West Fork of Oak Creek
Oak Creek Canyon, Arizona · 5,331 ft
Bigtooth maple and Arizona sycamore fill a canyon barely 200 feet wide, with red Coconino sandstone rising straight off the creek. Shade or overcast keeps the walls from blowing out against the yellow canopy.
Typical peak
Oct 10 – Oct 18
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
Park at the Call of the Canyon day-use lot on AZ-89A near milepost 385 about 10 miles north of Sedona; the fee lot fills before 9 a.m. on fall weekends and the first creek crossings are half a mile in.
What turns here
- bigtooth maple
- arizona sycamore
- gambel oak
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 14Typical color progression for West Fork of Oak Creek. No change from Sep 6 to Sep 23. First color from Sep 23 to Oct 2. Approaching peak from Oct 2 to Oct 10. Peak from Oct 10 to Oct 18. Past peak from Oct 18 to Oct 28. Bare from Oct 28 to Nov 11.
Color starts around Sep 23.
Light at peak
West Fork of Oak Creek on October 14, 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 | 6:06 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 99° | 6:32 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 34 min of low, warm light | 7:06 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 12:13 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 34 min before sunset | 5:19 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 260° | 5:54 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:19 PM |
Times in America/Phoenix · day length 11h 22m · 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.