Cedar Breaks National Monument
| Cedar Breaks National Monument | |||
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| Location: | Utah , United States | ||
| Next city: | Cedar City | ||
| Surface: | 24.9 km² | ||
| Founding: | August 22, 1933 | ||
| Visitors: | 505,158 (2005) | ||
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Cedar Breaks is a national monument in the US state of Utah . The small park includes the bizarre forms of erosion in the sandstone of a slope on the west side of the Markagunt plateau. It forms the counterpart to the much better known Bryce Canyon National Park on the east side of the neighboring Paunsaugunt Plateau .
The park
The park consists of two semicircular slopes, the shape of which is reminiscent of an amphitheater and is also called that. They were washed out of the layers of the Pink Cliffs over millions of years . The forms of erosion include stone pillars, ribs and the cuts between them. The rainwater from the canyons still collects in the park in Ashdown Creek and flows outside the park through the Ashdown Gorge.
The colors of the rock come from a high iron and manganese content in the rock layers.
The location of the park in the high mountains at 3150 meters above sea level means for all animal and plant species that a long winter is only offset by a short spring and summer. At the end of June and beginning of July, the plateau experiences an intensive blooming period of lupins , larkspur and various species of summer root plants . In the park there are bristle pines , Engelmann spruces and aspens in the more humid locations . The wildlife includes mule deer , porcupines , whistle hares and pocket rats . Yellow-bellied marmots are common. The most noticeable birds are pine jays .
The name of the park is based on a mix-up. Early settlers considered the common juniper trees to be trees of life , which are called “red” or “white cedar” in English after cedar trees , and called the steep slopes “breaks” for breakage.
Tourist facilities
The only road in the park runs along the edge of the plateau, there are several viewpoints, some of which are short footpaths to other locations for spectacular insights.
Due to its location in the high mountains, the park is only open to visitors between June and September / October. A small visitor center and campsite are available during these months . Because of its small size, Cedar Breaks does not have its own administration, but is looked after by Zion National Park .
At the beginning of 2006, plans became known to expand Cedar Breaks National Monument to include the adjacent "Ashdown Gorge Wilderness" and other small areas and to designate them as "Cedar Breaks National Park" in the future.
Web links
- National Park Service: Cedar Breaks National Monument (official site; English)
photos
View into one of the "amphitheaters"
