This site tells the incredible story of Southern Utah’s historic mining industry. During the 1850s, pioneer leader Brigham Young sent several families to the Cedar City area to establish an iron works. Iron City (now Old Iron Town) was established as Iron County’s second attempt at mining iron; the area included a schoolhouse, blacksmith shop, a foundry and a charcoal kiln.
While Iron City seemed prosperous at the time, it only operated for seven years, closing due to the lack of sufficient transportation for the iron ore and the money panic of 1874.
Visitors can walk amongst the ruins of the ironworks and a preserved beehive-shaped charcoal oven, then stroll along the nature trail.
Before embarking on your journey to Old Iron Town, visitors are strongly encouraged to stop by the Frontier Homestead State Park Museum in Cedar City to gain a better understanding of the area and pick up a self-guided tour brochure.
This monument includes two easy hikes through the area:
Old Iron Town Ruins
- A short ¼-mile trail with interpretive plaques describing the significance of the ruins, including the kiln, furnace, and foundry area and the Erastra (grinding stone).
Nature Trail
- A short ¼-mile trail that includes information about the area’s vegetation and leads to the remnants of a pioneer cabin.
GPS: 37.599910971742815, -113.4494441995363
Park Gallery
