North America Photos Map

New York City

Five boroughs of skyline, food and museums

9.5

Twice a year, the setting sun lines up with the street grid in an event called Manhattanhenge. Top of the Rock gives wide skyline views at blue hour. Neon glows over Times Square at night. Rain adds mirror reflections on the pavement. Ferries offer harbour angles too.

Highlights:

🌃 Visit Times Square at night for unforgettable neon views
🎭 Watch a Broadway musical in the Theater District
🏙️ Admire skyline views from the Top of a skyscraper

Grand Canyon National Park

Epic Vistas, Timeless Adventure

8.1

Monsoon storms in July and August send lightning across the rim. In winter, snow dusts the rock layers. Desert View Watchtower, built in 1932, frames the Colorado River far below. A hike on the South Kaibab Trail brings ever changing views. Few places show the seasons so clearly.

Highlights:

🏘️ Explore the historic Grand Canyon Village and lodges
🌅 Enjoy sunrise views at Mather Point overlook
🥾 Hike the iconic Bright Angel Trail into the canyon

Banff

Rocky Mountain Majesty, Endless Adventure

9.0

Mount Rundle rises over Vermilion Lakes, where still water mirrors the peak at sunrise. Elk graze beside the Bow Valley Parkway at dusk. In winter, frost coats the pines and the aurora sometimes flickers overhead. The mountain town has plenty of cafes to warm up in.

Highlights:

♨️ Relax in the Banff Upper Hot Springs with mountain views
🥾 Hike Johnston Canyon and explore breathtaking waterfalls
🚡 Ride the Banff Gondola for panoramic Sulphur Mountain views

Kauai

Lush Landscapes and Secluded Beaches

8.9

Cliffs on the Nā Pali Coast fall in green folds to the sea. A boat or helicopter shows them best. Waimea Canyon glows red at sunset. Rain showers come and go, so rainbows are common. Hanalei Bay curves under misty mountains, with taro fields at the edge.

Highlights:

🤿 Snorkel at Poipu Beach with vibrant marine life
🚤 Take a boat tour along the Na Pali Coast
🌄 Hike the breathtaking trails of Waimea Canyon

Death Valley National Park

Otherworldly Extremes and Silent Beauty

6.4

Badwater Basin sits 282 feet below sea level. Its salt flats form ragged white polygons. Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes catch ripples of light at dawn and dusk. Zabriskie Point glows gold at sunrise. After dark, the clear sky becomes a Milky Way showcase for night shooters.

Highlights:

🎨 Explore colorful rock formations at Artists Palette
🦶 Walk across the vast salt flats of Badwater Basin
🌅 Watch sunrise from panoramic Zabriskie Point

Grand Teton National Park

Stunning Peaks and Wildlife Wonders

8.6

The Teton Range climbs 7,000 feet from the valley floor with no foothills in the way. Schwabacher Landing gives a mirror view at sunrise. The weathered barns of Mormon Row sit in front of the peaks. Oxbow Bend adds autumn colour and moose near dawn.

Highlights:

🏞️ Trek through Cascade Canyon for breathtaking views
💧 Explore Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point nearby
🚶‍♂️ Hike the scenic Jenny Lake Loop Trail

Canyonlands National Park

Epic Canyons and Untamed Wilderness

8.3

Mesa Arch frames the canyon floor in a thin sandstone ring on the edge of a cliff. At sunrise, light bounces under the arch and makes the underside glow orange. Photographers line up in the dark to claim a spot. Views drop thousands of feet below.

Highlights:

🥾 Hike the easy trail to Grand View Point overlook
🚗 Drive scenic Grand View Point Road and stops
🌅 Watch sunrise at Mesa Arch for breathtaking views

Chichen Itza

Unravel the Mysteries of the Maya

The pyramid of El Castillo stands 98 feet tall, with a stairway on each side. On the spring and autumn equinoxes, shadows form a snake shape on the north stairs. Arrive at opening to shoot warm light without crowds. Jungle trees and cenotes frame wide photos of the site.

