National Monuments · Utah
Cedar Breaks National Monument
National Park Service source material · single source. Source dates and reuse information are available beside each field.
Check the official park website for current access, conditions and visitor information.
Introduction
Background: 1
Crowning the Grand Staircase, Cedar Breaks sits at over 10,000 feet and looks down into a half-mile deep geologic amphitheater. Come wander among timeless bristlecone pines, stand in lush meadows of wildflowers, ponder crystal-clear night skies and experience the richness of our subalpine forest.
Geography
Designation: 2
National Monument
State or territory: 3
Utah
Park Map - Cedar Breaks National Monument: 4
Map scope: Cedar Breaks National Monument
Map of Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah. The monument is roughly square with shallowly stepped edges. Terrain is shown in green, tan, and beige within the park and faded versions of those colors outside the park.
History and culture
Historic Places: 5
Learn about the historic log cabin on the edge of the amphitheater at Point Supreme Overlook.
Learn how the National Park Service supports historic preservation in parks and communities.
People: 6
This area's human history reaches beyond memory. The Southern Paiute called Cedar Breaks umapwich , or “the place where the rocks are sliding down all the time.” Ungkaw Pekonump is another Paiute name that translates into red-cove. Settlers later called it “Cedar Breaks,” by misidentifying the area’s juniper trees as cedars. “Breaks,” is a geographic term to describe a sharp/abrupt change or “break” in topography. As western tourism began to explode in the early 1900s, the lands which today comprise national park were included within the boundaries of Sevier National Forest in 1909, and subsequently incorporated into the Dixie National Forest. Management responsibility transferred from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of Interior and the National Park Service on August 22, 1933, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed Cedar Breaks a national monument.
Collections: 7
Museums in the National Park Service collect, preserve, study, and provide access to both natural and cultural resources and preserve these materials as educational tools for staff, researchers, and the public. The museum collections and archives at Cedar Breaks National Monument includes over 70,000 of these important items such as archival documents, natural history specimens, archeological artifacts, photographs, historic objects, and ethnographic objects. These collections contain materials which detail the history of the park from its early development and the Civilian Conservation Corps to the plants and animals of the area.
The museum and archives collections of Cedar Breaks are housed at Zion National Park and are managed alongside the collections from Bryce Canyon National Park . Research in the Bryce Canyon, Cedar Breaks, and Zion collections are available by appointment only. Historic photographs and digital collection items can be viewed anytime on NPGallery . For more information about hours and access, visit the Zion Archives website.
The National Park Service is reorganizing the Cedar Breaks Archives. We will share new finding aids when the reorganization is done. Please contact us at e-mail us with any collections related questions.
Cedar Breaks includes about 80% recommended wilderness, so research and other activities occur with that designation in mind. The park’s high-altitude location on the west edge of the Colorado Plateau makes it a scientifically unique area, containing a range of life zones from cold desert to alpine tundra as well as an impressive array of geologic formations. Significant plants in the park include several rare species, namely Cymopterus minimus , Silene petersonii , and Erigeron proselyticus , as well as the bristlecone pine, Pinus longaeva , some of which are estimated to be over 1650 years old. The Cedar Breaks archives house research from permitted studies conducted in the monument. More information about research permits and researcher requirements can be found on the National Park Service Research Permit and Reporting System .
1937 Log Cabin: 8
Standing at the Point Supreme Overlook in Cedar Breaks National Monument, this log cabin was constructed in 1936-1937 by members of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The CCC employed young men across the country during the Great Depression to provide income for their families and critical infrastructure improvements to public lands. This cabin is one of two permanent buildings they constructed during their time at the park, the other is the Caretaker’s Cabin.
The 1937 Log Cabin was initially built to serve as a ranger office and visitor contact point for bus tour passengers stopping at Point Supreme during their Grand Circle Tour. Over time, exhibits about the park’s animals and plants were added and the building became known as the museum. In the 1970s, as more services including a park store were added, the building became known as a Visitor Center or Information Center. The building served the public in this way for the last time in the Summer of 2020.
Construction of a new Visitor Contact Station began in early Summer of 2021. This new building will better meet the needs of a growing number of visitors during the park’s second century. The 1937 Log Cabin’s service to the public has not ended, however. In the Fall of 2021, installation of a new human history exhibit, the Stories of the Breaks, began and will open to the public along with the Visitor Contact Station in Summer 2023.
