Wake Up Early To See The Most Spectacular Sunrise At These Jaw-Dropping Viewpoints

Mount Rainier National Park is an extraordinary expanse that epitomizes the mountainous majesty of the Pacific Northwest. It was the fifth national park established in the United States and the most glaciated park in the Lower 48. Known for its beautiful landscape, this national park is home to rolling hills, flower-covered meadows, astonishing mountains, breathtaking valleys, crystalline lakes, and an episodically active composite volcano. It's also one of the best places in the world to catch a sunrise, especially at Upper Tipsoo Lake. As the sun peeks over the horizon, this bright star sets Mount Rainier on fire; a sublime spectacle mirrored perfectly in the lake's icy cool waters.

There's no place in the world quite like Crater Lake, a national park quite literally designed to be admired. The lake is circumnavigated by the 33-mile Rim Drive, which also happens to be the highest paved road in Oregon. The full loop is usually open from June through October and features 30 scenic pullouts. Our favorite overlook, however, is Watchman Peak, a spot offering dramatic views of the breathtaking body of water. Located on the Watchman Peak Trail, the eponymous viewpoint overlooks the jaw-dropping Crater Lake and surrounding scenery, an experience that tops itself come sunrise. While Crater Lake is known for its amazing nighttime skies, watching the sun peek over the horizon makes the lake almost blindingly beautiful, an experience sure to have you catching your breath.

There are many places to marvel over the arrival of a new day Yosemite National Park, but none quite compare to the serene sublimity of a sunrise at Taft Point. The hike to the overlook is just two miles round-trip, making it one of the most blissfully accessible trails in the park. As you get closer to Taft Point, you'll traverse the Fissures, giant vertical gashes in the granite cliffs. From there, hikers can walk right up to the cliff's edge and gaze straight down to the bottom of the valley. In the distance, a sweeping panorama that includes El Capitan and Yosemite Falls creates a scene that's especially splendid at sunrise.

In the otherworldly expanse of Utah's Bryce Canyon, hoodoos and canyons offer an incredible setting to experience a truly sublime sunrise -- or sunset. The aptly named Sunrise Point all but guarantees this to be true; in fact, many flock to the national park well before sunrise in order to catch a glimpse of the sun just peeking over the horizon. Of course, Inspiration Point and Bryce Point boast equally resplendent views, and we recommend visiting each over several days to discover your favorite sunrise viewpoint.

Nestled away in the heart of the Black Hills of South Dakota, Badlands National Park is one of the most easy-to-recognize spots in the Midwest, thanks to its colorful buttes and striking pinnacles. Encompassing some 242,756 acres, the Badlands were formed an estimated 69-million years ago as a result of geologic forces of deposition and erosion, making them not only beautiful but incredibly ancient; a place of life-affirming and humbling grandeur. At sunrise, the hills slowly begin to come alive, like a cascade of dawn-lit dominoes in the horizon. Whether you snap a sunrise shot from one of the trails or stand high above the formations via the Big Badlands Overlook, you are guaranteed a jaw-dropping, picture-perfect, bucket-list-worthy experience.

The Grand Canyon of Texas is a marvelous place to catch a sunrise; an experience sure to have you marveling over the grandeur of the Lone Star State. Within the eponymous state park, there are numerous ways to explore the canyon (the second largest in the country), starting with its 30 miles of trails. This canyon is 120 miles long and 20 miles wide, and is up to 800 feet deep in some areas. A place of immense history, you can see the beautiful colors of four geologic layers painted on the colossal canyon walls, which come ablaze at sunrise. The canyon began forming a million years ago -- but the walls of the canyon tell a much older geologic story, one that began 250 million years ago! Prepare to experience total awe and wonder at Palo Duro Canyon, a place that tops itself come sunrise.

At the beloved Great Smoky Mountains National Park, scenic views and swoon-worthy overlooks abound. Along the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Oconaluftee Overlook is the very first overlook you'll happen upon when entering the Blue Ridge Parkway at its southern entrance. A parking lot makes this overlook quite accessible, offering sublime views as the blue-tinged Smokies turn all shades of the rainbow at sunrise.

Situated on the border of Virginia and Kentucky, Breaks Interstate Park is a sublime treasure that's often overlooked for the former's Shenandoah and the latter's Red River Gorge. While both of these places offer amazing outdoor recreation, Breaks Interstate Park -- or "The Breaks" as it's affectionally called -- is a hidden gem not to be overlooked -- especially come sunrise. The Breaks is mostly known for its incredible views and a history that includes Daniel Boone and a gorge that was slowly carved out over time by the now Russell Fork River. Many of the 25 miles of hiking trails throughout the park offer views like this, so be sure to bring along comfortable shoes. And as you can imagine, these views are jaw-dropping all year long, and for a sublime sunrise, nothing beats the vistas offered at Towers Tunnel Overlook in Virginia.

Being the first in the U.S. to gaze upon the sunrise of a new day is an opportunity that shouldn't be passed up. There's nothing like experiencing the sunrise atop Cadillac Mountain, a place that, from around the second week in October through the first week of March, is the first place to see the sun rise in America. Accessible by car, it's the highest point on the East Coast, and even if you visit during the "off" season, the sunrises here are truly worth waking up early for.

The crown jewel of Maui, Haleakala National Park covers an area of approximately 33,200 acres, of which 19,200 are designated wilderness area. Its volcanic slopes and dramatic peaks make for an otherworldly landscape that's especially stunning at daybreak. The name Haleakala directly translates to "house of the sun" in Hawaiian. A fitting name, considering the sunrises and sunsets from the summit are second to none.