Camelback Mountain

Offering some of the best hiking in the Phoenix area, Camelback Mountain is also one of the best spots to view a sunrise. The mountain is laced with hiking trails for all levels of hiker and offers spectacular views of the city and surrounding mountains.

South Mountain Park

The largest public park in America, South Mountain Park offers incredible views of the Phoenix urban landscape. Hike, bike, or drive up to a secluded spot – not hard in a park this big! Start your day off right with a cup of joe in hand and watch the valley light up below.

Desert Botanical Garden

This Phoenix-area botanical garden contains thousands of plants native to the American Southwest and offers amazing images of the sunrise filtered through the garden’s saguaros, chollas, and cacti.

Hole-in-the-Rock

Located in Papago Park, Hole-in-the-Rock is exactly that - holes in the sandstone hills that have been carved out by centuries of wind erosion. It’s an easy hike and offers plenty of flat spaces to spread out on a blanket with an early morning breakfast. Tote your camera along and capture the scene from one of the many vantage points.

The Grand Canyon

It is the Grand Canyon State after all, and if you’re going to live in Arizona, you owe it to yourself to catch a sunrise at one of the modern marvels of the natural world. There’s literally dozens of spots to drive up and watch the sun come up, particularly along the South Rim like Yavapai Point and Hopi Point.

This is just scratching the surface of places to watch the sunrise around. We encourage you to go out, explore, and find your own favorite spot. Check out the Cadia Crossing blog for more information about places to see and things to do in Phoenix, Arizona.