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Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum, located in Blanding, Utah, is a museum and Native American archaeological site.
Introduction to Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum
The site was originally inhabited by the Ancestral Puebloan people, who built a small-scale Chaco-era great house. Cowboys from Bluff camped in the ruins in the late 19th century. They called the site Edge of the Cedars because it sits on the boundary of a forested and treeless area. It was designated a State Historical Monument in 1970 and the following year was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the Edge of Cedars Indian Ruin.
In 1974, the Utah Navajo Development Council donated the site to the Division of Utah State Parks and Recreation, and the state park was established the same year. The museum opened in 1978 and the archaeological repository was completed in 1994.
Visiting Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum
Admissions to Edge of the Cedars State Park is $5 for adults, $3 for kids, and free for kids under 5 (as of September 2025). It’s open daily except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. Check the official website for more info.
Museum
The museum contains an impressively large collection of Ancestral Puebloan pottery. In fact, it’s the largest of its kind in the Four Corners Region. Rare artifacts, such as knives, sandals, and arrowheads are also on display.
The museum’s research center is a repository for all archaeological finds on public lands in southeast Utah. A glass wall allows you to observe the curator at work. There’s also an archives and research library.
Archaeological Site
Behind the museum is the archaeological site protecting the remains of a village once inhabited by the Ancestral Puebloan people. It’s estimated that the area was inhabited from 825 to 1225.
A short paved interpretive trail takes you around the archaeological site. It’s landscaped with native plants and lined with outdoor sculptures. A ladder atop the structure allows you to climb down into a kiva.
Navajo Hogan
Don’t forget to check out the small Navajo hogan made out of wood and mud. Hogans were the traditional dwellings of the Navajo people.
Solar Marker
Solar Marker, one of the sculptures at the site, was made by artist Joe Pachak of Bluff. It also works as a solar marker.
