Summer Solstice
The top 150 locations in America to watch sunrise during Summer Solstice.
The Summer Solstice, falling on June 20th, marks the longest day of the year and the official beginning of summer – a season beloved by many. A time-honored tradition among various cultures is to greet this day by watching the sunrise. In honor of this tradition, We conducted a survey of 3,000 locals to identify the best spots in the country to witness the sunrise on the Summer Solstice, based on personal experiences. This survey helped curate a list of the top 150 places nationwide (and in each state) to experience this magical moment. Here are the top 10 locations:
1. Lake Tahoe, Nevada
By Sergey Yarmolyuk - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=83073693
The top pick across the country was the eastern shore of Lake Tahoe. In particular around Sand Harbor, it provides beautiful sunrise views over the clear blue waters and surrounding mountains.
2. Arches National Park, Utah
By Palacemusic - Prise de vue personnelle, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6020905
Taking the runner’s up spot, the Delicate Arch and Windows Section offer spectacular sunrise views with the unique red rock formations creating a dramatic backdrop. The morning light enhances the vibrant colors of the arches and surrounding landscape.
3. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
By Murray Foubister - https://www.flickr.com/photos/mfoubister/8645178272/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=51850121
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the world famous Grand Canyon emerged as one of the most sought after destinations. The South Rim, particularly at Mather Point or Yaki Point, offers breathtaking sunrise views over the vast and colorful canyon.
4. Stone Mountain Park, Georgia
By Truth Falcon - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=76686419
Just outside Atlanta, the summit of Stone Mountain offers panoramic views of the surrounding area. Watching the sunrise from here provides a stunning perspective of the city and the natural landscape.
5. Key West, Florida
By Radomianin - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=74677350
The southernmost point in the continental U.S., Key West offers stunning sunrise views over the Atlantic Ocean. The White Street Pier is a particularly popular spot to catch the first light of the day.
6. Everglades National Park, Florida
By Everglades NPS from Homestead, Florida, United States - Sunset over the River of Grass, NPSphoto, G.Gardner, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44777208
Known for its stunning natural beauty, the Everglades offers unique sunrise views at the Pa-hay-okee Overlook. This spot provides expansive vistas of the vast sawgrass marshes, creating a distinctive sunrise experience.
7. Adirondack Mountains, New York
By R khot (talk) - I created this image entirely by myself., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11618942
The High Peaks region offers breathtaking sunrise views from various summits. Mount Marcy, the highest point in New York, provides a particularly spectacular vantage point, but easier hikes like Cascade Mountain also offer stunning vistas.
8. Sedona, Arizona
By Terrydarc - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=26873069
In 8th place came Sedona. With its iconic red rock formations, spots like Cathedral Rock and Bell Rock provide magnificent sunrise vistas.
9. Maroon Bells, Colorado
By John Fowler from Placitas, NM, USA - Alpenglow, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22318729
Near Aspen, the Maroon Bells are two of the most photographed mountains in North America. The view of the sunrise over Maroon Lake with the peaks in the background is truly iconic.
10. Cannon Beach, Oregon
And rounding up the top 10 came Cannon Beach on Oregon’s beach. Located on the northern Oregon coast, Cannon Beach, in 3rd place overall, offers beautiful sunrise views over the Pacific Ocean. The iconic Haystack Rock provides a striking silhouette against the morning sky.
| Ranking | Park | State |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Sandy Hook | New Jersey |
| 12 | Central Park | New York |
| 13 | Virginia Beach | Virginia |
| 14 | Mount Rainier National Park | Washington |
| 15 | Shenandoah National Park | Virginia |
| 16 | Olympic National Park | Washington |
| 17 | Crater Lake National Park | Oregon |
| 18 | Myrtle Beach | South Carolina |
| 19 | Rocky Mountain National Park | Colorado |
| 20 | Garden of the Gods | Colorado |
| 21 | Cumberland Falls State Resort Park | Kentucky |
| 22 | Sugarloaf Mountain | Maryland |
| 23 | Pikes Peak State Park | Iowa |
| 24 | Lake of the Ozarks | Missouri |
| 25 | High Point State Park | New Jersey |
| 26 | Sandhills | Nebraska |
| 27 | Mount Rushmore National Memorial | South Dakota |
| 28 | Hot Springs Mountain Tower | Arkansas |
| 29 | Delaware Seashore State Park | Delaware |
| 30 | Badlands National Park | South Dakota |
| 31 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park | Tennessee |
| 32 | Yellowstone National Park | Montana |
| 33 | North Avenue Beach | Illinois |
| 34 | Lake Champlain | Vermont |
