Best Places to Watch the Sunset in Los Angeles

— July 24, 2026

The best places to watch the sunset in Los Angeles are Griffith Observatory for a panoramic view of the whole city, Point Dume in Malibu for a cliffside ocean sunset, and Palisades Park in Santa Monica for a free bluff-top view over the Pacific with Ferris wheel lights below.

Nobody in LA agrees on the best place to watch the sunset, and that is exactly what makes it worth chasing. The city does not have one great sunset. It has a dozen, spread across beaches, hillsides, and one very famous hilltop with a telescope on it.

We drive these neighborhoods between Hollywood and Santa Monica every day, and our guides all have a favorite they will happily argue about. This is the list we would hand to a friend visiting LA for the first time who wants to catch golden hour somewhere better than the hotel balcony.

If you only have one day in LA and want to make the most of it, our Half Day Best of LA Tour stops at Beverly Hills, Santa Monica Pier, The Grove, and Griffith Observatory, two of which are on the sunset list below.

Table of Contents

Griffith Observatory: The Classic Panoramic Sunset

Griffith Observatory sits on the south side of Mount Hollywood, and the west-facing terraces turn it into the most reliable sunset view in the city. You get the skyline stretching toward the ocean, the Hollywood Sign to the northwest, and downtown’s towers catching the last light, all from the same railing.

The building itself is free to enter, along with the grounds, the exhibits, and the public telescopes. Only the Samuel Oschin Planetarium show requires a ticket, according to the Griffith Observatory official site. Hours run Tuesday through Friday from noon to 10pm and weekends from 10am to 10pm, with the observatory closed on Mondays, so plan around that schedule rather than a Monday evening.

Weekday evenings are calmer. Weekend sunsets pull a real crowd, and the same view that makes this spot famous makes parking near the main lot and Fern Dell Drive fill up fast in the hour before golden hour. Get there early, claim a spot on the west lawn or the front terrace, and let the crowd fill in around you instead of the other way around.

Getting There Without the Parking Headache

Best Views of the LA Skyline and Hollywood Sign breaks down every angle worth chasing in the park, and our Griffith Observatory guide covers the exhibits inside if you want to turn the visit into a full evening.

Our Half Day Best of LA Tour includes a stop here during the day, so you will already know the walk from the lot to the terrace and where the Hollywood Sign viewing area sits before you come back on your own for the sunset version.

Santa Monica Pier and Palisades Park: Sunset Over the Pacific

Santa Monica gives you two sunset spots within a five-minute walk of each other, and they feel completely different. Palisades Park sits on top of the coastal bluffs along Ocean Avenue, a 26-acre strip of grass, palm trees, and benches facing the water, according to the City of Santa Monica.

Stand at the railing anywhere along the park and you get an open view of the sun dropping into the ocean, with Malibu visible up the coastline on a clear day. Walk down the ramp to the beach and the same sunset looks different from the Santa Monica Pier, where the Pacific Wheel spins more than 130 feet above the pier and lights up right as the sky turns orange behind it.

The pier itself is open daily from 6am to 11pm, and Pacific Park’s rides typically start running around 11am, though hours shift with the season and special events, so check pacpark.com/hours the same day if you are timing a visit around sunset.

Beach Pier or Bluff Top

If you want the postcard shot with the Ferris wheel in frame, stay on the beach pier. If you want a quiet bench and a wider stretch of horizon, take the bluff top at Palisades Park instead.

Santa Monica Things to Do and Route 66 Ends at Santa Monica Pier both cover the rest of the neighborhood if you want to turn the sunset into a full afternoon.

Point Dume: A Cliffside Cove in Malibu

Point Dume is a rocky headland that juts out into the ocean above Malibu, and the cliff-top trail puts you higher above the water than almost any other beach access point in LA County. The Point Dume Cove Trail is a moderate 1.1-mile route with about 213 feet of elevation gain, according to trail data from AllTrails, and it ends at a bluff overlooking a small protected cove instead of open ocean.

Dogs are not allowed on the trail, and parts of the hike are steep enough that flip-flops are not the move. Westward Beach, at the base of the point, is county-operated rather than part of the state beach itself, and parking rules and fees can shift by season, so check current signage or the State Parks page before you drive out.

Pair It With a Malibu Day

Point Dume works best as the last stop on a longer Malibu day rather than a quick after-work drive. If you would rather leave the driving and the PCH parking to someone else, our Malibu Beaches, PCH & Celebrity Homes Open Air Tour passes the Point Dume bluffs on a 2-hour run up the coast from Santa Monica.

For a do-it-yourself version, the Malibu Day Trip guide lays out a full itinerary, and Best Day Trips from Los Angeles covers a few alternatives if coast highway traffic makes you want a plan B.

Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook: The Hike With the Payoff

Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook is the sunset spot that makes you work for it. A steep staircase climbs roughly a mile from the Jefferson Boulevard entrance to the summit, and the payoff at the top is a 360-degree view stretching from downtown LA to the ocean, according to California State Parks. Park hours run 8am to sunset daily. There is metered street parking down on Jefferson near the stairs, or a paid lot at the top of Hetzler Road that runs $2 per hour or $6 for the full day.

This is one of the least touristy entries on this list, which means fewer crowds and more locals doing laps on the stairs as a workout before slowing down to watch the sky change color. Bring water. The exposed staircase has almost no shade, and the climb feels a lot longer on the way up than the view makes it feel on the way down.

