and that its Shakespeare Festival is as good as it gets. Add to that the Neil Simon Festival, Groovefest American Music Festival and the Cedar Livestock & Heritage Festival and you get a good idea why the place is called Festival City USA.

The Neil Simon Festival is the only theater festival completely dedicated to Simon’s works. The Groovefest is one of the nation’s largest free music festivals. Livestock may not be your thing but you and your family would probably get a kick out of 2,000 sheep parading down Main Street during the Cedar Livestock & Heritage Festival.

If you came for the red rocks, you will not be disappointed. Less than a half-hour south of Cedar City is Kolob Canyons and Kanarra Creek Falls with its slot canyons — a photographer’s dream. My four-hour-plus hike in Kanarra Creek falls left me with a jaw-dropping experience in more ways than one.

The hidden gem that is Kanarra Creek Falls gives hikers a slot canyon experience without an all-day commitment and hassle of a permit required to hike Zion “narrows” and “subway.”

As I sloshed through water mostly ankle deep, but often reaching mid calf, I slipped on an unseen black rock. My weighted backpack pulled me down quickly but also cushioned my fall. My first reaction was to lift my camera over my head to keep it dry. No luck. It got wet enough to stop functioning. I was able to save all pictures but the camera, alas, has gone to that great camera heaven in the sky. The camera aside, I would not trade that hike for anything.

When I drive though this area, I often wonder why it’s not all a national park. A good example is Cedar Breaks National Monument. Breathtaking, an overused word in Southern Utah, is the first word that comes to mind when you stop at 10,420 feet and look down into the amphitheater.

“Mother Nature’s art work for millions and millions of years,” said Ranger Nancy Montoya.

The moment I drive into Bryce or Zion, or Arches or Canyonlands, I know why these other scenic areas are just national parks in waiting.

As our tour headed toward Bryce, we explored Southern Utah’s scenic byways — Patchwork Parkway Highway 143, Scenic Highway 14 and All-American Byway 12 — as well as Cedar Breaks and Dixie National Forests’ Red Canyon. When we reached Cedar Breaks, I said, “This should be a national park.” When we stopped for lunch in Red Canyon, I said, “This should be a national park.” When we arrived in Bryce Canyon, I said, “THIS is a national park.”

For more information on Cedar City, go to www.cedarcity.org. For more information about the area’s national parks and monuments, go to www.nps.gov.

Where to stay

Cedar City is right off Interstate 15 about six-and-a-half hours from Los Angeles. There are a number of reasonably priced hotels and motels in the area. I stayed at the Crystal Inn Hotel & Suites (www.crystalinncedar.com). Crystal Inn is clean, with large rooms, a pool, spa, small fitness room, restaurant and bar. Remember, this is Utah. Most beers are 3.2 and you generally have to order food with your alcohol. The best thing I liked about the Crystal Inn was the overall hospitality of its employees.

If you hike

Wear waterproof sandals or water shoes. Do not wear hiking boots (take it from someone who did). Keep your camera in a waterproof bag when not in use and travel light. Leave the backpack in your room or the car. Bring plenty of water. You are hiking in altitude and it’s hot.

All information is accurate at the time of publication but prices, dates and other details are all subject to change. Confirm all information before making any travel arrangements.

Stan Wawer’s story on the migration of the sandhill crane, which appeared in publication in May of 2011, won a Society of American Travel Writers award in the Newspaper Travel Article (fewer than 1,000 words) category.