Cedar Breaks eyes opening dates, announces increases in fees

A UDOT snowplow clears state Route 148. Undated. | Photo courtesy National Park Service, St. George News

CEDAR BREAKS NATIONAL MONUMENT — Cedar Breaks Scenic Drive known as state Route 148 will soon open for the summer season. It is estimated the road will be cleared and open to vehicles by May 15, depending on weather conditions. Some areas will remain closed due to lingering snow.

Visitor services, such as restrooms and the Information Center will not be available until May 25. The Alpine Pond, Spectra Point and Ramparts Trails are currently closed due to excessive snowdrifts, fallen trees and to protect park resources from damage. Park overlooks, the Sunset and Campground trails are open but have snow and mud in some areas, visitors are advised to use caution. The Point Supreme Campground will open early June.

Cedar Breaks National Monument officials remind the public that heavy vehicles will be prohibited from using SR 148. A heavy vehicle is defined as any vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating greater than 26,000 pounds. Road signs outlining the weight restriction are posted on all routes leading to the monument to remind trucks and other heavy vehicles to use alternate routes.

Look at the current conditions here.

New entrance fees will take effect May 25. The per person rate will increase from $6 to $7, while the Cedar Breaks annual pass will cost $30, up from $25, and the cost for camping will jump from $20 to $24 per night.

Monument officials conducted civic engagement in January and February, proposing to increase the entrance fee in order to the meet the National Park Service’s standard entrance fee rates as required by the Department of Interior.

They also performed a comparability analysis of surrounding campgrounds and found that the new fees are within the fair and acceptable range considering the amenities the campground provides and the other camping options in the area, according to a press release.

The material was reviewed and approved by the park service.

Entrance fees are not charged to persons under 16 years of age or holders of the America the Beautiful-The National Parks and Federal Recreational Annual, Senior, Access, Military, Every Kid in a Park or Volunteer Passes, which may be obtained at NPS units nationwide.

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @STGnews

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!

1 Comment

  • utahdiablo May 12, 2018 at 9:32 pm

    Good….raise it to $100

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.