The Hike Community

Best Hikes in Los Angeles rounds up Baldwin Hills alongside a handful of other trails worth the trip if this one leaves you wanting more elevation gain in your evenings.

Runyon Canyon: Hollywood Sign at Golden Hour

Runyon Canyon sits right above Hollywood, with entrances at Fuller Avenue and Mulholland Drive, and the upper trails put the Hollywood Sign directly in your sightline as the light turns gold behind the hills. Posted hours vary depending on the source, generally sunrise to sunset with gates closing not long after, so check the LA Parks and Recreation page before you plan a late arrival.

The trail is popular enough that golden hour, roughly the two hours before sunset, gets crowded fast on weekends. Weeknight hikes are calmer, and the reward is the same, a wide-open canyon view with the Hollywood Sign catching the last direct light before the hills go into shadow. Bring a flashlight for the walk down if you are cutting it close to closing time.

Combine It With the Sign Itself

How to Hike to the Hollywood Sign walks through the official viewing trails if you want to get closer than Runyon allows. The sign itself sits on a mountain that is not open for close-up access from any viewing point, including our tours, and that guide covers the best legal vantage points instead.

Venice Beach: Boardwalk Sunset

Venice Beach trades the quiet of Point Dume or Baldwin Hills for a sunset with a soundtrack. Skaters carve the bowl at Venice Skate Park, street performers pack up their gear as the light fades, and the drum circle near Ocean Front Walk usually starts right around the time the sun touches the water. It is the least peaceful sunset on this list and, for a lot of first-time visitors, the most memorable one.

Grab a spot on the sand west of the boardwalk for an unobstructed horizon, or stay up on the boardwalk itself if people-watching is half the point of the visit. Either way, it is a public beach with open sand access, so there is no ticket and no reservation required, just a decent window before sunset to walk down and claim a spot.

Venice on Its Own

Venice Beach: A First-Timer’s Guide covers the boardwalk, the canals, and the food worth trying if you want to turn sunset into a full evening, and Best Beaches Near Los Angeles rounds up a few alternatives if Venice’s crowds are not your speed.

Best Sunsets in LA at a Glance

Spot	Best For	Getting There	Difficulty
Griffith Observatory	Panoramic skyline and Hollywood Sign	Main lot or Fern Dell Drive, fills up fast	Easy, flat walk from the lot
Santa Monica Pier & Palisades Park	Ferris wheel silhouette or open bluff view	Pier parking structures or free street parking on Ocean Ave	Easy
Point Dume	Cliffside cove above the ocean	Drive to Malibu, park at Westward Beach	Moderate hike, 1.1 miles
Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook	360-degree view, workout included	Paid lot atop Hetzler Rd, or metered parking on Jefferson Blvd	Steep staircase, about 1 mile
Runyon Canyon	Hollywood Sign at golden hour	Fuller Ave or Mulholland Dr entrance	Moderate, hilly trail
Venice Beach	Boardwalk energy and street performers	Metered lots along Ocean Front Walk	Easy, flat beach walk

Six spots, six completely different sunsets, and not nearly enough evenings in one LA trip to hit all of them.

Two of them, Griffith Observatory and Santa Monica Pier, are stops on our Half Day Best of LA Tour, so a daytime ride leaves you knowing the lot, the walk, and the best angle before you head back for golden hour.

FAQ

What is the best place to watch the sunset in Los Angeles?

Griffith Observatory is the most reliable all-around choice, with free access to the terraces and a panoramic view of the skyline, ocean, and Hollywood Sign. For something on the water, Point Dume in Malibu or Palisades Park in Santa Monica are the strongest alternatives.

Is Griffith Observatory good for watching the sunset?

Yes. The building, grounds, and public telescopes are free, and the west-facing terraces catch the sun setting over the city with the Hollywood Sign visible to the northwest. Weekday evenings are calmer than weekends, and the observatory is closed on Mondays.

What time should I go to see the sunset in LA?

Golden hour in Los Angeles generally falls in the two hours before sunset, and the exact sunset time shifts throughout the year, so check the day’s time before you head out. Arriving 45 minutes to an hour early gives you time to park and find a good spot.

Is Point Dume a good spot to watch the sunset in Malibu?

Yes, though it requires a short hike. The Point Dume Cove Trail is a moderate 1.1-mile route that ends on a cliff-top bluff overlooking a small cove, and dogs are not allowed on the trail.

Where can I watch the sunset near Santa Monica Pier?

Palisades Park sits directly above the beach on the coastal bluffs along Ocean Avenue and offers an open view of the ocean. The pier itself gives you the same sunset with the Pacific Wheel Ferris wheel in the frame.

Do I need to hike to get a good sunset view in LA?

No, spots like Griffith Observatory’s front terrace, Palisades Park, and Venice Beach are all flat and require no hiking. Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook and Point Dume both involve a moderate hike if you want the higher payoff.

Is Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook free to visit?

The park itself is free to enter, though parking costs $2 per hour or $6 for the full day. The main trail is a steep staircase that climbs about a mile from the Jefferson Boulevard entrance.

Can you see the Hollywood Sign at sunset?

Yes, Runyon Canyon and Griffith Observatory both put the Hollywood Sign in view as the light turns gold, though the sign itself sits on a mountain with no close-up public access from any viewing point.