Edge of the Cedars State Park is located in an urban neighborhood of Blanding, Utah. The park is a wonderful destination for learning about and discovering the Native American history and heritage of the area.
The 6.65 acre site was donated in 1974 to the Utah Division of State Parks and Recreation, and is now listed on both the state and national registers of historic places. The name, Edge of the Cedars, was given by cowboys who camped in the area during the late 1800s - the land is on the edge of a forested region with a treeless landscape to the south.
Edge of the Cedars is a prehistoric agricultural village and was inhabited between 750 A.D. and 1220 A.D. This land was home to cultures including Ancestral Puebloan/Anasazi, Navajo, and Ute.
The state park contains a sizable museum with a fantastic collection of Ancestral Puebloan pottery and relics, the largest such collection in southeastern Utah. The museum also houses basketry, jewelry, tools and much more.
Behind the museum is the Pueblo, a village that was inhabited by Ancestral Puebloans. Visitors can freely explore the ruins here, and there is even a restored kiva (a partially underground ceremonial room) that can be explored by climbing a ladder down into the room. The Abajo Mountains are also prominent on the horizon from Edge of the Cedars.
Admission to the state park is well worth the $5 fee. Hours are 10am-4pm, Monday through Saturday.
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