I spent a long weekend in northern Utah shooting fall color. The maples are spectacular this year near Heber City and on the Nebo Mountain Loop. With heavy snow and generally bad weather wreaking havoc on theColorado fall scene, I headed across the border to Utah. I had always wanted to see the maples there and finally had the chance. I visited several of the canyons, including Pine Creek, Big Cottonwood Canyon, and Provo Canyon. The best color was on the Deer Creek Overlook which is located between Salt Lake and Heber City. I also drove the Nebo Mountain Loop south of Provo which also had some dazzling color, especially near the Bear Canyon Campground.
Heber City is a pretty little town on the back side of the Wasatch Front across from Salt Lake City. It is a perfect place to explore the various canyons to the west such as Cascade Springs, Pine Creek, and Big Cottonwood. I walked around Cascade Springs which is a natural spring and creek. A nature trail winds through the area. Dispersed camping is available along the road past the springs. This portion of the road road is quite rough so bring the 4×4. I found some cool places to shoot maples. The color was quite vibrant in this area. From there, I explored the Deer Creek Overlook. This was located down the main road just a couple of miles from the springs. This is a great place to watch the sunrise. Too bad there were so many clouds that morning.
That afternoon I did the Nebo Mountain Loop. This road loops from Payson to Nephi a few miles south of Spanish Forks. It has a number of highlights including great views of bald Mountain and Nebo Mountain. The best color on the loop is found near the southern end by the Bear Canyon campground.
