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
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.
