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CEDAR CITY — Named for the giant “C” on the hillside overlooking Cedar City, the “C” Trail is a challenging hike that offers a good workout and great views.
The “C” Trail was dedicated on June 8, 1996, to commemorate the Bureau of Land Management’s 50th anniversary and the centennial of Utah becoming a state, according to a BLM plaque at the trailhead. It is part of the Iron Hills Trail System and the hike can be extended by starting farther down the East Bench Trail at the South View Trailhead.
However, because the hike is already 4.25 miles one way, I would recommend starting at the main “C” Trail trailhead. To get to the trailhead, take Center Street until you reach 200 East, and then drive south on 200 East until it dead ends. Then turn right and then turn left and drive south on 300 East, past the city water tower until it turns into a dirt road and dead ends. There is a parking area where you will see a paved biking trail running parallel to the trailhead, which is marked by signs.
- You can park at the trailhead and hike up and back, which is 8.5 miles total and will take roughly four hours.
- You can park one vehicle at the bottom of the trail and also park a vehicle at the top of the trail at the “C” Overlook parking lot, and then just hike up. It is 4.25 miles one way and will take roughly two to three hours, depending how many breaks you take.
- You can park vehicles at each end of the trail but just hike down instead of hiking up. It is considerably faster since it is downhill and will likely only take you a little over an hour.
If you decide to park a vehicle at both ends of the trail and only hike one way, make absolutely sure you have the keys for both vehicles before you begin (I may or may not be speaking from experience).
To get to the “C” Overlook parking lot, head east on Center Street and continue into Cedar Canyon. The road turns into UT-14. Drive almost 5 miles and then turn right onto the Right Hand Canyon Road. Continue on that road for about 4.3 miles until you see the sign for the “C” Overlook on the right and a paved parking lot.
No matter which option you decide on, make sure you are prepared with plenty of water and sunscreen because, as mentioned, the hike is long and is also sparsely shaded.
If you decide to hike up the trail (I chose option No. 2), it starts out heading south on what looks like a dirt road and is flat for the first little while. It eventually turns to the east, gets more narrow and begins to climb.
The majority of the trail is switchbacks up the mountain between scrub oak trees and sagebrush.
While mountain biking is allowed on the trail, no motorized vehicles of any kind are permitted on the trail. Follow trail etiquette and be aware of other hikers and bikers on the trail.
