By John Turner, For Iron County Today
At long last we can celebrate the grand reopening and dedication of the new state-of-the-art Visitors Center at the main entrance to Cedar Breaks National Monument. After seven years of planning and construction, and three years of having no visitors center at all, a group of supporters who attended the ceremony, were delighted to see the new center up and running. The rangers have been housed across the highway in a temporary log building that didn’t do justice to the spectacular landscape at the Point Supreme viewing area. There are several other view points throughout the park that have remained open, but the most stunning view of all remained locked behind a chain link fence, with only a temporary trail available to allow tourists to get a peek of the 2.000 ft deep canyon.
The previous visitors center was a rather small log cabin, built in 1937 and it remains in its old location and will be the new home of the park’s Human History Museum, while still having the same great view out of the rear window. The new visitors center is a magnificent architectural structure of roughly 2,000 sq. ft with soaring beamed ceilings, the focal point of which is a huge bristlecone pine, modeled after those seen growing along the rim of the canyon. There are also numerous interactive displays and a gift shop. On the pathways outside the building are many large displays explaining details about the local terrain, the wildlife and flora native to the area, plus a 16 ft. snow gauge indicating how high the snow can pile up on the edge of the Breaks. The new visitors center will also host dark sky tours, ranger guided hikes and the Wildflower Festival every July.
It was no coincidence that the rangers chose the date August 22nd, 2024 for last week’s reopening, because on the same day in 1937, 91 years ago, the original visitors center was established.
The opening ceremony included speeches from a variety of speakers, including representatives of the Paiute Nation, National Park Service dignitaries, along with Congressman John Curtis, representing the Federal Government. Utah Senator Vickers was also in attendance, along with a representative from Governor Cox’s office. Following the rousing speeches, it was time for the ribbon cutting, and that honor went to Ranger Kathleen Gonder, Superintendent of the Cedar Breaks Ranger team. You could sense her great pride in this project, from the moment the first plans were discussed, 7 years ago, all the way until the scissors cut through the ribbon.
Ms. Gonder also explained how this project would never have happened without the great support and partnership with the Zion National Park Forever Project and the Iron County Commission, along with the National Park Service.
Citizens of Iron County should take some time to take a short drive up to the new and improved natural wonder in our own back yard, and enjoy some cooler weather and brisk, clean air. Autumn will be here soon, and that’s always a beautiful time to travel up the mountain where the aspen trees are turning to brilliant reds and golds. Bring a picnic, head 30 minutes up Highway 14, and take a look at our cool, new attraction.
Over the years, I have heard a number of people say “if it weren’t for all the other stunning National Parks in the area, Cedar Breaks would easily be recognized as a National Park in its own right”, it’s hard to disagree with that.
