Cedar City is a small city in Dixie, Utah, and is a good place to stock up on supplies before heading into beautiful wilderness areas stretching out in all directions. The city is sandwiched between mountain ranges covered by Dixie National Forest, while further to the southwest lie the remotest areas of Zion National Park, and to the east Cedar Breaks National Monument and Bryce Canyon National Park.
Understand
Climate
Cedar City's elevation is approximately 5840' (1780m) above sea level, which gives it warm summers and cold winters.
Get in
By plane
By car
Cedar City is located along I-15, the north-south freeway through western Utah. The drive from Salt Lake City is 3.5 hours and 2.5 hours from Las Vegas.
By bus
Salt Lake Express provides intercity bus service.
Get around
See
Do
- Utah Shakespearean Festival, 351 W. Center St, 37.67736°, -113.06455°, +1 435 586-7880, usfinfo@bard.org. Founded in 1961, the Utah Shakespearean Festival takes place each year on the campus of Southern Utah University from June to October. $20-100
- Neil Simon Festival, 105 North 100 East (Take exit 59 on I-15 and turn onto 200 North Street heading east. After driving approximately one mile, continue straight to cross Main Street and take the next right onto 100 East Street. Travel another block and the Heritage Center Theater will be to the right. Immediately past the theater (also on the right) is a free covered parking garage.), 37.67923°, -113.06005°, +1-435-267-0194.
- Brian Head Ski Resort, 329 South Highway 143 Brian Head, UT 84719, 37.6833°, -112.833°. Southern Utah's premier ski resort. Winter activities include skiing, tubing, and bag jump. Summer activities include biking, hiking, golf, and geo-caching. $35-54
- Southern Utah Thunderbirds. The sports teams representing Southern Utah University, now in its final months as a member of the Big Sky Conference before moving to the Western Athletic Conference in July 2022. While SUU is a member of NCAA Division I, it lacks the high profile of some other schools in the state, most notably Utah in Salt Lake City and BYU in Provo, in no small part because its football team plays in the second-level Division I FCS. On the plus side, this means ticket prices are considerably lower than those for more prominent teams. The most prominent venues, both on campus, are Eccles Coliseum 📍 for football and America First Event Center 📍 for basketball, volleyball, and women's gymnastics.
Buy
- Utah Shakespearean Festival Gift Shoppe, 300 W University Blvd.
Eat
- Ninja Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar, 1180 Sage Drive #A, +1 435 867-5577.
- Café Rio, 1243 South Sage Dr, +1 435 867-3800.
- Bard's Food and Drink Establishment, 1575 West 200 North, +1 435 865-7645.
- The Pastry Pub, 86 W Center St, Cedar City, UT 84720, +1 435 867-1400. 2020-08-18
Drink
Sleep
- SpringHill Suites Cedar City, 1477 South Old Hwy 91, +1 435 586-1685.
- Comfort Inn, 1288 S. Main St, +1 435 865-0003, hotelhelp@choicehotels.com. The Comfort Inn in Cedar City is a newly built hotel located just two miles away from Souther Utah University.
- Quality Inn, 250 N. 1100 West, +1 435 586-2082, hotelhelp@choicehotels.com. This hotel has the largest indoor pool in Cedar City and features great perks like free airport transportation with advanced reservations.
- Abbey Inn Cedar City, 940 West 200 North (Interstate 15, one block east at exit #59), +1 435 586-9966. A Magnuson Hotels affiliate, Abbey Inn Cedar City is 7 blocks from Southern Utah University, the Utah Shakespearean Festival and 30 minutes from Brian Head Ski and Summer Resort.
Connect
Go next
Cedar City is located very near major recreational areas including:
- Cedar Breaks National Monument - a half-mile deep geologic amphitheater. Wander among timeless bristlecone pines, stand in lush meadows of wildflowers, ponder crystal-clear night skies, and experience the richness of the subalpine forest. Utah Highway 148, the main road through Cedar Breaks, is closed during the winter due to high snowfall.
- Bryce Canyon National Park - There is no place quite like Bryce Canyon. Hoodoos (odd-shaped pillars of rock left standing from the forces of erosion) can be found on every continent, but here is the archetypal "hoodoo-iferous" terrain.
- Capitol Reef National Park
- Zion National Park - to the south.
- Las Vegas - only about a 2-hour drive along I-15 to the southwest.