Lost Maples State Natural Area
Texas Hill Country, Texas · 1,792 ft
Relict bigtooth maples crowd the Sabinal River and Can Creek canyons, isolated stands left over from a cooler climate. Color peaks across the first three weeks of November, later than anywhere else in the region.
Typical peak
Nov 4 – Nov 12
Long range. Treat as a planning estimate only.
Best light
Best under flat overcast
Crowds
extreme
Gridlocked at peak weekends. Go on a weekday, or be there an hour before light.
Getting there
Enter off RM 187 five miles north of Vanderpool, park at headquarters, and walk the East Trail about a mile up Can Creek to the heaviest maple.
What turns here
- bigtooth maple
- texas red oak
- american sycamore
Color progression
Typical peak Nov 8Typical color progression for Lost Maples State Natural Area. No change from Oct 1 to Oct 18. First color from Oct 18 to Oct 27. Approaching peak from Oct 27 to Nov 4. Peak from Nov 4 to Nov 12. Past peak from Nov 12 to Nov 22. Bare from Nov 22 to Dec 6.
Color starts around Oct 18.
Light at peak
Lost Maples State Natural Area on November 8, 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 | 6:32 AM |
| Sunrise Rises ESE · 109° | 6:57 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 34 min of low, warm light | 7:31 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 12:22 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 34 min before sunset | 5:13 PM |
| Sunset Sets WSW · 251° | 5:46 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:11 PM |
Times in America/Chicago · day length 10h 49m · computed from NOAA solar equations
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises ESE, sets WSW.
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.