This dataset consists of point intercept data, sampled with a point frame, from three 1 ha sites along an elevation and precipitation gradient within Reynolds Creek Experimental Watershed collected between late May and mid July, 2019. The lowest elevation site ('wbs1', 1,425 m) was vegetated by shrub steppe dominated Wyoming big sage (Artemisia tridentata ssp. wyomingensis). Vegetation at the middle elevation site ('los1', 1,680 m) was shrub steppe dominated by low sage (Artemisia arbuscula). Shrub steppe at the highest elevation site ('mbs1', 2,110 m) was dominated by mountain big sage (Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana) and Utah snowberry (Symphoricarpos oreophilus utahensis). At each site 30 randomly located square 1 m^2 plots were sampled. The plots were oriented with one axis randomly chosen from 45, 90, 135, 180, 225, 270, 315 and 360 degrees north azimuth. A point frame of 20 pins was orientated perpendicular to the azimuth and each pin was lowered through the canopy and each contact was recorded to species or other plant material category. Whether the contacted material was photosynthetic (coded as a '+') or non-photosynthetic (coded as '-') was also recorded. Last seasons senesced plant material that is alive but not photosynthetic is coded as '.'. There may be 0, 1, 2 or more canopy hits for each pin (numbered 1 through n with 1 being the top-most canopy hit). A final basal hit is recorded for each pin and coded as hit 0. The point frame was moved so that a total of 5 rows were recorded for a total of 100 pins for each plot. The plant species codes used follow the USDA Plants Database.