Updated June 2026
Best Time to Visit Cedar Breaks
Our recommendation
Visit Cedar Breaks in May
May offers best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight. For comparison, July is the most crowded month (~2.5× the average month) and February is the quietest.
Annual visits
718K
2025
Busiest month
Jul
2.5× avg
Quietest month
Feb
0.2× avg
10-yr trend
falling
-9.3%
How crowded is Cedar Breaks by month?
Relative crowd level by month (1.0 = the park's average month), from NPS visitation records 1979–2025.
Month-by-month crowd, weather & daylight
| Month | Crowd level | Best-time score | Avg high / low | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Very quiet | 42 Poor | 35°F / 19°F | 9.7 h |
| February | Very quiet | 46 Fair | 35°F / 23°F | 10.6 h |
| March | Very quiet | 49 Fair | 37°F / 23°F | 11.7 h |
| April | Very quiet | 58 Fair | 43°F / 31°F | 13.0 h |
| May★ best | Quiet | 59 Fair | 51°F / 37°F | 14.0 h |
| June | Very busy | 55 Fair | 63°F / 43°F | 14.6 h |
| July | Very busy | 47 Fair | 69°F / 50°F | 14.4 h |
| August | Very busy | 53 Fair | 65°F / 51°F | 13.5 h |
| September | Very busy | 47 Fair | 60°F / 45°F | 12.2 h |
| October | Busy | 43 Poor | 49°F / 37°F | 11.0 h |
| November | Very quiet | 45 Fair | 40°F / 27°F | 9.9 h |
| December | Very quiet | 40 Poor | 35°F / 21°F | 9.4 h |
Climate normals (1991–2020) from the nearest NOAA station (USC00421258, ~1.8 mi away).
About visiting Cedar Breaks
Cedar Breaks National Monument is a National Monument in UT and a moderately visited park, drawing about 718,000 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has eased over the past decade, down about 9.3%. Crowds concentrate sharply by season: July is the busiest month at about 2.5× the park's average month, while February is the calmest at roughly 0.2× — a 13-to-1 swing between high and low season. Roughly 52% of the year's visitors arrive in the three summer months of June, July and August alone, so timing a trip outside that window is the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels. Weather swings from an average high-season warmth near 59°F in July down to about 27°F in January, with the wettest stretch in January. About 4 months a year see comfortable average temperatures in the 50–80°F range, which is part of why crowd timing and weather timing don't always line up. The sweet spot is May: best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight. Visit then and you trade a little peak-season certainty for noticeably shorter lines and easier parking than the July rush. Daylight ranges from about 9.4 hours in midwinter to 14.6 hours near the summer solstice, which shapes how much ground you can cover in a day. A standard private-vehicle entrance pass runs about $25, valid for several days, so a shoulder-season trip stretches that fee across quieter, more comfortable days. These crowd figures are drawn from 1979–2025 of National Park Service visitor-use records, paired with 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals, and are updated as new monthly data is released.
Park overview
Crowning the Grand Staircase, Cedar Breaks sits at over 10,000 feet and looks down into a half-mile deep geologic amphitheater. Come wander among timeless bristlecone pines, stand in lush meadows of wildflowers, ponder crystal-clear night skies and experience the richness of our subalpine forest.
Weather & conditions
Cedar Breaks sits at over 10,000 feet in elevation and is usually 10-20 degrees cooler than surrounding parks. Be prepared for cooler temperatures and unpredictable weather. Snow, sleet, and hail can occur at any time of the year, even in the summer! Summer-time highs are between 60 and 70°F and night-time lows dip to 30-40s°F. Thunderstorms frequently develop in the afternoons. Be aware of lightning and avoid exposed trails and overlooks until storms pass.
Park overview text courtesy of the National Park Service — official park site.
Entrance fees
A standard private-vehicle entrance pass is about $25, typically valid for several days.
Frequently Asked Questions
May offers best overall balance of crowds, weather and daylight at Cedar Breaks National Monument. The park is busiest in July (about 2.5× the average month) and quietest in February.
July is the busiest month at Cedar Breaks National Monument, running roughly 2.5 times the park's average monthly visitation.
February is the quietest month at Cedar Breaks National Monument, at about 0.2× the average month — a good choice if you want to avoid crowds.
Cedar Breaks National Monument recorded about 718,014 recreation visits in 2025. Visitation has been falling over the past decade (-9.3%).
Based on 1991–2020 climate normals, the warmest month at Cedar Breaks National Monument averages about 59°F (July). See the month-by-month table above for the full picture.
Nearby parks to visit
Sources: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (1979–2025), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. Crowd index = a month's visits ÷ the park's average month.