Editing Cedar Breaks National Monument (section)

== History and geology ==
[[Image:Cedar Breaks National Monument partially.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[hoodoo (geology)|Hoodoos]] in Cedar Breaks]]

The amphitheater, located near the west end of the [[Colorado Plateau]], covers the west side of the [[Markagunt Plateau]], the same plateau that forms parts of [[Zion National Park]]. Uplift and erosion formed the canyon over millions of years, raising and then wearing away the [[shale]], [[limestone]], and [[sandstone]] that were deposited at the bottom of an ancient lake {{convert|70|x|250|mi}}, known as [[Claron Formation|Lake Claron]], about 60 million years ago. It continues to erode at a pace of about {{convert|2|in|-1}} every 5 years. Atop the plateau, much of the area is covered by volcanic rock known as [[tuff]], formed during cataclysmic eruptions around 35 million years ago.<ref name=NPSGeology>{{cite web| url =https://www.nps.gov/cebr/learn/nature/geologicformations.htm| title = Cedar Breaks National Monument - Geologic Formations| publisher = National Park Service|access-date = 2018-05-02}}</ref>

The rocks of the eroded canyon contain [[iron]] and [[manganese]] in various combinations, providing brilliant colors that led Indians to call it the ''Circle of Painted Cliffs''.  Iron oxides provide the reds, oranges and yellows, while manganese oxides provide shades of purple. The color of the rock is soft and subtle compared to the hoodoos at Bryce Canyon.

The area is a form of [[badlands]]&mdash;canyons, spires, walls, and cliffs so steep and confusing that the land, while of great aesthetic value, is of little utilitarian worth. Early settlers called them ''badlands'' or ''breaks'' and created the current name by combining ''breaks'' with ''cedar'' for the many [[juniper]] trees (often incorrectly called [[cedrus|cedars]]) that grow in the area.

Cedar Breaks National Monument was established in 1933. A small lodge designed by [[Gilbert Stanley Underwood]] and built and operated by the [[Utah Parks Company]] once existed near the south end of the monument, but it was razed in 1972. The Cedar Breaks Lodge was the smallest of the park lodges in the Southwest. It was deemed "uneconomical to operate" by the Park Service, but protests associated with its demolition caused the Park Service to re-examine its policies concerning lodges in other parks, contributing to their preservation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/cebr/learn/historyculture/cedar-breaks-historic-lodge.htm|title=Cedar Breaks Historic Lodge|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=2018-05-02}}</ref>