Our undiscovered passion for landscape photography really began to blossom when we traveled the world for 18 months in 2018-19. But it wasn’t until we took a 3-month road trip around the western US that we fully realized just how much we loved capturing photos of waterfalls, mountains, rolling hills, city skylines, iconic landmarks, canyons, forests, lakes, red rock formations, and basically anywhere with outstanding natural beauty.
Since then we’ve spent years exploring more than 30 US states with our cameras, snapping countless photographs in some of the most well-known cities like New York City and San Francisco, and legendary national parks like Yosemite and Zion. But we’ve also been lucky enough to discover a massive amount of hidden gem, wow-factor photo spots like Rainbow Falls in Watkins Glen, New York and Mouse’s Tank Road in Valley of Fire, Nevada.
Hi, we’re Mark and Kristen Morgan. We left our scientific careers in 2018 to become travel writers and photographers, and since then our expert guides have helped millions of travel planners take better trips. Read more about us.
Why trust us with your US photo spots bucket list? We’ve spent years exploring the best landscapes and cities around America. We know which popular photo spots are worth it. As always, every photo in this guide is ours.
So far, we’d say our absolute favorite photo spots in America are Mather Point at Grand Canyon South Rim, Mormon Row in Grand Teton, the NYC skyline from Top of the Rock, Mesa Arch in Canyonlands, The Wave in Arizona, Rainbow Falls in Watkins Glen, and Yosemite’s Tunnel View. Just thinking about the feeling we had at those places makes us want to grab our cameras and get on a plane!
We actually had 40 amazing places in our guide originally, but admittedly it was a bit overwhelming. So we’ve whittled it down to our top 20 favorite US photography spots that we’d genuinely love to shoot again, and that we’d happily pay to have printed for our walls at home. We’ll take you through our thoughts on the location with what worked and what didn’t, so you know what to expect. Let’s get started.
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Mather Point (Grand Canyon, Arizona)
Photographing sunrises and sunsets over the canyon was by far our number one priority during our first visit to Grand Canyon South Rim back in November 2019. Seeing the canyon for the very first time blew our socks off, then we watched a serene sunset from Hopi Point which lived up to the hype but was swarming with tourists, before waking up early the next morning and making our way to the famed Mather Point for sunrise.
There were maybe four or five other people already there and we didn’t love the view from the actual overlook. So we left and walked a few minutes east around the rim, found a tiny secluded cove-like opening big enough for just the two of us, put our tripod to its lowest down setting, attached our camera, pulled out a flask of hot coffee (it was freezing cold!), and waited with gleeful anticipation for what we hoped would be a magical sunrise.
It turned out to be even better than we could have imagined. Clouds in the sky turned a rainbow of colors, sunlight burst into the canyon, and we had front-row seats for the show. We’ve done lots of sunrise and sunset photo spots at Grand Canyon, but just east of Mather Point remains our favorite. Because of the shape of South Rim and the time of year, we only had sun-facing views at sunset, whereas at sunrise we had sun-facing views and canyon views with light beams crashing in.
Mather Point Snapshot
Crowd factor: Busy during day, but quiet enough early morning.
Best time to shoot: Sunrise.
Access reality: Easy, steps from huge parking lot.
Biggest regrets: Only having our older camera gear at the time.
Nearby backup: Yavapai Point.
Gear note: Tripod essential, wide angle helpful to capture more canyon.
Mormon Row (Grand Teton, Wyoming)
Grand Teton’s natural beauty genuinely knocked us off our feet in October 2019. We couldn’t believe how photogenic it was, and our cameras ended up getting a real workout. There were so many stunning views like Snake River Overlook, Oxbow Bend, and especially Jenny Lake Overlook. But Grand Teton’s two standout photo spots for us were Schwabacher Landing and Mormon Row.
We started by watching a wonderfully peaceful sunset from Mormon Row – wide open fields glowing a golden color as the sun dropped behind the Teton Range. But we knew our Mormon Row sunrise would be better because the sun would hit those mountain peaks and the front of the two wooden barns called T.A. Moulton Barn and John Moulton Barn. The scene was truly spectacular, with nothing but wide open sagebrush-covered valley floor between barn and mountain, and the sunrise turned out to be pure magic.
