26 Favorite Sunrise Spots

Virginia is an amazing place for sunrises and sunsets. There’s not a bad place to see either daily occurrence, but some folks have favorite places to witness them.

Sunrise at Sandbridge Beach

We sought specific locations via Twitter and other channels, plus took a look at photos tagged #LOVEVA (the @VisitVirginia Instagram hashtag) to see who was sharing sunrise photos with us and where they were taking them. It was no surprise to find ocean sunrise shots shared more often than others. We’ve curated a Storify collection for your viewing pleasure, plus gathered those specific spots onto a map at the very end. Go! Seek and shoot the sunrise.

FAVORITE BEACH SUNRISE SPOTS 

– “Cape Henry Lighthouse.” – Cathy S.

– “At the beach!! The best sunrise ever!!” – Shelley H.

– “Virginia Beach Boardwalk.” – Gary J.

– “Chincoteague has some beautiful sunrises.” – Marie H.

– “On the beach at False Cape.” – Danielle E.

– “Anywhere on the beach for a sunrise!” – Mary B.

– Sandbridge Beach

FAVORITE RIVER SUNRISE SPOTS 

– “Westmoreland State Park – beach by the cliffs.” – Dave N.

– “Piankatank River in Middlesex County.” – April N.

– Yorktown Beach

– “When we lived in Northern Va, sunrise over the Occoquan river in Mason Neck State Park.” – Cathy S.

– Alexandria Waterfront

FAVORITE MOUNTAIN SUNRISE SPOTS 

– “Roanoke Mountain.” – David A.

– “Blue Ridge Parkway.” – Cathy S. (MP 2 and MP 64 face east)

– “I like Douthat state park. Sand and sun with family fun.” – Judy G.

– Looking toward Peaks of Otter. The view from one of the Peaks would be equally stunning.

– McAfee Knob

FAVORITE CHESAPEAKE BAY SUNRISE SPOTS 

– “Chesapeake Bay in Norfolk.” – Dana H.

– “Buckroe Beach.” – Cathy S.

– “Chicks Beach.” – Caroline L. (Chesapeake Beach)

– Pleasure House Point

FAVORITE SUNRISE SPOTS AT HISTORIC ATTRACTIONS

– “I never get up early enough. If I did, I think along the Colonial Parkway would be pretty good – at one of the overlooks facing the east.” – Dave N.

– Manassas National Battlefield Park

– High Bridge Trail State Park

FAVORITE CITY SKYLINE SUNRISE SPOTS 

– Charlottesville

– Roanoke

– Richmond

– Norfolk