A Cedar City community
Living in Cedar Highlands.
A true mountain subdivision on the flank of Cedar Mountain southeast of town, up around 7,800 feet in the pines and aspen. It started as a cabin community in 1981 and has been filling in with custom homes ever since. This is not an in-town street grid: it is wooded acreage, big views, gravel stretches of road, and two ways up, one for summer and one for winter.
I am Scott Buehler, a Southern Utah resident of 20-plus years and a licensed REALTOR and lender. Up here the map is only half the story. Road access, snow, the driveway, water, septic, power, and the exact lot all matter, and this is the honest version of what to check before you buy or sell on the mountain.
New to the area? Start with the Cedar City guide, then come back for the mountain.
Current listings
Homes for sale in Cedar Highlands.
Fed straight from the MLS and limited to properties inside the community: new Cedar Highlands listings appear here the day they list, and sold properties drop off. Because the area carries finished homes, cabins, and bare acreage lots together, read each listing type on its own terms.
No homes available? Be sure to check out all Cedar City listings.
Want the map view? Open the full Cedar Highlands search. Selling instead? Start with what your home is worth.
Listing information comes from the local MLS and is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
On this page
Life on the mountain
Where access is part of the decision.
Cedar Highlands is not a quick turn off Main Street. It sits above Cedar City on the flank of Cedar Mountain, up around 7,800 feet in the pines, and it started life in 1981 as a private cabin community before custom homes began filling in the wooded lots. That elevation and that setting are the whole point, and they are also the whole homework.
Getting there is a two-route conversation. The warm months open the scenic climb up State Route 14 through Cedar Canyon, turning off toward the subdivision near Milt's Stage Stop. The year-round way runs from I-15 Exit 57 out Greenslake Drive to the base of the mountain, then onto gravel for the last stretch. Stretches of the roads up here are gravel, grades are steep, and snow is a real season, so the road that serves a specific lot deserves as much attention as the house.
The trade is a good one if you want it. You get big treed acreage, distance between homes, long valley and mountain views, and dark, quiet nights, in exchange for thinking like a mountain-property owner about roads, snow, water, septic, power, and year-round access. Cedar Highlands briefly incorporated as a town, then voted in 2020 to return to unincorporated Iron County, so I verify parcel details and county records on every property up here rather than leaning on assumptions.
Mountain highlights
The mountain-property details buyers actually use.
Six things set this end of the map apart, and each one is specific: the elevation and setting, the acreage lots, the two-route access, the parcel-by-parcel utility story, the recreation corridor out the door, and a return to unincorporated county status that puts records front and center.
Cedar Mountain at ~7,800 ft
The subdivision sits high on the flank of Cedar Mountain southeast of town, near 7,800 feet, so it lives in pines and aspen rather than the valley sage and juniper.
Homes, cabins, and acreage
Finished custom homes, cabin-style properties, and vacant lots share the name, so a real comparison starts by separating a built home from raw land.
Treed lots, 1 to 5-plus acres
Lots commonly run from about one acre to four or five acres and beyond, with tree cover, slope, and view corridor doing much of the work.
Two routes, summer and winter
A warm-season climb up State Route 14 near Milt's Stage Stop and a year-round route out Greenslake Drive from Exit 57, both with gravel stretches near the top.
Utilities vary by parcel
Some lots already have power, water, natural gas, and county-approved septic at the pad; rawer parcels can need a well, septic, propane, or a utility extension.
Unincorporated again since 2020
Cedar Highlands returned to unincorporated Iron County status in 2020, so county records and parcel-specific requirements deserve a careful read before you buy.
Homes & lots
A split market, not one single product.
Cedar Highlands pricing cannot be read from one median, because what is for sale up here is usually a blend of finished homes and vacant land. Finished mountain homes have generally been listed from the high $500,000s up into the $900,000s and above, while bare acreage lots run a much wider course of their own. The supply is small enough that a single new listing can move the average, so read it in lanes and confirm everything against the live listings.
That is why a serious comparison starts with property type. A built home with a finished pad, a driveway, utilities, and winter-ready access is a completely different analysis than a raw or lightly improved lot. Slope, tree cover, view corridor, road position, and the utility story all move the number fast, and up here the property really is the whole package: the road, the pad, the well or hookups, the septic, the trees, and the house all price together.
For buyers, split the search before you judge value. For sellers, do the same before you choose comps. In a small mixed pool like this one, the right three comparables matter far more than any neighborhood average, and I would rather find them than lean on a headline number.
On this mountain, the property is the whole package: road, pad, utilities, trees, view, and house, all priced together.
One buyer note from 20-plus years in Iron County: do not fall in love from the photos. Drive the route, walk the driveway, read the utility story, and ask what the property is like after a storm and after a snow.
Trails & outdoors
The mountain is already out the door.
