There are only three certainties in life: death, taxes, and the insurmountable joy you get from watching a stunning sunrise. Seriously, it’s one of my FAVORITE things to do on any given day. And lucky for us, we get sunrises every single morning!

Even though sunrises can be rewarding, how can we ensure that we catch a good one every single time? After all, no one wants to lose sleep to stare at gloomy clouds just slowly getting less dark and dull. This article will cover my best sunrise tips to see a breathtaking one every time.

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1. Arrive 30-45 minutes before sunrise

My best sunrise tips begin with TIMING. The best time to see the sunrise is before the sun actually rises. Once that beautiful ball of gas hits the horizon, the show is essentially over. If you want to see all the changing colors, you’ll want to arrive at your viewing spot at least 30 minutes early.

You can google the sunrise time near you (and actually, you can actually google the sunrise time for any location, any day, of any year). So if it says that sunrise is at 6:18am, I would shoot to arrive at my viewing point by 5:45am at the latest.

See also: A Half Day in Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Personally, I would rather arrive too early than too late, so I tend to be about 45 minutes early for a sunrise. Especially if it’s a really popular place, you’ll be able to get a really good spot by getting there even earlier (another one of my best sunrise tips). But you do you, boo!

2. Find the best viewing point

This one can be tricky, especially depending on the time of year. It’s common knowledge that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, but only having a compass handy won’t be very helpful. As the seasons change, the sun’s position also shifts. 

If you are visiting an area for a short time, then Google will be your best bet for finding a good viewpoint. But if you are scoping out the best sunrise spot in a place where you frequent often, I’ve found that experimentation is usually best. Use common knowledge about altitude (being at an equal or higher altitude than the horizon that the sun will hit) and seasons (the sun will shift farther south during winter) to locate your spot.

Mountain vs Beach vs City sunrises

The backdrop of your sunset is important! There are different factors to consider whether you’re in the mountains, at the beach, or in a city.

If you are in the mountains, the sun appearing above the peaks will happen at a different time – and have a VERY different feel – compared to the sun appearing above the ocean. Altitude plays an important factor in timing. Additionally, if you’re viewing it in a city, you’ll have to think about the buildings that might obscure (or enhance) your view.

One of my best sunrise tips: use an app to help you predict!

There’s nothing worse than when you wake up drowsy and exhausted, but you make yourself get up to see the sunrise…only to find out it’s a total flop. Let’s be honest, not every single sunrise is a home run. When clouds have overtaken the sky and the sun can’t peek through, that’s not a beautiful sunrise. 

So how can you tell when the sunrise will be worth it? Well, they have apps for that! 

My two favorite sunrise viewing apps are MySunset and Alpenglow. The free version of both has always been sufficient for me, but if you want to get the sunrise/sunset prediction for many days out, they have paid versions as well.

Essentially, each app will give a score of what the sunset is predicted to be. I like to check against both because the scores can differ quite drastically. I’ve also found that they aren’t entirely accurate, so be aware. One morning, the sunrise was given a score of 30 (out of 100) and ended up being the most beautiful sunrise I’ve ever seen in my life. Another time, it was predicted to be a 78 and it was…underwhelming. So be aware and use your best judgement. Thankfully you can submit feedback about each morning, providing pictures and a suggested score, to help them improve.

Learn the weather indicators of a good sunrise

One of my best sunrise tips is to learn a little bit about the weather. Perhaps you’ve heard the phrase, “Red sky at night, sheppard’s delight. Red sky in the morning, sheppard’s warning”? I’ve found this to be true more times than not. If you notice the weather for the day following your sunrise viewing is going to be wet and miserable, then you’ll likely see a fantastic sunrise that morning.

The importance of clouds for a sunrise

As I got deeper into the sunrise/sunset obsession, I became increasingly aware of how important clouds are. A perfectly clear sky is a great way to see the sky go from dark to blue with the brilliant yellow bulb piercing the horizon. But if you’re interested in seeing changing colors, you’ll have to pay attention to the behavior of the clouds. 

There are three cloud positions that effect sunrise score:

• Low
• Middle
• High

Middle and high clouds are going to be your friend when it comes to the sunrise putting on a show, and low clouds are going to make it a dud. When there aren’t low clouds present, then the light will catch the underside of the middle and high clouds, causing the sky to change brilliant colors. Low clouds will also make the light change more quickly and abruptly, depending on their volume.

If you see low clouds and it is the only time you’re able to catch the sunrise, don’t be discouraged! You can sometimes get those beautiful “God rays” poking through breaks in a low cloud once the sun has risen above the horizon.

You can also get cloud predictions on Windy.com. For sunrise purposes, you can ignore all the weather data except the cloud coverage. On the righthand sight of the screen, you’ll see a layer that says “clouds.” Click on that.

You can toggle through low clouds, fog, cloud base, and visibility. Click on “low clouds” and then as you click and hover over the forecast, you can see the percentage of coverage by thick low clouds or more clear areas. The yellow is more clear, the gray is more cloudy.

Conclusion

These are my top sunrise tips for seeing a good one every single time. People will often say, “You always seem to be at the right place at the right time, and capture the most beautiful colors in the sky! You’re so lucky!”  But there is a little more thought and strategy behind it than luck, as you can see. Learn to interpret what the weather means for the sunrise, arrive early, and do your research about location. You might just set yourself up for the most beautiful sunrise of your life!