Pikes Peak State Park Overlook
Driftless Area, Iowa · 1,043 ft
Typical peak
Oct 5 – Oct 13
low confidence in typical timing.
Best light
Best at sunrise
Classic view faces E (100°)
A 500-foot Driftless bluff above the Mississippi looking at the Wisconsin River confluence and its braided sandbars. Maple and oak on the near slope drop below the deck rail and give a color foreground for the channel.
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
Follow Great River Road (IA-340) south from McGregor to the park's main lot and walk 200 yards of paved path to the bluff-edge deck.
What turns here
- sugar maple
- white oak
- shagbark hickory
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 9Typical color progression for Pikes Peak State Park 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.
Pikes Peak State Park Overlook is typically at bare on Nov 1, 2026.
This season so far
First frost
None yet
No night at or below 32°F since Aug 1.
Last 14 days
67°F / 47°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
Pikes Peak State Park Overlook on October 9, 2026, the center of its typical peak window.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:42 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 98° | 7:11 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 38 min of low, warm light | 7:49 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 12:52 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 38 min before sunset | 5:54 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 262° | 6:32 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:01 PM |
Times in America/Chicago · day length 11h 22m · 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 (100°).
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.