Markagunt High Plateau Scenic Byway

Utah Highway 14

The Markagunt High Plateau Scenic Byway travels 40 miles from Highway 89 to Cedar City, across Cedar Mountain. The forested path is lined with volcanic rock and slender white barked aspens. Sprinkled here and there is the green of pine trees.  Where there is a break in the trees, side roads entice travelers to leave the byway and explore various spur roads such as the road to Strawberry Point , Aspen Mirror Lake, Navajo Lake and Webster Flat to name just a few. The road to Webster Flat is located 3.2 miles west of the intersection of Highway 14 and Highway 148.  On an Autumn day there is no better place to be than at Webster Flat if you want to be surrounded with Fall colors.  Another fun side trip to take is to Strawberry Point. To find the road drive 7.75 miles west on Highway 14, from Highway 89.  The ride along the dirt road is scenic, but the view at the end is outstanding.  This road is a favorite of snowmobilers in the winter time.

Cedar Mountain Lodging

Highway 14 is forty gorgeous miles across the southern section of the Markagunt Plateau, east from Cedar City, to where it joins with Highway 89. This forested portion of land is governed by the Forest Service and open to many activities. Upon reaching the top of the plateau you will be at 11,000 ft. elevation. There are several scenic view points that look down into Zion National Park or out among the towering pine forest. Lava lined, Navajo Lake is picture perfect with the small lake framed by aspens and pines. The lake is interesting in that all water from the lake drains though sinkholes in the limestone beneath it. If you take the Cascade Falls Trail you will see the water spurting from a cave, which eventually goes to the Zion Narrows.  Duck Creek, found along Highway 14, is a wonderful fishing spot and also gets a share of its water from Navajo Lake. There are many fishing ponds stocked with trout on Cedar Mountain, including Navajo Lake, Panguitch Lake, Duck Pond, Mammoth Creek, and Aspen Mirror Lake. The elevations on Cedar Mountain ranges from 8,500 ft. to 11,000 ft. This results in cool summers on the mountain.

Southern Utah seems to be made up of it, that red rock that has been carved by nature into the most interesting shapes and sizes. Sandstone is make up mostly of quartz, held together with minute amounts of minerals like iron. The iron gives the stone its reddish tint. Look closely to see that there is a coating in the parts that are red and in the white rocks where it is absent.

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