CEDAR CITY, Utah – Cedar Breaks National Monument is known for huge vistas that overlook natural amphitheaters, but for many visitors, the tiny blossoms on wildflowers bring as much enjoyment, especially during the annual Wildflower Festival, happening now through July 21.
Las Vegas resident Stephen Kent said he loves escaping to the cooler temperatures of Cedar Breaks in the summer to see the wildflowers.
“In some places, it’s like a carpet of color,” Kent said. “You spend too much time in the city, and you can forget that places like this still exist.”
Kent participated in a guided wildflower walk, a slow-moving hike of about half a mile in which rangers and volunteers point out examples of the park’s more colorful flora.
Kent said the hike gave participants the opportunity to examine some of the smallest wonders the monument has to offer.
“You want to use a magnifying glass instead of binoculars,” Kent said. “There is some real wonder in some of these tiny flowers.”
Jamie Lehde of Galveston, Texas, is traveling across the country with her husband in an RV and said they stumbled upon the Wildflower Festival by accident on their way to Bryce Canyon National Park.
“What a perfect little gem,” Lehde said. “You drive past all these gorgeous flowers along the side of the road, and it is worth it to take some time to stop and, you know, smell the flowers.”
Lehde said her favorite flower is the bright red Indian Paintbrush but was surprised at the sheer amount of flowers visible at the monument.
“This is a dream come true for flower lovers,” Lehde said.
Cedar City resident Cassandra Howell used the free iPhone application “Wildflowers of Cedar Breaks National Monument” to help her children identify flowers outside of the twice-daily guided walks.
“The kids like it because it’s almost like a game. We find a flower, then use the app to identify it,” Howell said. “It’s absolutely a way to educate them about the plants, and it also shows them how to research.”
Howell said the Wildflower Festival is a worthwhile trip during the summer months.
“It reminds us what a beautiful place we live in,” Howell said. “There is really nothing quite like this with the spires and the flowers and the environment. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing for most people, so we shouldn’t take it for granted.”