Most Cedar City neighborhoods drive up here to reach the high country. Cedar Highlands already lives in it, tucked into the Cedar Canyon and Dixie National Forest corridor along State Route 14. Here is the honest tiering, from a few minutes up the canyon to a seasonal day trip.
Cedar Canyon corridor (SR-14)
The scenic State Route 14 climb through Cedar Canyon is the road home in summer, threading the Dixie National Forest with pullouts, creek access, and the Cedar Canyon Campground close at hand.
Lower Ashdown Gorge
The Ashdown Gorge Wilderness sits just up the canyon, with a long, water-crossing route down from the plateau and the Twisted Forest bristlecone stand nearby. A real hike, best in warm, dry weather.
Bristlecone Pine Trail
Farther up SR-14 near mile marker 17, the Bristlecone Pine Trail is a short, easy loop to ancient trees and a big-air overlook toward Zion, a low-effort payoff of a walk.
Cedar Breaks, seasonal
Keep climbing SR-14 to the plateau and Cedar Breaks National Monument opens up in the warm months, with Cascade Falls and Navajo Lake on the same high road once the snow clears.
Down the other way, Cedar City's in-town network is a short drive: the paved Coal Creek Trail follows the creek across town, and the Iron Hills system, including the climb to the white "C", adds dirt singletrack on the south bench. In winter, Brian Head's ski runs are roughly 40 minutes north via Parowan.
Trail details come from the Dixie National Forest, the National Park Service, and Cedar City outdoor pages. The wider outdoor picture, Cedar Breaks and Brian Head included, is in the Cedar City guide.
Errands & drive times
Errands, measured in minutes.
This is the practical answer to "how far is everything from up here." The honest version: the mountain buys you views and quiet at the cost of a real drive down for daily needs, so plan on about fifteen minutes to town in good conditions. Times below are estimates measured from near the base of the mountain by Greenslake Drive; from the upper lots, in weather, or on the gravel, add several minutes. Confirm each door-to-door.
| The errand | Where it happens | From the mountain |
|---|---|---|
| Full grocery run | Lin's Fresh Market, 150 N Main Street | ~15 min |
| Big-box and hardware | Walmart & Home Depot, Providence Center | ~18 min |
| Freeway on-ramp | Interstate 15 at Exit 57, SR-14 / Cross Hollow Rd | ~13 min |
| Healthcare | Cedar City Hospital, 1303 N Main Street | ~18 min |
| Dinner up the canyon | Milt's Stage Stop, 3560 E Highway 14 | ~10 min |
| Campus and events | Southern Utah University | ~15 min |
| Flights | Cedar City Regional Airport (CDC) | ~18 min |
| Trailhead up the canyon | Lower Ashdown Gorge, SR-14 | ~10 min |
| High-country day trip | Cedar Breaks National Monument (seasonal) | ~40 min |
Farther out, the weekend map opens up: Brian Head's ski runs are about 40 minutes north via Parowan, the Kolob Canyons gate of Zion is roughly 30 minutes down and south on I-15, and St. George is about an hour. The full day-trip map lives in the Cedar City guide.
Schools & education
Schools, by the facts.
Cedar Highlands is part of the Iron County School District, and the schools for it are down in Cedar City rather than on the mountain. Because this is a remote, parcel-based mountain area on the southeast edge of the district, and because the district is actively redrawing boundaries, I do not want to name a specific school off the map and be wrong. Cedar City itself splits between the Cedar and Canyon View attendance zones, roughly south-central versus north.
Elementary boundaries change for the 2026-27 school year and the middle and high boundaries shift for 2027-28, so for any address up here confirm the current elementary, middle (Cedar Middle or Canyon View Middle), and high (Cedar High or Canyon View High) assignment directly with the district by address, and ask about mountain bus routing while you are at it. For independent school information, GreatSchools and Niche both publish data you can weigh for yourself. Southern Utah University is about fifteen minutes down in town.
I cover the bigger education picture, including SUU, in the Cedar City guide.
Mountain-living due diligence
What the mountain asks of a buyer.
It is worth saying plainly, because it is the reason this section exists: buying at 7,800 feet on a wooded mountain is different from buying in the valley, and the buyers who do well up here treat that as a feature, not a surprise. The views, the trees, and the quiet are exactly why people climb up, and they come attached to a short list of responsibilities that a listing photo will never show you.
Start with access. There are two routes, one seasonal and one year-round, stretches of the roads are gravel, and grades are steep, so who plows what, how your specific driveway pitches, and the vehicle you will actually need in February are real questions, not paperwork. Then the utilities: some pads already have power, water, natural gas, and a county-approved septic, while a rawer lot can need a well, a septic system, propane, or a costly utility extension. And because this is forested Cedar Mountain, defensible space and wildfire preparedness belong on the checklist alongside snow and water.
None of this is meant to talk you out of the mountain. It is meant to make sure the mountain you buy is the one you thought you were buying. I would rather walk a lot in a storm than only on a blue-sky afternoon, and I would rather read the county records than assume.