There were maybe two or three others braving the cold, and everyone was very respectful with where they stood (ie not selfishly walking through the other photographers frames – which happens more than you’d think). We were all there for the same thing, to capture sunrise photos of T.A. Moulton Barn and Grand Teton’s outstanding beauty. And what an amazing memory it remains. After Mormon Row we rushed to Schwabacher Landing to catch the end of sunrise, and it was a totally different scene but equally as striking.
Mormon Row Snapshot
Crowd factor: Busy during day and at sunset, quieter for sunrise.
Best time to shoot: Sunrise.
Access reality: Drive right up to the photo spot.
Biggest regrets: Not having another morning to do it again.
Nearby backup: Schwabacher Landing.
Gear note: Tripod at sunrise to keep ISO at 100 in low light.
NYC Skyline (Top Of The Rock, New York)
We’ve photographed a lot of city skylines around the world, but there’s just something extra special about the New York City skyline – especially at sunset. We’ve visited NYC more times than we can count and we even lived there for 4 months in early 2021. Across all that time, we’ve been up all five NYC observation decks several times, and for us, Top of the Rock has the best Manhattan view.
The two reasons we keep returning to Top of the Rock are because all of Midtown and Lower Manhattan can be captured in one frame, and because the top floor is open-air with no windows causing glare issues or no mesh fences limiting angles. Plus, from a photographers perspective, we want the Empire State Building to be front and center of our NYC skyline photo, and Top of the Rock is where you get that.
We do have to caveat this one by saying Top of the Rock tickets cost around $50 per person, and the top floor with the best open-air views can get very busy at sunset. For completely free alternatives, we also love the Manhattan Bridge View in Dumbo and the Downtown Manhattan view from Old Pier 1 in Brooklyn Bridge Park. The bridge view is always swarming with Instagrammers, but the old pier is a proper photographers photo spot.
NYC Skyline Snapshot
Crowd factor: Can be extremely crowded, especially at sunset.
Best time to shoot: Sunset.
Access reality: ~ $50 entry fee, elevator access to top floor.
Biggest regrets: We’ve done a few sunsets at Top of the Rock, but we’re yet to have a real killer sunset.
Nearby backup: Bethesda Terrace in Central Park and Old Pier 1 or Manhattan Bridge View in Brooklyn.
Gear note: Wide angle for more of Manhattan, or telephoto lens for closer ups of Empire State. Tripods not allowed, but can rest camera on pillar for stabilization – take a hoodie to create angles.
Mesa Arch (Canyonlands, Utah)
When planning our first west coast road trip back in late 2019, Mesa Arch was probably our most highly anticipated photo spot. Not just sunrise, but photo spot full stop. We’d seen it plastered all over professional galleries and the internet, and it looked awesome. It was Mark’s birthday in November when we woke up well before dawn, drove from Moab to Canyonlands, hiked the short trail, and arrived at the Mesa Arch photographers dancefloor.
Much to our relief we were second on site, so we were able to set up where we wanted – we’d read only around 8-10 photographers can fit in a line in front of the arch. With the anxiety out of our minds, we simply waited for the sunrise as others hastily climbed up to join us. It didn’t take long for the line to fill, and a lot of disappointed people arrived afterwards. We felt bad for them, but the early bird gets the worm for the famous Mesa Arch sunrise.
When the sun finally rose above the distant horizon, there was a collective gasp, and a lot of camera shutters snapping all at once. And wow, what a truly striking and dramatic sunrise. It was honestly one of the most thrilling photography-related experiences we’ve had anywhere in the world. We only had our old entry level crop-sensor camera gear back then with kit lenses and not a lot of experience, so we will be back for round two with our new gear and knowledge upgrades.
Mesa Arch Snapshot
Crowd factor: Not many spaces, fills up fast, early arrival is essential.
Best time to shoot: Sunrise.
Access reality: Easy drive into Canyonlands, very short hike in dark with headlamps.
Biggest regrets: Terrible old camera gear with crop sensor and kit lens, lack of technical knowledge when we were just starting out.
Nearby backup: Delicate Arch, but that’s much better at sunset.
Gear note: Wide angle lens to capture the full arch, 14mm or 16mm lens with full-frame body.
The Wave (Vermilion Cliffs, Arizona)
We’ve ticked off a lot of bucket list US day hikes, but the luckiest we ever got was winning a next day hiking permit for The Wave on our first attempt back in December 2021. As soon as realized we’d won the permit, the only thing we could think about was the photos we wanted to capture. After a lot of overhyping, we found hiking to The Wave far easier than it sounded by following a paper map with instructions provided by the BLM.
