Leonard Harrison Overlook
Pine Creek Gorge, Pennsylvania · 1,826 ft
The east rim of Pine Creek Gorge stands 800 feet above the water, with the opposite wall and a bend of Pine Creek filling the frame. Morning sun front-lights the west rim and valley fog often sits in the gorge below the railing.
Typical peak
Oct 5 – Oct 13
Long range. Treat as a planning estimate only.
Best light
Best at sunrise
Classic view faces W (270°)
Crowds
high
Busy through peak. Be parked before sunrise or expect to walk in.
Getting there
Drive PA 660 west from Wellsboro to its end at the park; the walled overlook is about 100 feet from the visitor center lot.
What turns here
- sugar maple
- black cherry
- eastern hemlock
- white ash
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 9Typical color progression for Leonard Harrison Overlook. No change from Sep 1 to Sep 18. First color from Sep 18 to Sep 27. Approaching peak from Sep 27 to Oct 5. Peak from Oct 5 to Oct 13. Past peak from Oct 13 to Oct 23. Bare from Oct 23 to Nov 6.
Color starts around Sep 18.
Light at peak
Leonard Harrison Overlook on October 9, 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 | 6:47 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 98° | 7:15 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 37 min of low, warm light | 7:52 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 12:57 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 37 min before sunset | 6:01 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 262° | 6:39 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:06 PM |
Times in America/New York · day length 11h 24m · computed from NOAA solar equations
Which way to point the camera
Sunrise: front-lit
Sun behind you. Flat, even light — accurate color, little drama. Good for wide valley scenes, weak for single trees.
Sunset: backlit
Sun behind the canopy — leaves glow translucent. The shot most people are after. Expect flare; a hood or a hand helps.
Based on the classic composition here facing W (270°).
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.