A beautiful sunset can happen just about anywhere — as over 239 million Instagram posts can attest. It helps if there is an expanse of ocean, lake, or land, dramatic mountains or an ornate skyline, but sometimes just a well-placed cloud will do.
All that said, some places in the country just do sunsets better than the rest — and here are a dozen of them.
Laguna Beach, California
There’s no shortage of epic sunsets across Southern California, what with its vantage point at the very edge of the Pacific, neither too close to the equator nor the North Pole. But some of the most stunning sunsets are along the nine miles of waterfront that comprise Laguna Beach.
Hopi Point, Grand Canyon, Arizona
The crowds don’t lie — Hopi Point is one of the most incredible spots to watch the sun set over the vast south rim of the Grand Canyon.
Mauna Kea, Hawaii
It’s a fool’s errand to choose the best sunset out of all the Hawaiian islands. Some will say Makena Beach in Maui; others might say Wailuku on Hawaii, Hanalei Bay on Kauai, or Sunset Beach on Oahu’s North Shore. But, indisputably, the most unique is from the top of Mauna Kea — a dormant volcano rising some 14,000 feet above sea level.
Yosemite National Park, California
Like the Grand Canyon, Yosemite is all about nature at its most dazzling — and humbling. The sunset bouncing off the towering granite mass that is Half Dome is always a winner, but, for a few days each February, the real show is the “firefall” at Horsetail Fall, which, under the right conditions, glows orange in the fading sunlight.
Manhattan, New York
Similarly, two days a year the sun sets in perfect alignment with the Manhattan street grid, a phenomenon Neil deGrasse Tyson dubbed “Manhattanhenge.” The exact timing varies year to year. In 2020, this urban phenomenon will take place on May 29 and July 12.
Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, California
Because of the old-school pier, Ferris wheel, and palm trees, not to mention the fact that it was the end point of Route 66, the Santa Monica Pier offers up one of the most iconic sunsets in the Golden State.
Sedona, Arizona
There are many reasons to journey to Sedona — and one of them is the light show against the red sandstone rocks as the sun sets. Airport Mesa is one popular vantage point.
Mallory Square, Key West, Florida
For a true sunset event — one that dates back to the 1960s — head to the Key West Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square. The festivities, which include jugglers, psychics, food trucks, and tourists, begin two hours before the sun sets over the Gulf of Mexico. It’s a Key West tradition.
Dauphin Island, Alabama
It’s the sunset capital of Alabama. The island in the Gulf Coast boasts white sand beaches and the Audubon Bird Sanctuary.
Outer Banks, North Carolina
In the Outer Banks, you drive east to look west — and catch one of the best sunsets in the east from a secluded island beach.
Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska
The incomparable rugged wilderness of Alaska is tailor-made for stunning sunsets — so long as the sun does set. (In the northernmost Alaskan city, the sun doesn’t set for more than two and a half months).
Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park, Montana
Big Sky Country does not hold back — especially not as the sun slips past the Rocky Mountains over picturesque Lake McDonald. At roughly 10 miles long, it’s the largest lake in Glacier National Park.