We were the second car to arrive at Wire Pass Trailhead as dawn broke, and we easily navigated across the red rock landscape until climbing a steep sand back and entering The Wave. And it was love at first sight for both of us. The sole hiker ahead of us had already passed through the formation so we had it all to ourselves, and we went off like two hurricanes with our cameras before anyone else arrived.
The Wave itself was like something from another planet, but there was so much more to see around it that we didn’t expect. And it was all next-level photography opportunities. After blasting around the whole area, we went back to The Wave proper once the sun had risen a bit higher and filled up the main artery with light, and we were totally blown away. If we ever got to do it again, we’d stay longer, explore further afield, and do it after sunset so we could stay for Milky Way photos.
The Wave Snapshot
Crowd factor: Quiet for us not long after sunrise in December, but is small and gets densely crowded despite limit on permits, and is well known for people not being respectful of others’ photos by staying in the middle.
Best time to shoot: Before sunrise, as soon as the interior is fully lit, or after sunset (to avoid shadows).
Access reality: Access road to trailhead can flood and close, moderately challenging 6-mile round trip hike following steps provided by BLM on paper map, no cell service.
Biggest regrets: Not staying longer or exploring further afield when we had the chance.
Nearby backup: Buckskin Gulch slot canyon, or White Pocket (4WD required).
Gear note: Solid workhorse lens (24-70 or 24-105) is ideal for capturing different perspectives and focal lengths.
Rainbow Falls (Watkins Glen, New York)
We’ve been lucky enough to capture photos of some seriously spectacular waterfalls across the US, but there’s one that stands out above the rest, and that is Rainbow Falls in Watkins Glen. Kristen grew up in the Finger Lakes, so having local knowledge and access means we’ve hiked the Watkins Glen Gorge Trail to Rainbow Falls at least five times together, and we’ll be back with our kids plenty more times in the future.
The thing about Rainbow Falls is that it’s not a massive or powerful waterfall. On the contrary, it’s actually tiny in comparison. But it’s the overall scene inside the gorge that makes it so special. It honestly looks like something out of a Lord of the Rings movie, like Rivendell. The entire gorge is like one giant photo spot, with nineteen waterfalls in total, but the Rainbow Falls scene is the icing on the cake.
We’ve hiked the gorge trail in different seasons, but our favorite time of year by far is fall, when the leaves turn orange and yellow right above the waterfall and bridge. The lower water flow also makes it easier to take long exposures and get a nice silky water effect without it looking overdone. We’re not sure there’s a more uniquely striking photo spot in the US than this one, it’s our favorite hidden gem.
Rainbow Falls Snapshot
Crowd factor: Quiet at dawn, gets busy during day.
Best time to shoot: Any time, except the small window when sunlight bursts through the narrow gorge.
Access reality: Moderately challenging 2.6-mile round trip hike with over 800 steps, can be slippery when wet in fall as leaves drop into gorge.
Biggest regrets: None. We’ve had it to ourselves so many times.
Nearby backup: Different type of waterfall, but Taughannock Falls is awesome.
Gear note: Tripod is non-negotiable, ND filter stop down light, CPL filter tone down glare in pools. Shoot anywhere from 16-55mm for different styles.
Tunnel View & Valley View (Yosemite, California)
Yosemite is a photographer’s dream come true. The whole place is just ridiculously attractive, so no prizes for guessing we took far too many photos – and we don’t regret it one bit. The Half Dome view from Glacier Point was awesome, but for us, the two best photo spots in Yosemite were Valley View and Tunnel View. We couldn’t choose a winner between them, so we’re including both. Which do you prefer?
Tunnel View was an all-encompassing Yosemite Valley shot from a slight elevation, showcasing the U-shaped valley covered in trees, Bridalveil Falls to the right (dry during our visit in October 2019), El Capitan to the left, and the tiny Half Dome right at the very back of the valley. We did it during a hazy and wildfire smoky dusk with nobody else around, and it created a kind of mysterious bordering on eerie feel.
The next morning we drove to Valley View to watch sunrise and couldn’t believe how different the vantage point was from a photography perspective. Ground level, Merced River in the foreground, Bridalveil Falls and El Capitan much closer, and more detail in the fall foliage colored trees. We love both photos, and we love Yosemite in general from a photography standpoint.