The 1937 Log Cabin was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 20th, 1983. It has stood for nearly 100 years and serves as a tangible opportunity to look back onto the earliest days of Cedar Breaks National Monument.
(2018, October 29). The Civilian Conservation Corps at Cedar Breaks [Review of The Civilian Conservation Corps at Cedar Breaks ]. National Park Service; NPS. https://www.nps.gov/articles/the-civilian-conservation-corps-at-cedar-breaks.htm (2022, March 18). National Register of Historic Places [Review of National Register of Historic Places ]. National Register of Historic Places; National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/index.htm
History & Culture: 9
Check out historic photos, documents and objects from Cedar Breaks National Monument!
Nature
Birds: 10
Many birds call the alpine forests of Cedar Breaks home including birds of prey, hummingbirds, jays, ravens, swifts, sparrows, swallows, and many more. Bring a pair of binoculars on your next visit to catch a glimpse of these beautiful animals.
Mammals: 11
Mammals at Cedar Breaks range from the tiny alpine dwelling pika to the elusive mountain lion. All rely on the park as habitat. While visiting the park, you'll no doubt see many mammals during your visit. It is important to respect the wildlife's home and natural habits; never approach or feed wild animals.
Natural Features & Ecosystems: 12
Learn about the forces that created Cedar Breaks National Monuments dramatic landscape.
Learn more about the ecosystem along the rim of the Cedar Breaks Amphitheater.
Visitor centers and places
Cedar Breaks Visitor Center: 13
The Cedar Breaks Visitor Center and Zion Forever Park Store are now open for the summer season. The routine closure of this facility takes place annually from mid-October to late-May.
Campgrounds
Point Supreme Campground: 14
Campground opening and closing dates vary from year to year and are subject to snow-pack and weather conditions. Generally the campground opens around late May, early June and closes around mid-September. Most sites are available for reservation on www.recreation.gov. There are no dump stations located within the campground.
Visitor information
Visitation
Sources & field notes
Source records (18)
Select a numbered reference to open a source card. Retrieval dates describe this edition’s source capture, rather than an independent verification or the date of the underlying information.
Background · Official park structured information. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored government work generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Designation · National Park System directory. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- Factual reference data; source attribution retained.
State or territory · National Park System directory. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- Factual reference data; source attribution retained.
Park Map - Cedar Breaks National Monument · National Park Service, Harpers Ferry Center. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Source scope
- Cedar Breaks National Monument
- Download
- Official map PDF ↗
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- Public domain; NPS map
- Rights
- Public domain; NPS map
Historic Places · Historic Places — National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Source page last updated
- May 5, 2025
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-authored U.S. government material is generally public domain; third-party content may have separate rights.
People · People — National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Source page last updated
- May 5, 2025
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-authored U.S. government material is generally public domain; third-party content may have separate rights.
Collections · Collections — National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Source page last updated
- May 5, 2025
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-authored U.S. government material is generally public domain; third-party content may have separate rights.
1937 Log Cabin · 1937 Log Cabin — National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Source page last updated
- May 5, 2025
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-authored U.S. government material is generally public domain; third-party content may have separate rights.
History & Culture · National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-authored U.S. government material is generally public domain; third-party material may have separate rights. No images copied.
Birds · Birds — National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- May 5, 2025
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS webpage text; U.S. government work generally public domain. Third-party material may have separate rights.
Mammals · Mammals — National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- May 5, 2025
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS webpage text; U.S. government work generally public domain. Third-party material may have separate rights.
Natural Features & Ecosystems · National Park Service. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-authored U.S. government material is generally public domain; third-party material may have separate rights. No images copied.
Cedar Breaks Visitor Center · National Park Service park structured data. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored U.S. government work is generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Point Supreme Campground · National Park Service park structured data. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored U.S. government work is generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Physical Address · Official park structured information. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored government work generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Mailing Address · Official park structured information. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored government work generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Telephone · Official park structured information. Open source ↗
- Information date
- Not supplied by the source
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- NPS-supplied text; NPS-authored government work generally public domain, subject to third-party rights.
Recreation visits · National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics. Open source ↗
- Information date
- 2025
- Retrieved
- 2026-10-30
- Methodology
- NPS reporting unit; annual total is the sum of 12 monthly recreation visit estimates.
- Reporting unit
- Cedar Breaks NM
- Evidence
- Single source; not independently corroborated.
- Reuse
- Factual reference data; source attribution retained.