Devils Kitchen Overlook
Mount Nebo Scenic Byway, Utah · 8,184 ft
Orange sandstone hoodoos fill a small amphitheater at the head of Red Creek, with bigtooth maple turning crimson on the slopes around the rim. Red rock and red maple stack in one frame from the deck at the end of the paved path.
Typical peak
Sep 18 – Sep 26
Long range. Treat as a planning estimate only.
Best light
Best at sunset
Crowds
moderate
Fills up mid-morning. Arriving for first light is usually enough.
Getting there
Signed parking and picnic area on the Nebo Loop Road (Forest Road 015) about 15 miles northeast of Nephi, with a paved 200-yard walk to the viewing deck.
What turns here
- bigtooth maple
- quaking aspen
- gambel oak
Color progression
Typical peak Sep 22Typical color progression for Devils Kitchen Overlook. No change from Aug 15 to Sep 1. First color from Sep 1 to Sep 10. Approaching peak from Sep 10 to Sep 18. Peak from Sep 18 to Sep 26. Past peak from Sep 26 to Oct 6. Bare from Oct 6 to Oct 20.
Color starts around Sep 1.
Light at peak
Devils Kitchen Overlook on September 22, 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 · 89° | 7:14 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 36 min of low, warm light | 7:50 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 1:19 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 36 min before sunset | 6:49 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 271° | 7:24 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:51 PM |
Times in America/Denver · day length 12h 10m · 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.