Highlights:

🔭 Visit the Observatory (El Caracol) for ancient astronomy insights
🏟️ Explore the Great Ball Court and ancient Mayan ruins
🪜 Climb El Castillo pyramid and witness equinox serpent shadow

Bryce Canyon National Park

Hoodoo Wonderland and Starry Nights

8.2

Thousands of orange hoodoos fill a natural amphitheatre at over 8,000 feet. Sunrise Point catches the early light on the spires and turns them deep red. Winter snow adds contrast against the rock. Bryce also has some of the darkest skies in the country for stargazing.

Highlights:

🧱 Explore Bryce Amphitheater for stunning rock formations
🌅 Watch sunrise from inspiring viewpoints at Inspiration Point
🥾 Hike the iconic Navajo Loop Trail among hoodoos

Arches National Park

A Desert Wonderland of Stone Arches

8.2

More than 2,000 sandstone arches stand in this park near Moab. Frame the La Sal Mountains through the Windows at sunrise. Shoot Delicate Arch at golden hour after a 3 mile hike. Clear desert nights make star trails over the Garden of Eden Arch easy.

Highlights:

🌉 Visit Double Arch and climb beneath its massive spans
🥾 Explore Devils Garden Trail with multiple arches
🧗‍♂️ Hike to Delicate Arch, the park’s iconic symbol

Denali National Park

Wild Alaska’s peaks and wildlife

8.8

Denali tops out at 20,310 feet, but clouds often hide it. When the sky opens, Wonder Lake gives mirror reflections of the peak. Park buses roll past caribou and grizzlies. Autumn turns the tundra red and gold. Long summer light gives hours of soft golden colour.

Highlights:

🛩️ Take a flightseeing tour above Denali’s snowy peak
🥾 Hike the Savage River Trail for rugged alpine views
🐻 Spot grizzly bears and moose in their wild habitat

Lake Louise

Turquoise Gem of the Canadian Rockies

8.9

Fed by the Victoria Glacier, the lake is a milky turquoise that changes shade by the hour. Red canoes make a bright foreground in summer. Shoot from the shore beside the Fairmont hotel at sunrise. In winter, a flat ice rink and snow cover the lake.

Highlights:

🚡 Ride the Lake Louise Gondola for panoramic alpine scenery
🥾 Hike to the Lake Agnes Tea House for stunning mountain views
🛶 Canoe on the iconic turquoise waters of Lake Louise

Glacier National Park

Crown of the Continent

8.9

Going to the Sun Road crosses the park for 50 miles, with turnouts over glacier carved valleys. Wild Goose Island in St. Mary Lake is a classic sunrise subject. At Many Glacier, mountains reflect in Swiftcurrent Lake. The full road usually opens in late June or early July.

Highlights:

🌲 Explore Avalanche Lake’s serene hiking trails
🚗 Drive the scenic Going-to-the-Sun Road for views
🥾 Hike to Grinnell Glacier and stunning turquoise lakes

Central Park

Nature’s Heart in NYC

Elms arch over the Mall in Central Park, forming a natural tunnel in autumn. The park covers 843 acres of ponds, bridges and rock outcrops. Bethesda Terrace has an angel fountain and carved stonework. Skyline views over the Pond turn pink at dawn. Snow adds a hush.

Highlights:

🏰 Explore Belvedere Castle for stunning park views
⛲ Visit the iconic Bethesda Terrace and Fountain
🚣 Row a boat on Central Park’s scenic lake

Glacier Point

Breathtaking Views of Yosemite Valley

At 3,200 feet above Yosemite Valley, the overlook faces Half Dome head on. Sunset turns the cliffs pink. After dark in summer, the Milky Way arcs over the dome. The road opens in late spring and usually closes with the first big snow of the season.

Highlights:

🥾 Hike the Four Mile Trail down to Yosemite Valley floor
🚶‍♂️ Walk the accessible trail to the Glacier Point overlook
🌅 Watch the sunset paint Half Dome and Yosemite Valley

El Capitan

Yosemite's Iconic Vertical Giant

The granite wall of El Capitan rises 3,000 feet from the valley floor. Set up in El Capitan Meadow at sunset, when the cliff glows gold. In mid to late February, Horsetail Fall can light up orange for a few evenings. The Merced River gives clean reflections.