Tunnel View & Valley View Snapshot
Crowd factor: Surprisingly quiet in October, both places will be busy during day.
Best time to shoot: Sunrise, late afternoon, sunset.
Access reality: Drive right up to both viewpoints.
Biggest regrets: Not doing both spots more than once, only having old camera gear.
Nearby backup: None with this same wide open, down valley view.
Gear note: Wide angle captures the whole valley but shrinks the landmarks, 40-50mm compresses the scene and brings the three landmarks into composition better.
Great Bend (Letchworth, New York)
Taking advantage of our local western New York knowledge again, here’s another absolute banger of a hidden gem US photo spot – the Great Bend in Letchworth State Park. Now, we’ve visited Letchworth at least 10 times across every season, probably more. And across those trips we’ve taken countless photos of the Upper, Middle and Lower Falls, but our standout photo spot by a country mile is the Great Bend Overlook at sunrise.
Technically, the photo spot isn’t from Great Bend Overlook proper, it’s this tiny roadside pullover close to Castile entrance, but Great Bend Overlook is the closest landmark on Google Maps. Anyway, it took us four tries at sunrise from this exact point to capture the photo we were eventually happy with. There were vibrant fall colors on display, the weather was clear and crisp, and the sky lit up beautifully. It was perfect.
And the best part is nobody even knows this place exists, so it’s always secluded. We never saw a single other person there at sunrise across the four times we did it. We think Watkins Glen is a hidden gem on a national scale, but Letchworth’s Great Bend is a hidden gem even on a local scale.
Great Bend Overlook Snapshot
Crowd factor: None.
Best time to shoot: Sunrise.
Access reality: Drive right up.
Biggest regrets: None. We got the exact shot we wanted.
Nearby backup: The waterfall paths in Letchworth.
Gear note: Wide angle lens to capture the full “island”, river and foreground.
Staircase Rapids (Olympic, Washington)
Our first trip to Olympic over Memorial Day weekend in 2021 was a disaster, but our second trip later that year in October was fantastic. And one of our outstanding highlights from that 4-day loop around the peninsula was photographing the staggeringly beautiful Staircase Rapids river-and-forest combination. We expected the Hoh Rainforest to be incredible, and it was, but Staircase Rapids was a massive surprise.
Truth be told, we almost gave up on the Staircase Rapids region entirely because the access road was in abysmal repair with deep pot holes dotting the road like Swiss cheese and our SUV was taking a real beating, but we’re so glad we endured it. From the parking area, it didn’t take long for us to reach a spectacular scene of the North Fork Skokomish River cutting through dense mossy old-growth forest.
The trail was boggy and waterlogged because it had been raining a lot (shock!), and after we’d captured our images, we didn’t feel like we could do much better so we turned around and cracked on with other parts of Olympic. The mountains, temperate rainforests and beaches were all supremely photogenic, but we’d say the less visited Staircase Rapids area was our favorite photo spot in the park.
Staircase Rapids Snapshot
Crowd factor: We had it to ourselves in October, and we’d say very quiet most of the time.
Best time to shoot: Cloudy days, early or late for less direct light from above.
Access reality: Terrible pot-hole road, but short and easy hike to rapids. Hopefully the road is in better repair now.
Biggest regrets: Flooded trail meant we couldn’t go far, we would have liked to spend more time there.
Nearby backup: Not exactly close, but Hoh Rainforest for similar mossy old-growth trees.
Gear note: Tripod a must for smooth water effect and keeping ISO down in low light (not a lot light penetrates the canopy).
Multnomah Falls (Columbia River Gorge, Oregon)
Waterfalls have been one of our favorite landscape photography subjects to capture since we started learning how to use cameras – there’s just something extra fun about shooting long exposures to create “silky” water effects. Over the years we’ve taken long exposures of waterfalls all over the US, but a handful stand out above the rest, and Multnomah Falls on Oregon’s Columbia River Gorge is one of them.
To be fair, we actually shot around a dozen sensational waterfalls on both sides of the gorge across our two-day trip to the area. And some of the more striking waterfalls we found were actually off the radar – as in, we hiked up river on unmaintained paths that weren’t on Google Maps to reach them. But as much as it’s a massive cliche, we do have to say Multnomah Falls was a real sight to behold.
