Exploring the Earth and Sky of the West

Cedar Breaks National Monument & The Markagunt Plateau, Utah Photography

Cedar Breaks National Monument sits high on the Markagunt Plateau of southern Utah, sandwiched in-between the more well-known destinations of Zion and Bryce Canyon. At over 10,000 feet above sea level, the monument provides a welcome respite from the summer heat, with a landscape that rivals any on the Colorado Plateau. A massive eroded amphitheater filled with stone hoodoos, fins, and arches is the main attraction here, but it’s only the tip of the iceberg. I had the pleasure of working at Cedar Breaks for a little over three years, and it’s the summer wildflowers (some of the best I’ve seen anywhere), wildlife, dark night skies, and peaceful winter snowshoe journeys that I recall most fondly.

  • Bartizan Arch, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah
  • Sunset panorama from Point Supreme, Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah
  • A small cabin built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s serves as the visitor center for Cedar Breaks
  • Storm clouds build over Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah
  • A burst of rain descends into the Cedar Breaks Amphitheater
  • A yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris) sits on the rim of Cedar Breaks
  • Yellow bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris)
  • A patch of Cushion Phlox (Phlox pulvinata) on the rim of Cedar Breaks Amphitheater
  • Sunset and marmot at Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah
  • The Moon and a string of planets over an ancient bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) at Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah
  • Stars above an ancient bristlecone pine (Pinus longaeva) at Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah
  • Sunset at Cedar Breaks National Monument, Utah
  • The Milky Way stretches from horizon to horizon with some clouds hovering near the horizon.
    The summer Milky Way from Cedar Breaks National Monument in southern Utah.
  • Aspens with golden leaves in fresh snow
    Young aspens on a foggy, snowy fall day, Webster Flat, Utah.
  • Golden aspens in snow
    Aspens in snow, Webster Flat, Utah
  • Red and orange aspen leaves in the snow
    Vibrant red and gold aspen leaves after a fresh snowfall, Webster Flat, Utah.
  • A single orange and brown aspen leaf lying in the snow
    Webster Flat, Utah
  • Colorful aspens among snow-covered firs on the south slopes of the Markagunt Plateau, looking south toward Kolob Terrace and Zion National Park.
  • Colorful aspens and snow covered conifers overlooking the Kolob Terrace
    Colorful aspens among snow-covered firs on the south slopes of the Markagunt Plateau, looking south toward Kolob Terrace and Zion National Park.
  • Webster Flat, Utah
  • Markagunt Plateau, Utah
  • Markagunt Plateau, Utah
  • Two yellow aspens trees surrounded by snow covered trees.
    Two golden aspens surrounded by snowy conifers, Cedar Canyon, Utah.
  • Golden aspens on the Rattlesnake Creek Trail, Utah
    A beautiful grove of aspens on the Rattlesnake Creek Trail near Brian Head, UT.
  • Aspens in fog, Markaguny Plateau, Utah
    Aspens, Markagunt Plateau, Utah
  • Colorful Aspens in the Fog, Markagunt Plateau, UT
    Aspens, Markagunt Plateau, Utah
  • Golden aspens on the Markagunt Plateay
    Golden aspens coat the flanks of Hancock Peak, a small cinder cone on the Markagunt Plateau., Utah
  • Red aspen leaves near Duck Creek, Utah
    Aspens, Duck Creek, UT
  • Ridge of golden aspens near Brian Head, UT
    A ridge coated in aspens near Brian Head, UT begins to turn color in the early fall. The view from the Markagunt Plateau, is truly expansive; in the background are ranges and valleys in the Great Basin of western Utah, and on a clear day one can clearly see Wheeler Peak in eastern Nevada
  • Colorful aspens in lava flow, Markagunt Plateau, UT
    Aspens and lava flows, Markagunt Plateau, Dixie National Forest, Utah
  • Colorful aspens dot lava flows on the Markagunt Plateau, UT
    Aspens and lava flows, Markagunt Plateau, UT