Having already pushed back the summer opening date once, Cedar Breaks National Monument officials are finding themselves having to due it again, this time until June 17.
Last month officials said they would miss the traditional Memorial Day Weekend opening due to snow depth and have to wait until today, June 10, to open the monument. Well, the slow melt this spring has failed to uncover roads leading to the monument, and parking lots and facilities at the monument.
Now officials hope to have Cedar Breaks ready for visitors beginning June 17.
“Visitor safety is our No. 1 priority for deciding when to open the park,” said Superintendent Paul Roelandt in a news release. “The scenic road through the park still has areas where lanes are partially blocked by snow or where visibility around curves is hampered by drifts of ten feet or more.”
The Cedar Breaks Visitor Center will open for the season after the road through the park re-opens. The campground normally opens by mid-June, but with the unusually high amount of snow, campers should call the park ahead of their visit and check on the status of campsites as well as other visitor facilities.
“The ‘upside’ to the slow rate of snowmelt and the additional moisture should be a fantastic wildflower bloom, “ said Daphne Sewing, chief of education and partnerships. “However, it also means a later than normal peak bloom, so we decided to delay the beginning of the Wildflower Festival by one week.”
Wildflower hikes, led by park volunteers and rangers, will be offered twice daily beginning July 8.
Questions regarding the status of the Cedar Breaks Scenic Drive and visitor facilities may be directed to the park’s headquarters office in Cedar City at (435) 586-9451. Once the park opens, visitors can call the visitor center directly at 435-586-0787, ext. 0, to inquire about park events and recreational opportunities.
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