Kristen legged it up a curving path to the small bridge crossing the waterfall’s middle tier, propped open a sky blue umbrella and spun it for effect while Mark quickly captured a 2-second photo with no other people passing into the frame – which had seemed impossible with the swarms of people on site. It’s a fond memory of ours, and it was the first print we bought from our own store!
Multnomah Falls Snapshot
Crowd factor: Very busy, hard to get the bridge with no people.
Best time to shoot: Early morning or late afternoon to avoid direct sunlight blowing out the shot, earlier would be quieter.
Access reality: Drive right up to it. There’s a steep switchbacks hike to the top with a second photo spot, but it’s nowhere near as good as the bottom looking up shot.
Biggest regrets: We would like to do take the photo at dawn or dusk with colors in the clouds above the waterfall.
Nearby backup: Wahkeena Falls, Panther Creek Falls.
Gear note: Tripod for silky water long exposures, but not absolutely essential.
Blue Lake (North Cascades, Washington)
After obsessing over Mt Rainier for most of the time we lived near Seattle in 2021, we finally made a trip up to North Cascades – and we regretted not going earlier. The whole region was stunning, and the hikes were awesome. We loved Maple Pass Loop which had some really stunning photo spots, but the summit of Blue Lake blew us away. The lake was perfectly still, and we were able to capture a reflection photo that looked like a mirror.
We hiked a 4.5-mile round trip trail with 1,000 feet elevation gain to reach the lake at the summit, so it wasn’t as easy access to as most other photo spots in our guide, but sometimes you have to work for your reward and this was one of those times. Clouds added texture to the sky, the light was great because we hiked it early in the morning, and there wasn’t a breath of wind in the air so the lake was pristine.
We loved the 6 months we spent hiking in Washington and we’re big into mountains-and-lake scenes, so this was the second print we bought from our store to hang on our wall at home. Eventually we’d like to have all 20 in this guide, plus 100 more from around the world hanging in themed rooms around our home, but to begin with we went for the most sentimental images, and Blue Lake was right up there.
Blue Lake Snapshot
Crowd factor: Very quiet.
Best time to shoot: Early or late to avoid the sun being directly behind the lake (south facing view).
Access reality: Moderately challenging 4.5-mile round trip hike with 1,000 feet elevation gain (gradual incline).
Biggest regrets: None. We got way more than we expected from the lake.
Nearby backup: Maple Pass Loop.
Gear note: No specialist gear required.
Mouse’s Tank Road (Valley Of Fire, Nevada)
Most of our favorite US photo spots in this guide are aimed at true landscape photography lovers, but there were also a few rare moments on our travels when we’d arrive at one of those classic Instagram photo spots and be like “wow, this is actually really cool” – usually when it wasn’t just crawling with endless guys taking photos and videos of their partners! – and Mouse’s Tank Road in Valley of Fire was one of those places.
Earlier that morning we hiked to the Fire Wave for sunrise, had it to ourselves, and captured some seriously amazing photos that will go on our walls one day too. It was a magnificent landscape photo spot that we’d recommend to anyone. But the Mouse’s Tank Road photo stands out for us because it was so unique. We rarely put ourselves in these types of photo, but this one only works with a person as the subject because of the perspective element.
We parked at Rainbow Vista Trailhead, crossed the road, turned south (left) and saw the scene. Mark stayed back while Kristen navigated to a big boulder standing higher up than others around, and Mark then moved into position to get the right angle. And we had the photo published along with more than 20 others – many in this guide – in Gestalten’s Great American Road Trip.
Mouse’s Tank Road Snapshot
Crowd factor: We had it to ourselves.
Best time to shoot: Early or late to avoid the sun being dead center of frame (south facing view).
Access reality: Park at Rainbow Vista Trailhead, cross the road, uneven rocks underfoot.
Biggest regrets: Not having time to do it again at sunrise or sunset when the light would be softer and hopefully the clouds would have color in them.
Nearby backup: Fire Wave at sunrise is awesome.
Gear note: Mark shot at 105mm to compress the image. Room to work with 70mm focal length, but it’s not a 16-35mm photo spot.
Emerald Bay (Lake Tahoe, California)
We simply couldn’t stop taking photos during the five full days we spent exploring Lake Tahoe in November 2021. It was one of the easiest places we’ve been in America to take home postcard-perfect images, we barely had to make any effort because the lake did all the work. We could have chosen several other locations around Lake Tahoe, but Emerald Bay at sunrise was the outstanding photo spot.
