Utah Travel Guide 2008 - (Page 40) is a fairyland amphitheater of multi-colored limestone strata plunging 2,000 feet deep into the Markagunt Plateau. Inside the scenic bowl are hundreds of geologic oddities and hoodoos surrounded by lush, green alpine vegetation. Situated at an elevation of 10,000 feet and surrounded by the Dixie National Forest, Cedar Breaks is located 23 miles east of Cedar City and three miles south of the resort town of Brian Head on Hwy 143. Easy hiking can be found on the Spectra Point/Wasatch Rampart and Alpine Pond Trails with more extreme hiking on the Rattlesnake Creek Trail. In winter Cedar Breaks is a premier cross-country skiing and snowmobiling destination with access from Brian Head Ski Resort. The national monument is open from late May to mid-October, with camping available from mid-June to mid-September. Cedar Breaks National Monument Hovenweep National Monument Hovenweep, the Ute Indian word meaning ‘deserted valley,’ stands as a sentinel of Ancestral Puebloan ruins in a landscape of sage and juniper. Abandoned around the late 1200s, most of the ancient buildings are situated on the edges of shallow cliffs, balanced over boulder heaps, or guarding seeps. A short loop hike winds around the Square Tower House and Hovenweep Castle. Portals in the castle appear to align sunlight each seasonal solstice and equinox. Hovenweep is both a mystical pilgrimage and a fascinating study in ancient culture. Located 39 miles northeast of Bluff on US 191 and Hwy 262, there is a campground and visitor center with campfire talks and ranger-guided hikes. Cedar Breaks National Monument, 2390 W. Hwy 56, Suite 11, Cedar City, 84720, (435) 586-9451 or (435) 586-0787, www.nps.gov/cebr Hovenweep National Monument, McElmo Route, Cortez, CO, 81321, (970) 562-4282, www.nps.gov/hove 40 U TA H Tr a v e l G u i d e http://www.nps.gov/cebr http://www.nps.gov/hove
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