Epic National Park Sunsets

These are 5 of our favorite sunset spots in national parks, all accessed from drive-in campgrounds. (Plus 1 bonus sunrise.)

In addition to having visited dozens of National Parks, we’ve spent hundreds of nights camping. While backpacking trips certainly unlock access to some amazing places, the fact is that car-camping is simpler and more accessible, especially when traveling with kids. In many of the parks, prime real estate is given to these frontcountry campgrounds. This list highlights some of the best sunsets we’ve ever seen on National Park Service property, and every one of them can be seen from a well-developed and well-maintained family-friendly campground. (We prefer tents, but these are all RV-accessible as well.) All of them can also be visited by non-camping visitors, although in a few cases you may have a half-hour-or-longer drive back to your hotel afterwards.

Desert View Campground

Grand Canyon National Park

The visitor hub of the Grand Canyon is the South Rim, with most amenities clustered together near Grand Canyon Village. However, just over 20 miles to the east lies the Desert View area, which offers views all the way down to the Colorado River. The Desert View campground itself offers 49 campsites, and is a short ½ mile walk from the overlooks at the canyon rim. While shade is a bit limited, if we’re being honest you’re not really here for the campsite, you’re here for the canyon.

As the sun goes down make your way to the rim, with plenty of space on either side of the Watchtower and at the viewing platform. In the last hour before sunset, the layers of rock will light up from red to gold, and the many spires and formations below cast shadows on the canyon floor.

While the campground is the only lodging in the immediate vicinity, there is ample parking so visitors staying in Grand Canyon Village can readily make their way over for sunset. There are, of course, views from multiple other viewpoints along the rim, but Desert View is our favorite because of the westward-facing edge and the visibility of the river a mile below.

The campground has tent and RV sites, with a maximum total length of 30 feet (RV or car-plus-trailer). Campsites are available by reservation only at www.recreation.gov and can be made up to 6 months in advance starting Sat. April 12, through the night of Sun. October 12, 2025.

Balsam Mountain Campground

Great Smoky Mountains NP

Sitting on a high ridgeline at 5,310 feet elevation and with only 43 campsites, Balsam Mountain Campground is one of the smaller developed campgrounds in the Great Smoky Mountains. As with all campgrounds in the park, Balsam Mountain provides convenient access to multiple trailheads, letting you wander the surrounding mountain ranges and streams. In fact, its location off of the Blue Ridge Parkway and away from the main park thoroughfare of US-441 sets visitors apart from the crowds, making it easier to find solitude even on busy summer weekends. Speaking of summer, daytime temperatures at the camp rarely exceed 70°F (~21°C) and lows may dip to 50°F (10°C).

Our favorite part of Balsam Mountain actually lies about ¼ mile outside the camp, at a spot called the Heintooga Overlook. From this vantage point you have a clear view to the west, directly towards the high ridge of the Eastern Continental Divide, with multiple layers of mountains in the foreground. With this foreground and the cool mountain air, enjoy a beautiful sunset before the short stroll back to your campsite. And despite the spectacular view, the 45 minute curvy road back to Cherokee will keep most non-campers away, meaning crowds will be small.

The campground has RV and tent sites, with flush toilets and drinking water available. No hookups or showers are available at the campground and the restrooms do not have lights. Balsam Mountain is open from mid-May through mid-October. Reservations are required at recreation.gov.

Chisos Basin Campground

Big Bend National Park

While the bulk of Big Bend National Park is open Chihuahuan desert, the Chisos Mountains rise in the middle of the park to as high as Emory Peak’s 7,825 feet. The mountains are accessed by a curvy road leading up to Chisos Basin, which has a visitor center, the only lodge within park boundaries, and the Chisos Basin Campground. The campground is nestled in an open woodland within a scenic mountain basin at about 5,400 feet. Campers enjoy the iconic views of Emory Peak as well as Casa Grande and Emory Peak. To the west is the “Window,” home of the most famous sunsets in the park.

Depending on your interest in early evening hiking, there are several ways to get slightly different angles. The view from the edge of the campground is fine, but the aptly-named Window View Trail up towards the visitor center, can offer a more clear foreground. Some even prefer to walk out along the Window Trail towards the opening itself. Wherever you set up for the sunset, make sure to bring your flashlight for the walk back to camp, as the unique “sky island” ecosystem is home to numerous animals up to and including bears and mountain lions who may be more active at dusk.

Belle Fourche River Campground, Devils Tower National Monument

No trip to the Black Hills is complete without a visit to the iconic Devils Tower. The tower is a unique columnar basalt formation that has both deep cultural importance to Plains Indian tribes and profound geologic interest for scientists, who are still debating its exact formation process. Plus, if you thought the 1977 film Close Encounters of the Third Kind was a documentary, you’ll want to pay a visit to the site of the alien landing. Whether you’re in the region primarily for Badlands, Mt. Rushmore, or the Crazy Horse Memorial, I encourage you to spend one night at Devils Tower.

Unlike the others on this list, Belle Fourche campground does not take reservations. Its 45 sites are first-come, first-served, and will fill up most summer weekends. If you want to stay here, plan to arrive earlier in the day, ideally on a weekday and not around a major holiday. Should Belle Fourche be full, there are other campgrounds (as well as hotels) just outside the National Monument gates. While it’s good to have options, Belle Fourche offers two unique advantages. First, it’s adjacent to the prairie dog village, a bustling community of rodents who provide near-constant entertainment. (But make sure to keep your food secure.) Second, you’ll have the most up-close view of the tower. As the sun goes down over the prairie, the lack of other major land features practically guarantees a well-lit tower. Since this campground is so close, you could even enjoy the view from a seat around your campfire.

North Campground or Sunset Campground

Bryce Canyon National Park

The mysterious hoodoos of Bryce Canyon National Park are some of the most unique rock formations of Utah’s grand staircase region. The highlight of the park is really more of an amphitheatre, with thousands of eroded stone pillars spread across several square miles. During the day visitors hike down amongst them, and enjoy the scenic drive to the other (smaller) amphitheaters spread along the parks’ length.

At night you have a few choices. The ambitiously-named town of Bryce Canyon City is just outside the park gates and has several hotels and campgrounds. But for the best access to one of the best sunsets in the National Park System, you’ll want to stay at the park lodge or one of the two campgrounds inside the gates: the North campground, open year-round, or the Sunset Campground, open April through October. Both are just ½ mile from the amphitheater’s rim, and both have a mix of tent and RV spaces.

Depending on weather conditions the day of your visit, both sunset and sunrise can be spectacular shows. Once you’ve got your site (reserved via recreation.gov), you’ll want to walk across the road about an hour before sunset or just before sunrise. Different photographers have their favorite angles, but it’s hard to go wrong from anywhere along the rim. The rocks here are already bright red in the middle of the day, and with the sun’s rays low in the sky they may seem to catch fire. (This image is from sunrise.)

Although I haven’t experienced it personally, Bryce Canyon with snow is equally beautiful. Sitting around 8,000 feet above sea level, the park does periodically get winter snow, and although Sunset Point campground is closed, other lodging in or near the park is available, and with smaller off-season crowds you can easily drive in to your overlook of choice at your favorite time of day.

While these sunsets were selected based on accessibility from campgrounds, they can all be reached (perhaps slightly less easily) from hotels as well. Whatever your preferred lodging, Wandersaurus Travel can help you plan a family vacation to see these and other National Parks. Contact us through our webform to start the conversation!

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