We were staying in nearby South Lake Tahoe and the sunrise was later because it was November, so we didn’t even have to get that early of a start which was nice. The drive over was easy, and we parked in this narrow roadside area, hopped out and set our tripod up next to our SUV, pointed the camera at Emerald Bay, cracked open flasks of hot coffee, and waited for sunrise.
The thing about sunrises and sunsets is you can put yourself in the right position, but sometimes the weather gods don’t play ball. That morning we got lucky because it looked like the thick clouds were going to kill the sunrise, but there were just enough gaps to let sunlight burst through and illuminate the clouds with deep yellows and pinks. Sure, it would have been better if the clouds lit up directly above the bay, but you can’t have it all, right?!
Emerald Bay Snapshot
Crowd factor: Had it to ourselves at sunrise, gets very busy during the day.
Best time to shoot: Sunrise.
Access reality: The roadside parking area is very tight and narrow. But the photo could be taken from a car window.
Biggest regrets: We can’t complain with the sunrise we had, but we’d love to try it a few more times.
Nearby backup: Eagle Falls Vista Point – the direction of view from there was more east facing so the colorful clouds would have been dead center if we’d hiked up to it instead of stopping on the roadside.
Gear note: Tripod helps with low light and long exposures let more light in, but not make or break.
Artists Bluff (Franconia Notch, New Hampshire)
Across a two-week road trip in 2020 and a three-week road trip in 2023, we ticked off pretty much every popular hike and photo spot around New England in the fall. And quite honestly, we could have made a full list of 20 gorgeous photo spots just from New England. But to keep things balanced, we only picked a few (more to come later), starting with what we think is the most iconic trail summit photo – Artists Bluff in Franconia Notch.
We’ve actually hiked Artists Bluff Trail twice – first time we raced up to the summit because we were racing against the sunset, but second time we gave ourselves a bit more time so we were able to hike a full loop including Bald Mountain summit and Artists Bluff summit. The full loop was awesome, Bald Mountain gave us the more elevated vantage point, and Artists Bluff gave us the famous view over Echo Lake.
But we have been a bit unlucky with timing or weather. First time we had closer to peak colors but the weather was dull and grey, whereas second time we had clear weather but the peak was still at least a week away. When both line up, we think Artists Bluff is a sublime photo spot, and we’d add it into every single itinerary we made for New England in the fall.
Artists Bluff Snapshot
Crowd factor: Gets busy at sunset in fall.
Best time to shoot: Sunset.
Access reality: 0.5-mile round trip with 200 feet elevation gain (steep), or 1.5-mile round trip hike with 400 feet elevation gain to include Bald Mountain.
Biggest regrets: Weather and peak foliage colors not lining up.
Nearby backup: Flume Gorge (which we cover later).
Gear note: Tripod helps with low light at sunset but not essential, 16-35mm lens is ideal.
Stowe Community Church (Stowe, Vermont)
Another standout photo spot from our extensive travels around New England in the fall was Stowe’s Community Church. It’s just a small white church plonked in the middle of Stowe’s tiny downtown area, but in the fall when the colors turn, with the right angle and focal length, the scene can be manipulated to look magical.
We parked at this view point lot, and Mark walked slightly down the hill to find an angle that basically gave us one-third copper colored vegetation, one third white church backed by a sloping hill covered in foliage colors, and one-third moody sky. We tried a few with the river included, but they didn’t turn out as visually impactful. Then in 2023 we were way before peak so it was all lush green.
We also hiked up to Sunset Rock in Stowe in 2023, but we were too late so it was pretty dark by the time we’d gained enough elevation, and to be honest the town was covered by trees more than we expected. Plus, we got eaten alive by bugs. So all things considered, we’d stick to the classic church view point next time, and we’d hope to get lucky with those peak colors again.
Stowe Community Church Snapshot
Crowd factor: Very quiet.
Best time to shoot: Early morning or late afternoon to avoid direct sunlight blowing out the shot (south facing view).
Access reality: Right at the parking lot (could be pay to park now). Move around the area to find different perspectives.
Biggest regrets: Not having a better sky in 2020 and being there long before peak colors in 2023.
Nearby backup: Sunset Rock.
Gear note: No specialist gear required, unless doing sunrise or sunset when tripod will help with low light.