| 35 | Gulf State Park | Alabama |
| 36 | Big Sur | California |
| 37 | Assateague Island National Seashore | Maryland |
| 38 | Saguaro National Park | Arizona |
| 39 | Montauk Point State Park | New York |
| 40 | Cape May | New Jersey |
| 41 | Cadillac Mountain | Maine |
| 42 | Padre Island National Seashore | Texas |
| 43 | Lake Washington | Washington |
| 44 | Hocking Hills State Park | Ohio |
| 45 | Devil’s Lake State Park | Wisconsin |
| 46 | Cleveland Lakefront | Ohio |
| 47 | Bryce Canyon National Park | Utah |
| 48 | Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness | Minnesota |
| 49 | Mount Magazine State Park | Arkansas |
| 50 | Haleakalā National Park | Hawaii |
| 51 | Flattop Mountain, Anchorage | Alaska |
| 52 | Big Bend National Park | Texas |
| 53 | Yellowstone National Park | Wyoming |
| 54 | Tybee Island | Georgia |
| 55 | Monte Sano State Park | Alabama |
| 56 | Hammonasset Beach State Park | Connecticut |
| 57 | Glacier National Park | Montana |
| 58 | Flathead Lake | Montana |
| 59 | Denali National Park and Preserve | Alaska |
| 60 | Boston Harbor Islands | Massachusetts |
| 61 | Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area | Nevada |
| 62 | Mackinac Island | Michigan |
| 63 | Canaveral National Seashore | Florida |
| 64 | Biloxi Beach | Mississippi |
| 65 | Apostle Islands National Lakeshore | Wisconsin |
| 66 | Annapolis | Maryland |
| 67 | Theodore Roosevelt National Park | North Dakota |
| 68 | Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge | Rhode Island |
| 69 | Mount Battie | Maine |
| 70 | Mount Auburn Cemetery | Massachusetts |
| 71 | Hogback Mountain | Vermont |
| 72 | Fenwick Island State Park | Delaware |
| 73 | Brown County State Park | Indiana |
| 74 | Yosemite National Park | California |
| 75 | Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore | Michigan |
| 76 | Lake Sakakawea | North Dakota |
| 77 | Lake Pontchartrain | Louisiana |
| 78 | Gateway Arch | Missouri |
| 79 | Enchanted Rock State Natural Area | Texas |
| 80 | Eagle Creek Park | Indiana |
| 81 | Carlsbad Caverns National Park | New Mexico |
| 82 | Mammoth Cave National Park | Kentucky |
| 83 | Lake Winnipesaukee | New Hampshire |
| 84 | Kailua Beach | Hawaii |
| 85 | Flint Hills Scenic Byway | Kansas |
| 86 | Diamond Head | Hawaii |
| 87 | Craters of the Moon National Monument | Idaho |
| 88 | Blue Ridge Parkway | North Carolina |
| 89 | Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore | Michigan |
| 90 | Sawtooth National Recreation Area | Idaho |
| 91 | Portland Head Light | Maine |
| 92 | Mount Washington | New Hampshire |
| 93 | Chimney Rock National Historic Site | Nebraska |
| 94 | Starved Rock State Park | Illinois |
| 95 | Seneca Rocks | West Virginia |
| 96 | Petit Jean State Park | Arkansas |
| 97 | Mount Mansfield | Vermont |
| 98 | Door County | Wisconsin |
| 99 | Devils Tower National Monument | Wyoming |
| 100 | Silver Sands State Park | Connecticut |
| 101 | Navy Pier | Illinois |
| 102 | Joshua Tree National Park | California |
| 103 | Jekyll Island | Georgia |
| 104 | Indiana Dunes National Park | Indiana |
| 105 | Homer Spit | Alaska |
| 106 | Elephant Rocks State Park | Missouri |
| 107 | Custer State Park | South Dakota |
| 108 | Charleston Waterfront Park | South Carolina |
| 109 | Cape Henlopen State Park | Delaware |
| 110 | Talimena Scenic Drive | Oklahoma |
| 111 | Split Rock Lighthouse State Park | Minnesota |
| 112 | Smith Rock State Park | Oregon |
| 113 | Shoshone Falls | Idaho |
| 114 | New River Gorge National Park and Preserve | West Virginia |
| 115 | Great Falls Park | Virginia |
| 116 | Sleeping Giant State Park | Connecticut |
| 117 | Scotts Bluff National Monument | Nebraska |
| 118 | Minnehaha Falls | Minnesota |
| 119 | Lake Hefner | Oklahoma |
| 120 | Hunting Island State Park | South Carolina |
| 121 | Franconia Notch State Park | New Hampshire |
| 122 | Sheyenne National Grassland | North Dakota |
| 123 | Red River Gorge | Kentucky |
| 124 | Presque Isle State Park | Pennsylvania |
| 125 | Chilhowee Mountain | Tennessee |
| 126 | Beavertail State Park | Rhode Island |
| 127 | Bandelier National Monument | New Mexico |
| 128 | Wrightsville Beach | North Carolina |
| 129 | White Sands National Park | New Mexico |
| 130 | Tishomingo State Park | Mississippi |
| 131 | Pine Creek Gorge | Pennsylvania |
| 132 | Nauset Beach | Massachusetts |
| 133 | Cheaha State Park | Alabama |
| 134 | Black Mesa State Park | Oklahoma |
| 135 | Atchafalaya Basin | Louisiana |
| 136 | Zion National Park | Utah |
| 137 | Radnor Lake State Park | Tennessee |
| 138 | Narragansett Town Beach | Rhode Island |
| 139 | Maumee Bay State Park | Ohio |
| 140 | Maquoketa Caves State Park | Iowa |
| 141 | Loess Hills Scenic Byway | Iowa |
| 142 | Great Basin National Park | Nevada |
| 143 | Grand Teton National Park | Wyoming |
| 144 | Dolly Sods Wilderness | West Virginia |
| 145 | Ricketts Glen State Park | Pennsylvania |
| 146 | Natchez Trace Parkway | Mississippi |
| 147 | Outer Banks | North Carolina |
| 148 | Grand Isle State Park | Louisiana |
| 149 | Cheyenne Bottoms Wildlife Area | Kansas |
| 150 | Konza Prairie Biological Station | Kansas |