Highlights:

🎤 Attend a ranger-led talk to learn climbing history
🌄 Explore the El Capitan Meadow for mountain views
🧗‍♂️ Watch expert climbers ascend the iconic granite face

Half Dome

Iconic Granite Challenge Peak

Ansel Adams made his famous Monolith, the Face of Half Dome in 1927. The 8,839 foot dome still pulls photographers to the same valley. Shoot it at dawn from Mirror Lake. Try the Merced River at dusk. Clear days after spring storms bring the sharpest air.

Highlights:

🌅 Catch sunrise views from the top of Half Dome
🧗‍♀️ Use cables to climb the steep rock face safely
🥾 Hike the challenging trail to Half Dome summit

Brooklyn Bridge

Historic icon with stunning views

Opened in 1883, the bridge has stone towers with pointed Gothic arches and a web of steel cables. Walk the wooden promenade at sunrise for a clean view of the Manhattan skyline. Washington Street in Dumbo frames the span between brick warehouses. Blue hour adds lights on the water.

Highlights:

🌳 Explore Brooklyn Bridge Park with playgrounds and trails
📸 Snap photos of Manhattan skyline from the bridge
🌉 Walk the iconic Brooklyn Bridge pedestrian path

Golden Gate Bridge

Iconic Art Deco Engineering Marvel

Painted International Orange, the bridge opened in 1937 and has towers 746 feet tall. Fog often wraps its cables, so be patient. Battery Spencer in the Marin Headlands gives a classic view. Fort Point offers a low angle up through the steel arch from below.

Highlights:

🏛️ Visit the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center exhibits
🌅 Capture sunrise views from Marin Headlands
🚴‍♂️ Walk or bike across the iconic red bridge

Grand Canyon

Majestic chasm carved by time

The canyon is up to a mile deep and 18 miles wide, so light changes by the minute. Hopi Point is a sunset favourite, when layers glow red, orange and purple. Mather Point catches sunrise. Wait after storms for clouds that drift through the gorge.

Highlights:

🚁 Take a scenic helicopter flight over the rim
🥾 Hike the Bright Angel Trail into the canyon
🌅 Watch the sunrise from Mather Point overlook

Antelope Valley

Desert poppies and high skies

6.9

California poppies cover the hills of the Antelope Valley in a bright orange carpet. The bloom usually comes in March and April after a wet winter. The state reserve has gentle trails for low angle sunrise shots. Wind and heat can end the show quickly. Arrive early.

Highlights:

🦌 Spot pronghorns and desert wildlife in the springtime
🚙 Drive through the Mojave Desert and capture the vast landscapes
🌼 See the stunning California poppy bloom at Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve

Moraine Lake

Turquoise jewel of the Rockies

Glacial silt turns the water a deep turquoise, set below the jagged Valley of the Ten Peaks. Climb the Rockpile, a short trail of boulders, before sunrise. First light paints the summits orange. Parks Canada shuttles carry visitors up the road, which opens in late spring.

Highlights:

📸 Capture iconic photos with the Valley of the Ten Peaks
🛶 Take a canoe out on the crystal-clear lake waters
🥾 Hike around the vibrant turquoise Moraine Lake shoreline

Greenland

Arctic wilderness with ice landscapes

8.8

Midnight sun in summer gives hours of golden light over icebergs in Ilulissat Icefjord. The UNESCO site releases ice from Sermeq Kujalleq, one of the fastest moving glaciers in the world. In winter, green northern lights ripple across the sky. Boat tours get close to the ice.

Highlights:

🌅 Experience the magic of the midnight sun on a boat cruise
🥾 Hike the rugged terrain of Kangerlussuaq and visit the Arctic Tundra
❄️ Marvel at the floating icebergs in Ilulissat Icefjord, UNESCO World Heritage site

The Wave

Stunning sandstone arches carved by wind and time

Swirls of red and orange sandstone ripple through the Wave in Coyote Buttes North. The hike takes about three hours round trip. Permits are limited and awarded by lottery. Soft midday light bounces off the curves and fills the cracks. A wide lens helps. Pack plenty of water.

Highlights:

🗣️ Attend a ranger talk on desert ecology
🌅 Capture sunrise over the sandstone arches
🥾 Hike to The Wave in Coyote Buttes

Best photography destinations in North America