The Fall Vacation You're Searching For in Southern Utah

Vibrant fall leaves, scenic drives, hiking trails, harvest festivals, and more - Cedar City and Brian Head, Utah, are some of southern Utah's brightest fall destinations! From the arts to the parks, there's adventure waiting at every turn in Cedar City and Brian Head this autumn. Using the guide included below find bright fall colors, must-hike trails, events, views, and more to add to your southern Utah getaway. 

Jump to: SCENIC DRIVES & FALL COLORS  ·  HIKING TRAILS  ·  FALL EVENTS & HARVEST  ·  ARTS 

Scenic Drives & Where to Find Fall Color

A scenic drive with overlooks, beautiful views, and hiking trails/activities along the way is a great start to fall! The area around Cedar City, Brian Head, and Parowan puts on a spectacular show when fall leaves start to change. 

You'll find different views along each of the scenic drives included below, but here are a few of the highlights we wouldn't want to miss: 

Cedar Canyon (SR 14): Drive through towering canyon walls with bright foliage and places to stop along the way that are friendly for the entire family. Check out the leaves at Wood Ranch Recreation Area and fish for a moment at Kid's Pond. Take in the views from the Zion Scenic Overlook at mile marker 17 and then hike the Bristlecone Pine Trail (just past that overlook) to find valley views and ancient Bristlecone Pines. 

Hwy 148 Through Cedar Breaks National Monument: The meadows and stretches of pine and aspen trees through Cedar Breaks are beautiful in fall! Almost as vibrant as the red rock formations of the Breaks themselves. With several scenic pullouts along the way and 3 hiking trails that lead to unique views, there is a lot to see in Cedar Breaks. Stop at each overlook for a different view at each one. 
 

Sydney Valley and Mammoth Creek Rd (Hwy 143): Known as the Patchwork Parkway, Hwy 143 is a beautiful drive in fall with an array of vibrant colors from golds and orange to bright reds in areas like Sydney Valley. At mile marker 24, you'll see a large meadow surrounded by Aspen trees, and in late September, they'll be hard to miss! From there, continue along Hwy 143 and turn onto Mammoth Creek Road. The lava flows along the route (connecting to Hwy 14 just past Duck Creek Village) are amazing! 

Hwy 143 from Parowan to Brian Head: Parowan is a picture-perfect small town with no stoplights, cute historic buildings, and fun fall events. The drive between Parowan and Brian Head is stunning in fall. A little way up the canyon, detour onto Yankee Meadow Road to find cool red rock formations and bright fall leaves. From there, backtrack and continue on to Brian Head. The blend of colors and scenery along this route offers a different view than what we've seen so far in our drive. 

Must-Do Hiking Trails for Fall Views

High and low, there are red rock views with bright fall-colored leaves everywhere, and these trails are our go-to destinations for taking them in! Before hitting the trails, make sure you're #RedRockReady and prepared with water, layers, proper shoes, and a plan.

For the best fall color views on a short hike, the Aspen Mirror Lake trail near Duck Creek is a perfect family trail. The Brian Head Town Trail is a paved, all-access trail with incredibly bright leaves in September. For a longer trail with great fall color and views of Cedar Breaks National Monument, the Alpine Pond Trail is a must. 

From paved trails to high-altitude climbs, these views are worth it. 

Fall Events, Festivals & Markets

Harvest season is a great time to plan a visit to the local farms, farmers' markets, festivals, and events in Cedar City and Parowan! Some things just go together, and crunching leaves with farm events and sheep parades is a perfect combo. 

A few events you won't want to miss are: The Cedar Livestock & Heritage Festival annual Sheep Parade, Fall Fest in Parowan, and Oktober Fest at Brian Head Resort are absolute musts for a fall event combined with fall views. Weekly farmers markets are a great place to pick up fun fall produce, and our local farms have farm dinners, farm stands, and other harvest events. 

Find local pumpkin patches, harvest events, or plan ahead for the Cedar Livestock & Heritage Festival/Sheep Parade using the slides below: 

Arts & Shakespeare Beneath the Stars

More than just the foliage on the trails, the arts in Cedar City are just as vibrant in fall! Catch an evening performance from the Utah Shakespeare Festival, visit exhibits at the Southern Utah Museum of Art, browse local art galleries, or take a self-guided mural tour of Downtown with a pumpkin spice drink in hand. 

Travel safe, take lots of pictures

and share your adventure with us @visitcedarcity