Bear Rocks Preserve
Dolly Sods, West Virginia · 3,999 ft
Typical peak
Oct 4 – Oct 12
low confidence in typical timing.
Best light
Best at sunrise
Classic view faces E (90°)
Sandstone slabs and wind-flagged spruce sit on the lip of the Allegheny Front, with blueberry and huckleberry heath going crimson underneath by early October. The ground drops more than 1,000 feet in the first half mile east, so sunrise often comes up over fog filling the valley below the rocks.
Seasonal model estimate. Timing remains uncertain; check recent reports before traveling. Source: seasonal timing model. Calculated .
Crowds
high
Busy through peak. Be parked before sunrise or expect to walk in.
Getting there
Drive Forest Road 75 to the Bear Rocks trailhead lot at the north end of the Dolly Sods plateau and walk 200 yards east onto the outcrops.
What turns here
- blueberry
- red maple
- mountain ash
- red spruce
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 8Typical color progression for Bear Rocks Preserve. No change from Aug 31 to Sep 17. First color from Sep 17 to Sep 26. Approaching peak from Sep 26 to Oct 4. Peak from Oct 4 to Oct 12. Past peak from Oct 12 to Oct 22. Bare from Oct 22 to Nov 5.
Bear Rocks Preserve is typically at bare on Nov 1, 2026.
This season so far
First frost
Oct 18
1 night at or below 32°F since Aug 1.
Last 14 days
58°F / 40°F
Average daily high and low.
Modeled weather for these coordinates from the Open-Meteo historical archive, Aug 1 – Oct 31; not a station record. Reported peak is the median date of approved peak-color reports.
Plan the light
Bear Rocks Preserve on October 8, 2026, the center of its typical peak window.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:53 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 97° | 7:19 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 36 min of low, warm light | 7:55 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 1:04 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 36 min before sunset | 6:14 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 263° | 6:49 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:16 PM |
Times in America/New York · day length 11h 30m · computed from NOAA solar equations.
Local terrain can hide the sun; allow extra time to reach your viewpoint.
Which way to point the camera
Sunrise: backlit
Sun behind the canopy — leaves glow translucent. The shot most people are after. Expect flare; a hood or a hand helps.
Sunset: front-lit
Sun behind you. Flat, even light — accurate color, little drama. Good for wide valley scenes, weak for single trees.
Classic composition faces E (90°).
Shooting conditions
Glassy water, wind blur, and what the cloud will do to your light.
Recent reports
What people actually saw here. Been recently? Add yours.
Nearby locations
Within 100 miles in a straight line; road distances can be longer.