Canyon Overlook (Zion, Utah)
Zion is a majestic beast of a landscape with deep canyons, towering red rock walls, and a surprising amount of exceptional photo spots. We knew Zion’s hikes were going to be immense, but we had no idea we’d end up taking home so many truly awesome photos. The summit of Angels Landing had a mind-blowing through canyon view and Canyon Junction Bridge had a fantastic sunset view, but we thought there was an even better sunset view in the park at the summit of Canyon Overlook.
We’ve hiked Canyon Overlook Trail for sunset twice now, and both times were magnificent experiences. The crowds were definitely bigger in October 2019 than they were in December 2021, but the summit viewing area was big enough to accommodate a decent amount of people so it never felt too crowded. And once the sun began to set, everyone sat down and enjoyed the show as one.
The reason we think Pine Creek Canyon Overlook is a better photo spot is because once the sun disappeared behind the massive red rock walls on our December trip, the light inside the canyon softened but the rocks continued glowing a red and orange color. Then because it was winter, the sunset was southwest, so light surged back through the end of the T-shaped canyon and lit up the closest walls again.
Canyon Overlook Snapshot
Crowd factor: Busy.
Best time to shoot: Sunset.
Access reality: Easy 1-mile round trip hike with 100 feet elevation gain. Parking can be a real problem.
Biggest regrets: None. If pushed, we’d say a more colorful sky would have helped.
Nearby backup: Canyon Junction Bridge looking south over the Virgin River.
Gear note: Tripod helps with low light at sunset, but not essential.
Mobius Arch (Lone Pine, California)
Popular and iconic photo spots are great to be a part of, but they tend to be overcrowded, sometimes to a point that it actually takes away some of the enjoyment. Then other times there are places that are just so remote and unknown, you could spend all day there and only see a few other people. Mobius Arch, in the complete hidden gem that is the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, is one of those places.
We woke up early from our hotel in Lone Pine, drove 10 minutes, parked up, and walked an easy loop path through a ruggedly attractive rocky terrain with wide open views of the enormous Sierra Nevada’s eastern slopes. We were utterly blown away by the mighty mountains bursting high into the sky, and we could even see Mt. Whitney, the tallest peak in the lower 48. It was a real wow-moment.
But we were actually there to attempt sunrise photography through the unusually-shaped Mobius Arch. But because it was November, the sunrise was more to the southeast and the angle was all wrong. In March or April we think it would be perfectly doable to capture a sunburst through Mobius Arch at sunrise, but not in the late fall. On the plus side, Mark put our drone up for a quick photo, and it turned out really well.
Mobius Arch Snapshot
Crowd factor: Very quiet.
Best time to shoot: Any time of day, but best at sunrise or sunset.
Access reality: Easy drive from Lone Pine, easy hike through the rocks.
Biggest regrets: Not being able to line up the sunrise with the arch shape.
Nearby backup: None. Mt Whitney is nearby but that’s a monster day hike requiring this permit.
Gear note: Tripod helpful for sunrise or sunset.
Horseshoe Bend (Page, Arizona)
Spend the amount of time we have driving around the US and you’ll start to become desensitized to certain landscapes like canyons and rock formations. But that only makes it all the better when we finally do come across somewhere that actually leaves us speechless. And Horseshoe Bend definitely left us feeling impressed when we first saw it at sunset in November 2019.
The deep U-shaped bend in the Colorado River made for a dramatic sunset scene, but we were looking directly into the sun the whole time until it eventually disappeared beyond the distant horizon, and then we had a short window to snap the photos we wanted with soft light and humming heat, before it quickly became dark. It was also jam-packed with far too many people, so we decided next time we’d skip sunset.
We decided to try it for sunrise in December 2021, and we loved doing sunrise because there were very few people there – probably because it was freezing cold! But this time it was only good to photograph before the sun came up behind us, because once it was up, the U-shaped canyon was covered in shadow while the wide-open rocky landscape above was bright with highlights, and the light kept creeping closer to us. Here’s our Horseshoe Bend sunrise vs sunset comparison.
Horseshoe Bend Snapshot
Crowd factor: Quiet at sunrise, very busy at sunset.
Best time to shoot: Before sunrise, around midday when the bend is filled with light, or immediately after sunset. These are the only times with no deep shadows.
Access reality: Lots of parking (paid), short and easy walk to reach the viewpoint. Can move around the edges, but very dangerous with vertical drops.
Biggest regrets: Having old camera gear first time, not seeing it around midday with no shadows.