What I check before I call a mountain property a safe bet
- The road and driveway on both routes, who maintains and plows them, the grade, and the vehicle a year-round owner would actually need.
- The utility story for the exact parcel: power, water or well, natural gas or propane, septic, and internet, plus the cost of any extension.
- Defensible space, tree cover, slope, and drainage, since this is forested Cedar Mountain and wildfire preparedness is part of ownership.
- The parcel against Iron County records, since Cedar Highlands is unincorporated again and county-level requirements govern up here.
This is general guidance, not legal, insurance, or engineering advice. Confirm any specific property with Iron County, a qualified inspector, the relevant fire and utility providers, and your insurer before you rely on it. Sources: Iron County records, the U.S. Forest Service, and local mountain-property experience.
What locals know
The details I would slow down and check.
No listing photo tells you this part. Cedar Highlands rewards a buyer who verifies the boring details before falling for the view. These are the four things I would walk a friend through before they get attached to any one lot or cabin up here.
-
Do not price a lot off a finished home. Raw acreage and a built home are two different markets wearing the same name. Separate them and the picture gets honest fast.
-
Drive it like you live there, in winter. Test both the Cedar Canyon and Greenslake Drive routes, the gravel, the grade, and the driveway, especially if year-round use is part of the plan.
-
Ask the utility questions early. Power, water or well, natural gas or propane, septic, and internet can shape both cost and comfort, and they vary lot to lot up here.
-
Read the county records. Because Cedar Highlands is unincorporated Iron County again, parcel records and county-level requirements deserve a careful look before you write an offer.
Buy or sell here
The buyer side and the seller side.
Buying in Cedar Highlands
Cedar Highlands is a mountain subdivision on the flank of Cedar Mountain southeast of Cedar City, up around 7,800 feet of elevation. It is not an in-town street grid. There are two ways up: the year-round route runs from I-15 Exit 57 out Greenslake Drive to the base of the mountain, then a couple of miles of gravel road, and a warm-season route climbs State Route 14 up Cedar Canyon and turns off near Milt's Stage Stop. The exact parcel and the road that serves it matter as much as the house.
It is a mix of custom mountain homes, cabin-style properties, and vacant acreage lots, spread across wooded terrain since the area started as a cabin community in 1981. Lots commonly run from about one acre up past four or five acres, so a built home and a bare lot are two different searches. I separate them before I read a single comp.
Utilities vary parcel by parcel, and that is one of the first things I check. Some lots already have power, water, natural gas, and a county-approved septic setup at the pad, while rawer parcels can need a well, a septic system, propane, or a utility extension that adds real cost. I confirm the exact utility story on any specific property before we talk price.
Winter access is the single thing I tell every buyer to verify up here. The warm-season Cedar Canyon route and the year-round Greenslake Drive route are different, parts of the road are gravel, and grades are steep, so check current road conditions, who plows what, driveway pitch, and the vehicle you will actually need before you count on year-round access.
It splits by property type, so you cannot read it from one number. Finished mountain homes have generally been listed from the high $500,000s up into the $900,000s and above, while vacant acreage lots are a separate, much wider market. Because the supply up here is small, one new listing can swing the average, so treat that as a starting frame and confirm against the live listings.
Plan on roughly fifteen minutes down to Cedar City for groceries and errands in good conditions, a little more from the upper lots or in winter. The trade for that drive is the mountain out your door: the Cedar Canyon recreation corridor, the Dixie National Forest campground, and the Lower Ashdown Gorge trailhead are minutes up State Route 14, with Cedar Breaks National Monument a seasonal drive beyond.
Ready to look? See what is on the market or tell me what you are after.
Selling in Cedar Highlands
The first question is property type and the property's whole package: road, access, slope, view, trees, and utilities. A finished home and a bare lot should not be priced off the same small comp set just because they share the Cedar Highlands name. Get that split right and the pricing conversation gets a lot more honest.
List it with me and your home is featured across MovingUtah, on this page, on the Cedar City hub, and in the featured listings buyers browse on this site. The get featured page walks through exactly how that works.
Yes, but on a purchase I take one role only, never both. I can work as your real estate agent or as your lender, and the role is disclosed before we move forward.
Thinking about it? Start with your number or see how featuring works.
Keep exploring Cedar City
Want a closer look at Cedar Highlands?
Buying, I can pull the current Cedar Highlands mix and separate finished homes from raw land before you compare prices, then pressure-test access, utilities, slope, and snow. Selling, I will position your property against the right slice of the mountain instead of the whole map.
Selling in Cedar Highlands
Want to sell your home in Cedar Highlands? List it with Scott Buehler and get featured on MovingUtah.
No best-agent claims and no guaranteed-price promises, just honest pricing that separates finished homes from land and reads the road, access, and utilities before it ever names a number.