Guardsman Pass
Wasatch Range, Utah · 9,704 ft
The paved climb from Brighton tops out at 9,704 feet with aspen slopes dropping away toward Heber Valley on the east side. Lower Big Cottonwood adds bigtooth maple, so one drive covers gold at the summit and red at the canyon mouth.
Typical peak
Sep 11 – Sep 19
Long range. Treat as a planning estimate only.
Best light
Best under flat overcast
Crowds
high
Busy through peak. Be parked before sunrise or expect to walk in.
Getting there
Drive Big Cottonwood Canyon (SR-190) to Brighton, then Guardsman Pass Road 3 paved miles to the summit lot; the road gates shut with the first heavy snow.
What turns here
- quaking aspen
- bigtooth maple
Color progression
Typical peak Sep 15Typical color progression for Guardsman Pass. No change from Aug 8 to Aug 25. First color from Aug 25 to Sep 3. Approaching peak from Sep 3 to Sep 11. Peak from Sep 11 to Sep 19. Past peak from Sep 19 to Sep 29. Bare from Sep 29 to Oct 13.
Color starts around Aug 25.
Light at peak
Guardsman Pass on September 15, the day it typically peaks. Knowing when color arrives is one thing. Knowing where the sun will be is another.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:39 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 85° | 7:06 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 36 min of low, warm light | 7:42 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 1:21 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 36 min before sunset | 6:59 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 275° | 7:35 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 8:03 PM |
Times in America/Denver · day length 12h 29m · computed from NOAA solar equations
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises E, sets W.
Aim within 45° of those and the canopy glows translucent. Turn your back to them for flat, accurate color.
Location pages name the light directly.
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.