Nearby backup: Antelope Canyon.
Gear note: Tripod helpful at sunrise and sunset, but tripod must be tall enough to reach over the metal fence.
Flume Covered Bridge (Franconia Notch, New Hampshire)
Another stop we absolutely adored on both our New England road trips in the fall was the Flume Gorge. Why? Because it’s photogenic from start to finish. Across our two trips, we’ve snapped stunning photos of waterfalls, gorges, and two ridiculously attractive wooden covered bridges called Sentinel Pine Covered Bridge and the one we want to focus on here – the Historic Flume Covered Bridge.
A bit of context: Before our first visit, we’d seen fall foliage photos of Flume Covered Bridge online that looked magical, so we arrived with huge excitement, only to find the scene in reality was very different to what we’d seen online. That was a turning point for us, we decided we’d only ever show our readers real photos, like what they’d actually see if they went. But at the same time as being disappointed, we still thought it was a special photo spot, and like Mouse’s Tank Road, it was perfect for Kristen to be the subject.
When we revisited Flume Gorge in 2023, the peak colors were still a week or so off, but recent rain had left the reds and greens looking vibrant and crisp. The main problem we had both times was trying to actually get a photo without any other people in the frame. There’s just an endless stream of other visitors who filter through, so it’s rare to have the whole bridge clear for long enough to snap a photo!
Flume Covered Bridge Snapshot
Crowd factor: Very busy, hard to get the bridge clear of people.
Best time to shoot: Early morning, early evening, or cloudy days.
Access reality: Moderately challenging loop hike through the gorge.
Biggest regrets: Old camera gear first time, no peak colors second time.
Nearby backup: Artists Bluff.
Gear note: No specialist gear required for this one.
Golden Gate Bridge (San Francisco, California)
We were so excited to see the legendary “international orange” colored Golden Gate Bridge for the first time when we visited San Francisco in November 2019. It’s so iconic, right. How could you not be excited to see it in person? And it more than lived up to the hype. We drove across the bridge twice and photographed it from several viewpoints on both sides. Super cool experience.
Then we went back to San Francisco in September 2022, and this time we rented bikes to cycle across the Golden Gate Bridge. Having bikes also made life so much easier for stopping anywhere we wanted to get different perspectives of the bridge, which we did more times than we’d like to admit. Then we took a cruise around the SF Bay, which passed underneath the bridge. So we have a lot of Golden Gate Bridge viewpoints under our belts!
But you know what? We’d actually say our favorite photo spot was from Alcatraz Island at sunset. We’ve done the day and night tours of Alcatraz and they were both excellent, but one bonus thing the night tour gave us was a sunset directly behind the Golden Gate Bridge. It was pretty awesome, and we’d definitely do it again next time.
Golden Gate Bridge Snapshot
Crowd factor: Busy at viewpoints closest to the bridge, but plenty of quiet spots further afield.
Best time to shoot: Any time of day, lots of vantage points to make light work.
Access reality: Can drive, cycle or walk to various viewpoints.
Biggest regrets: Not seeing the iconic mist roll through, not capturing it at night.
Nearby backup: Doesn’t apply.
Gear note: Any lens works, but best with a lens like a 24-105mm for capturing different focal lengths more easily.
Next Steps
We hope our guide helps you figure out which US photo spots to add to your photography bucket list.
If you’d like more personalized help, we offer expert travel planning consultations where we answer any questions you have, help you decide where to go, and plan out your entire trip step by step. See our packages and reviews.
Still researching for the USA?
- Here are our top scenic USA road trips.
- These are the best places to visit in the US.
- Here’s our real take on 10 popular US national parks.
- Here are our favorite day hikes in the US.
Finally, if you’re planning a first trip to America, read our USA travel guide for more helpful tips and advice.
Happy Travels,
Mark and Kristen
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Mark and Kristen spent 6 years traveling the world, visiting over 40 countries across 4 continents and more than 30 US states. They created Where Are Those Morgans in 2018 to help others plan the best possible vacations by writing authentic travel and hiking guides based on their real experiences.
Since the arrival of baby Maya in late 2024, Mark and Kristen’s extensive travels have slowed down but they still take plenty of trips. Where Are Those Morgans now helps millions of travelers each year to visit new places and hike new trails through information-packed blog posts and expert travel guidebooks. Read more about Mark and Kristen.