The Best Place in Anchorage to See the Sunset (So Far)
Stay after the sun has gone down. That’s when you get the most diverse colors.Everyone loves a stunning sunset picture. Why not? It looks good on your Instagram and tells your Facebook friends “Look! I’m at this beautiful place and I’m sharing it with you!” I’ve seen a lot of sunsets in some spectacular places. Heck, I lived in the Caribbean for six months, I thought nothing could beat a sunset with sand and a tropical drink. Then I moved to Alaska. In true Alaska form, this state doesn’t do anything half measure. The land of the midnight sun does have some stunning sunsets.
This view is looking across the inlet toward the Alaskan Mountain range. Anchorage is a city with an ocean inlet on one side, and mountains on the other. Honestly, everywhere you look, you will find a beautiful view. This puts Anchorage in a unique position amongst the cities I’ve travelled. After numerous sunsets here, I have found that sometimes the view towards the mountains outshines the view toward the water. Being a Montanan, I really appreciate the sunset with mountains in shadow. Here in Anchorage, there is something extra special about the sunset colors lighting up the clouds AND the mountains. Let’s not forget the sounds of the waves lapping at the beach. The beach here doesn’t have the same sandy appeal as the beaches in western Michigan, Saint Croix, or Hawaii; but you can still enjoy the soft background sounds of the waves.
The best spot in Anchorage for sunsets is Point Woronzof Park. The first time I went, I wanted to stay at the top of the hill because sometimes the best viewpoint is up high. Luckily I went early because it gave me time to scope the area out. If I had just stayed on top of the bluff, I would have totally missed out on the magic that was going on behind me looking back toward Anchorage.
This picture is looking back toward where Anchorage is, toward the mountains to the east.Once you get down to the stony beach, you can walk to the northern side where the graffiti-laden lighthouse and stones are. From this vantage point, you can look back toward the east and see the skyscrapers of downtown Anchorage. I would keep an eye on that direction as well, the buildings reflect some beautiful light. Seeing the mountains illuminated by the colors of the clouds is fantastic as well.
The park at Point Woronzof is directly in front of the airport. Planes will be at a low altitude to prepare for landing, so if you can time it correctly, you can get some cool action shots of the planes taking off or landing with the colors of the sunset as a backdrop. It can get a little noisy, but it really does make for a neat shot. The best part is, with all the air traffic moving through the area, you can practice several times and get the perfect shot.
A little rain right before sunset means the possible addition of a rainbow or in this case, a double rainbow.Sunset is my favorite time of day. Now that I have been in Alaska for almost a month, I can definitively say the unique combination of water and mountains give diverse subject matter for a beautiful picture. It doesn’t matter if you only have the camera on your phone or if you have a big fancy camera, the sunset in Anchorage will be an amazing experience.
Happy Traveling!
Kat