CEDAR CITY — Cedar City is located within 30 minutes of some excellent rock climbing areas, hiking trails and kayaking, which contributed to Southern Utah University recently being named as the national outdoor champion.

The annual Outdoor Nation-sponsored competition ran from Sept. 6 to Oct. 17, and participating universities across the nation were challenged to have the most students and community members participate in an outdoor activity and post a photo of it, according to SUU Outdoor Center trip and adventure coordinator Austin Dennis. Students and community members were allowed to post up to five pictures a day doing different outdoor activities ranging from taking a walk outside to paddleboarding.

"I was super stoked when I found out we won," Dennis said. "The community really came through for us on this challenge. We had professors taking their classes outside and teaching outside. We had administration taking walks for their meetings and with students. We had lots of the different community groups off the SUU campus getting involved."

The area around SUU gives plenty of opportunities to get outdoors and try different activities. Be sure to take our poll at the bottom of the article and let us know your favorite activity.

Here are five ways to enjoy the outdoors within an hour of Cedar City:

Hiking

Dennis said hiking is one of the most popular recreational activities because there are a variety of trails and it doesn't require a lot of gear. Kanarraville Falls is a popular hiking area and offers a short, out-and-back hike in a slot canyon located a few miles south of Cedar City near the town of Kanarraville. The hike is about 4 miles roundtrip and is family friendly, Dennis said.

Ashdown Gorge is another great, easily accessible trail that gives the option of a quick hike or an overnight backpacking trip to Cedar Breaks National Monument, Dennis said. The trail runs alongside and in a river and leads to several slot canyons. The easiest way to get into this canyon is by parking just off of Highway 14 eight miles east of Cedar City.

Hikers can also enjoy a more challenging hike by tackling The Narrows located in nearby Zion National Park. The gorge has walls 1,000 feet tall, and the river running through the canyon is sometimes just 20 feet wide, hence the name "The Narrows." Hikers can choose to hike the entire 16-mile canyon from Chamberlain's Ranch to the Temple of Sinawava if they obtain a permit. Otherwise, they can hike upstream from the Temple of Sinawava to Big Spring, a strenuous 10-mile roundtrip trek.

Paddleboarding and kayaking

Dennis said the SUU Outdoor Center recently started renting paddleboards and kayaks, and it is another popular activity. Located at the southern end of Cedar City, the "Lake at the Hill" is a popular, public reservoir for paddleboarding because it doesn't allow motorized boats, Dennis said. Sand Hollow State Park is located about 53 miles from Cedar City and due to its large size, the reservoir offers a variety of water recreation.

Located in Cedar Canyon along Highway 14, Navajo Lake is another close option for those wanting to kayak or paddleboard, Dennis said.

Rock climbing

Because there are several nearby mountains and canyons, Cedar City is also a great spot for rock climbing and bouldering. Located 12 miles up Cedar Canyon, Gravesite Matter is a popular area for sport climbing because it is only 15 minutes from the SUU campus, Dennis said. It has seven sport climbing routes on the first tier and several more on a higher tier. The routes have bolts and anchors.

With 47 problems available, Moe's Valley is a great spot for bouldering. The majority of the problems are easily accessible from parking areas, usually a 10- to 15-minute walk. Moe's Valley is located just 15 minutes away from I-15 near St. George.

Dennis said the Outdoors Center offers 25 trips each semester to help introduce students to different outdoors activities and locations in the area.

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