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The Ultimate Southwest Vacation includes Dixie National Forest!

Experience the Spectacular Canyon  Country Tour

Stay in Mt. Carmel Jct., the heart of the parks, and visit the treasures of the Southwest.

Mileage: Mt. Carmel Jct.
Cedar Breaks 45 miles
Dixie Forest 22 miles
Zion National Park 12 miles
Bryce Canyon 60 miles
Grand Staircase 9 miles
Red Canyon 47 miles
Sand Dunes 11 miles
North Rim 85 miles
Toroweap 90 miles
South Canyon 75 miles

In these pages you will find insiders information on Dixie National Forest. This detailed guide includes road maps, park maps, pictures, trail beta, backpacking, history, fees, geology, flora, fauna, campgrounds and things for kids to do.

Making summer memories in the Utah national parks and Utah national monuments.

Dixie National Forest Road Map
Dixie National Forest Map

Directions to Dixie National Forest

From Salt lake City: Take I-15 south, exit at Parowan. Take U-143 south
to Dixie National Forest.
From Las Vegas: Take I-15 north to Cedar City. Take U-14 to Dixie National Forest.
From Mount Carmel Junction: Take US-89 north to U-14 and into Dixie National Forest.
From Arizona: Take US-89 north thru Mount Carmel Junction to U-14 and turn west to Dixie National Forest.

U-14 is also called the Markaguant High Plateau Scenic Byway.

Bo Beck at the end of the Bristlecone Pine Trail, just off Highway 14 in Dixie National Forest.

GPS Coordinates
WGS84 Datum

Bristlecone Pine Trailhead:
37 34.043 N
112 50.951 W

Bristlecone Pine Trailend
37 33.890 N
112 51.053 W

Beta: Coordinates and other trail and canyoneering information by Zion Park search and rescue veteran team member Bo Beck and www.zionnational-park author, Tanya Milligan.

Suggested Gear : A sturdy pair of shoes are recommend for canyoneering in Zion . Quality shoes will help grip the rocks and prevent injury. Experienced Zion hikers and canyoneers like the Sportiva Exum Ridge. This shoe is great for hiking, bouldering and canyoneering.

To offer corrections, updates, etc... or for more information please visit the Zion National Park and Cedar Breaks Forum

Bristlecone Pine Trail
Cedar Mountain - Dixie National Forest

The Markagunt High Plateau Scenic Byway, U-14, is about 40 miles long, traversing Cedar Mountain and running from Cedar City to Long Valley Junction at US-89. This Utah scenic byway, lined with aspens and dotted with ancient lava rock, evergreens and wooded land crosses through Dixie National Forest, the largest national forest in Utah Fall arrives as early as September at this high elevation, transforming aspen leaves into a canvas of autumns orange, red and yellow hues stretching as far as the eye can see. The easy half-mile Bristlecone Pine Trail is located along this road - a great hike for families where you can see Zion National Park in the distance as you mingle among a grove of young Bristlecone pines.

At a Glance
Day Hike: Yes
Distance: H alf-mile round-trip.
Average Hiking Time: 30 to 60 minutes.
Equipment: Comfortable hiking shoes, water, hat and other sun protection.
Difficulty: Expect an easy hike on a well maintained, although uneven forest trail. Kids will enjoy this short hike, but hold young children's hands because they can, and often do, stumble on uneven hiking paths such as this that are littered with rocks and other debris of nature.
Sun Exposure: Full sun except under the shade of the trees.
Trail Usage: Low to moderate.
Permits: Not required.
Trail Conditions: Dirt, forest path lined with trees and wildflowers.
Trailhead: Just off U-14 near the U-14 and U-143 junction. Look for the large pull-out immediately west of the turn-off to Cedar Breaks
Trailend: Same as trailhead
Trail Access: Summer is best, but you can usually get to the trail early in the fall or late in the spring even though snow levels will limit access in the winter.
Best Season: Anytime the road allows access.
Elevation Change: 25 feet of undulating terrain.
Off the Beaten Path: Yes

Trailhead
From Cedar City - Set your odometer at the mileage sign on U-14 seen as you are leaving Cedar City. Drive 16.3 miles to the Zion Overlook and another half-mile to the Bristlecone Pine Trailhead, both of which are on the right. It is 17.8 miles to the junction of U-14 and U-148, so if you see that, then you went too far.

From Jct. U-14 and US-89 - If you are coming from Long Valley Junction, the intersection of U-14 and US-89 it is about 23 miles to the U-14 and U-148 intersection and then another half-mile past that on the left is the Bristlecone Pine Trailhead. This will be about 24 miles from Long Valley Junction. Look for the asphalted pullout on the south side of U-14 that is large enough to accommodate 6-8 vehicles. This is where you will find the wooden kiosk describing the Bristlecone pine trees and the trailhead sign.

A lazy dirt path surrounded by fields of wildflowers and trees allows you to enjoy the serene scenic stroll through the coniferous woodlands, culminating at the wooden platform overlook that provides a panoramic view of Zion National Park in the distance. A view further enhanced by crystal clear air and a fresh floral aroma permeating the air. Abundant lichens, a symbiotic plant that grows in areas with good air quality are in abundance. At the end of the trail the Bristlecone pines have taken over the space. There are young and old, but all seem to be green and thriving. Pine cones and needles litter the forest floor and wildflowers add a hue of color all around. Rare in most of the rest of the state, these seldom seen trees thrive on Cedar Mountain.

Scientists had long considered the Bristlecone to be the oldest living thing, however, recent ideas on the subject have some researchers including vegetation that sprouts from roots such as groves of Aspen, creosote and huckleberry and perhaps other plants that form clonal colonies. Under this new definition they make even the oldest of all known Bristlecones seem like youngsters, but i t is all about how it is defined. If you are talking about a single trunk or stem, then the Bristlecone is indeed the oldest single living organism.

Although the Bristlecone along this trail are not the oldest in the world, they have been dated to being up to 4,500 years old. These trees have adapted to living on barren slopes and cliff s. If unsure which are the ancient pines, look for needles in groups of five. The leaves will be one inch to one and half inches long. They have a thin, smooth bark, which is grayish white on young stems. As the stems age, the color becomes a reddish brown and the trunks begin to twist. The cone is tipped with long bristle seeds. A lush sub-alpine forest of quaking aspens surrounds this tranquil place, high on the mountain where the pine shows off its twisted ancient bark.

This article by Bo and Tanya was published in the Today in Dixie Magazine

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Cedar Mountain - UTAH!

If a man walks in the woods for love of them half of each day, he is in danger of being regarded as a loafer.  But if he spends his days as a speculator, shearing off those woods and making the earth bald before her time, he is deemed an industrious and enterprising citizen.  ~Henry David Thoreau Photo: Dixie National Forest © Photography by Tanya

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