A proper hike can be a lot of things: challenging, exciting, exhausting, rewarding, and even encouraging, but time and time again no matter how many obstacles you overcome along the trail on your excursion, nothing beats experiencing the golden hour of a memorable sunset hike as a reward for your hard work. Luckily, this article from Travel + Leisure outlines over a dozen hiking trails across the United States that are both rewarding as an individual hiking experience and a perfect vantage point to witness a one-of-a-kind sunset.
Although there are new reports coming down the wire each week about more and more states scaling back in their Covid-19 restrictions, it’s still a proactive and well-advised idea to research the individual pandemic policies of the national and state parks listed on this list to see if there are any closed-off areas, experiences, or operating hours due to the pandemic. Furthermore, it’s always a responsible practice to check local travel advisories, city ordinances, andstate mandates that may have been implemented as well. Be sure to travel safely and rest assured that you’ve done your due diligence by referring to CDC travel guidelines. Read on for the best sunset hikes in the U.S.
The Guadalupe Peak Hike
Located at the Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Culberson County, Texas, the is both a highly rewarding and very strenuous 8.5-mile round trip hike with a 3,000-foot elevation gain. The vantage point that hikers experience at the summit of Guadalupe Peak is a sight to be sought-after and never taken for granted because you’ll find yourself atop the highest point in the state of Texas at an impressive 8,751 feet of elevation. The peak is so optimal that it’s been nicknamed the “Top of Texas,” and given the statistics, that’s not at all hyperbole.
Not only at this peak will you find an excellent view of several of the ecosystems of Guadalupe Mountains National Park, such as the park’s high desert and high elevation forests, but you’ll find that the “Top of Texas” offers a tremendous view that is framed by surrounding mountains and desert, all of which work together to paint the expected sunset as perfectly as a canvas painting. It’s been said that “the sun’s shimmering lavender, peach, and golden hues lavish over the mountains, canyons, desert, and dunes” collaborate to make up a landscape that is “otherworldly,” and as it’s found on the highest point in the largest state in the country, that’s an accurate description. There’s just no other sunset hike quite like it.
While a challenging hike that tests your endurance but then rewards you with an unforgettable glimpse of a perfect sunset is perfect for some, sometimes you don’t necessarily need an exhausting trial only to be rewarded with the best views. If you’re looking for a memorable experience that won’t test your physical limits, then there’s no better blend of culture, architecture, and beauty than the Rubicon Trail, which is found in the Tahoe Basin National Forest in Zephyr Cove, Nevada.
This moderate 16.4-mile trail located near South Lake Tahoe, California has its most popular trailhead at both D.L. Bliss State Park and Emerald Bay State Park, but if your begin at the trailhead located in the Tahoe Basin National Forest, you’ll be treated by passing by one of the finest examples of Scandinavian architecture in the United States,the Vikingsholm Castle, also called “Tahoe’s Hidden Castle.” This 38-room mansion located on the shores of Emerald Bay is registered on the National Register of Historic Places, and it literally stands out as a fixture taken out of time. Furthermore, once you’ve passed the wooded enclosures, and granite-laden scenery, you’ll find yourself at a minor incline in the trail that rests just above Emerald Bay, making it the prime location to see not only one sunset but a second in the reflected waters beneath it.
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