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SALT LAKE CITY — As a travel journalist for the past decade, Jen Murphy has made her way to many places around the world. And when Outside magazine asked her to write about the most beautiful wild places on the planet, Lagoa das Sete Cidades in the Azores and the Na Pali Coast of Kauai immediately came to mind.
"But these places are already on most people's radar, and the last thing I want is to contribute to overtourism. Instead, I came up with a list of stunning, lesser-known destinations that are also full of adventure potential. You're going to be amazed," she wrote in her recent piece, "The 13 Most Beautiful Places on Earth You've Never Heard Of."
While the baker's dozen spans the globe, Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah sits atop the list and is one of three in the United States.
Murphy writes:
"Why It Wows: Utah has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to otherworldly rocky landscapes, but the geologic amphitheater that is Cedar Breaks National Monument steals the show (entrance fee from $15). Rich mineral deposits in the cliffs and hoodoos resemble a sweeping sunset of orange, yellow, red, and purple. During July and early August, some 250-plus species of wildflowers bloom, creating a Technicolor landscape.
"Adventure Intel: Tucked in the mountains 20 miles east of Cedar City, this 3-mile-long cirque gets a sliver of the foot and vehicle traffic seen at nearby Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park but offers just as many options for outdoor lovers. Because it's located at an elevation of 10,000 feet, summer temperatures are comfortable, with highs hovering around 70 degrees.
"Hikes range from the ADA-compliant, 2-mile round-trip Sunset Trail, which skirts part of the rim overlooking the amphitheater, to the 12.8-mile Rattlesnake Creek Trail, a two- to three-day hike in the Ashdown Gorge Wilderness that drops into the amphitheater."
More about Cedar Breaks
President Franklin D. Roosevelt created Cedar Breaks National Monument by proclamation in 1933. It's one of eight national monuments in Utah. It attracts about 595,000 visitors a year, approximately a quarter of what Bryce Canyon sees annually and a tenth of the number at Zion.
A new visitors' center opened in Cedar Breaks last month, paid for by the National Park Service-Centennial Challenge Program, the Zion National Park Forever Project and Iron County.
"This building gives us a sense of place. It helps visitors orient to this landscape and realize its value as a national monument," Kathleen Gonder, Cedar Breaks superintendent, said in a press release. "We cannot stress our thanks to everyone who helped make this dream a reality."
The new building houses ranger-led programs and activities, dark sky resources, wildflower events, interpretive exhibits and the park store.
Cedar Breaks' former information center was located in a cabin built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1937. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
What else made the list of beautiful places?
Here's the rest of Murphy's Top 13:
- Peter Lougheed Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada
- Lefkada Island, Greece
- Shariqiya Sands, Oman
- Las Coloradas Lagoon, Yucatán, Mexico
- Rio Sucuri, Brazil
- Pico Ruivo, Madeira, Portugal
- Tarkine Rainforest, Tasmania, Australia
- The Sermilik Fjord, Greenland
- Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness, New Mexico
- Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique
- Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan
- Lake Willoughby, Vermont
Murphy, Outside Online's travel advice columnist, offers this advice: "My biggest tip is to live in the moment when visiting these places — or any place that bowls you over. You can't experience it fully if you're glued behind your camera, shooting images to share."
