Hot take: The Grand Canyon is actually better at sunrise than sunset and here's why

I drove up to the South Rim last Saturday. Got there around 4:30 in the morning because my cousin said sunset is the only time to go. I think that's wrong. The sunrise light hits the rock walls different. Makes the reds and oranges pop way more than the hazy gold you get at dusk. Plus there were like maybe 20 other people there. No crowds, no one bumping into me with a selfie stick. By noon the place was swamped with tour buses and kids screaming. I sat on the edge near Mather Point for almost two hours just watching the shadows move. Has anyone else noticed how the colors change faster in the morning compared to evening?

2 comments

2 Comments

calebc406h agoMost Upvoted

The sunrise at Mather Point last spring? I showed up still drunk from the night before. Thought I was seeing double, but nope the canyon was just that huge. You're totally right about the colors moving faster in the morning. It's like the whole place is waking up and showing off. Sunset just feels like a slow fade to black.

sean_green445h ago

Mather Point at 5am two years ago I would have told you sunset was the only show in town. But I showed up for a sunrise hike with clients and it totally flipped my view. The light was totally different, that deep orange hitting the canyon walls like a spotlight. You can see every little crack and ridge in the rock, way sharper than the hazy sunset glow. Plus the silence was incredible, just the wind and a few birds. Now I tell everyone to get there before dawn.