Where to Watch the Sunset in Grand Rapids

Lookout Park

Nestled on a hilltop high above downtown, Lookout Park is a small greenspace equipped with picnic tables, benches, walking trails and a playground. Generations of suitors have dropped to their knees here and popped the question to their sweethearts as the sun sets  over the city and Grand River below.

Food trucks gather here once a month during the summer, and the Grand Rapids Garage Bar & Grill, at the base of the hill, is a great option for after-sunset dinner and drinks.

Lookout Point

A few blocks from Lookout Park, Lookout Point at Belknap Park also offers picturesque views of the city skyline under the setting sun. Belknap Park is the site of 20+ outdoor pickleball courts and a popular sledding hill, and it hosts two annual concerts, the Breakaway Music Festival and Upheaval Festival, all made even more enjoyable by spectacular sunsets.

Brickyard Tavern, Chicago Beef Joint and City Built Brewing Co. are a few of the nearby restaurants in downtown’s North Monroe neighborhood below the hill.

Linear

Also in the North Monroe neighborhood, Linear is a modern American eatery on the east banks of the Grand River. Serving New American cuisine in a chill, industrial-style setting, Linear features west-facing windows and a seasonal outdoor patio offering wonderful views of the setting sun.

GR Riverwalk

A paved Riverwalk extends alongside the Grand River east from Linear Restaurant, affording a mobile view of the setting sun. You can purchase alcohol in approved containers from Linear and several other North Monroe restaurants and consume them as you stroll the Riverwalk between 555 Monroe Skate Park and Michigan St. This portion of the Riverwalk is included in downtown’s Outdoor Refreshment Area.

MDRD

Located on the 27^th floor of the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel in the center of downtown, this award-winning Spanish restaurant boasts a view you won’t get anywhere else in town, as floor-to-ceiling windows offer panoramic views of the Grand River and the setting sun. From its innovative cuisine to its vibrant décor to its picture-perfect setting, MDRD (pronounced “Madrid”) serves up an unforgettable dining experience.

The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck

Twenty-seven stories below MDRD, The Kitchen by Wolfgang Puck offers ground-floor sunset views from a seasonal outdoor patio along the Grand River. Made-from-scratch comfort fare meets authentic classics in this celebrity-chef restaurant, which also features an extensive wine list and local craft beers on tap.

Mertens Rooftop

One of the best places to experience a summer sunset, Mertens Rooftop is an open-air bar offering unobstructed, 180-degree views of the Grand Rapids skyline from nine stories above the city. Guests enjoy exceptional cocktails, local craft beers and refined seasonal menu as they soak up breathtaking views. Open from early spring to late fall.

Millennium Park

One of America’s largest urban greenspaces, Millennium Park is just five minutes from downtown GR. The park’s 1,400 acres of rolling terrain are crisscrossed with nearly 20 miles of hiking and biking trails that afford shifting views of the setting sun. The Gypsum Grill at The Mines Golf Club is a great place for dinner and drinks after the nature show.

Riverside Park

This 100-acre park 10 minutes from downtown GR features expansive greenspace, a variety of trails and nearly one mile of frontage on the east side of the Grand River. Riverside Park is an ideal place to lay out a blanket and have a sunset picnic. Nearby restaurants including Lucy’s, Mike’s Wings, 616 Kabob Stop and the seasonal Too Tall’s Sweet Treats & Savory Eats will be happy to package a meal for you.

Gerald R. Ford International Airport Viewing Park

The Viewing Park is a great place to watch planes coming in and out of West Michigan’s busiest airport. It’s open daily through dusk, so you can see aircraft framed by the glow of sunset hues throughout the year. The park includes a pavilion along with an abundance of picnic tables and seating. Food trucks roll in to the park on summer Wednesdays, and you can always bring your own picnic meal – check out the Cascade restaurants around the airport. Keep in mind that no alcohol is allowed.

Grand Ravines North

Grand Ravines North is part of a 200-acre park about 20 minutes southwest of Grand Rapids. A 275-ft. pedestrian bridge and ravine overlook with panoramic views of the Grand River are excellent places to snap a sunset photo. Two miles away, Farmhaus Cider Co. offers delectable post-sunset hard ciders along with food trucks for weekend dinners.

Waterfront Restaurants

Watch the sun set over the water while enjoying dinner and cocktails at Rockford’s Bostwick Lake Inn, Lowell’s Flat River Grill, Blue Water on Versluis Lake in northeast GR and Rose’s on Reeds Lake in East Grand Rapids.

The eastern shores of Lake Michigan provide some of the best sunset viewing in the country. Every one of the more than 20 beaches 30-45 minutes from downtown GR offers a glorious look at the sun dipping below an endless water horizon, generating vibrant shades of peach, yellow, lavender, scarlet, orange and fiery red in its wake.

Grand Haven State Park consists entirely of beach sand and offers easy access to a pier, lighthouse and 1.5-mile boardwalk, all excellent vantage points for sunset photos. Relax after (or during) the sunset at beachside eatery Noto’s at the Bil-Mar.

Holland State Park features an expansive sandy beach on Lake Michigan and Lake Macatawa. The pier and walkway along the harbor channel offers beautiful views of sunsets, sailboats and the much-photographed Big Red lighthouse. Enjoy dinner and drinks at upscale Italian American restaurant RESERVOIR, one mile away.

P.J. Hoffmaster State Park features over three miles of Lake Michigan shoreline and beaches, with towering sand dunes affording stunning views of the sunset over the water. An array of Muskegon restaurants and bars are close by.

Oval Beach, rated one of the world’s 25 best shorelines by Condé Nast Traveler Magazine, is a fantastic place to see amazing sunsets – from the beach in warm weather and from the comfort of your car when the weather gets cold. Saugatuck restaurants and bars are 10 minutes away.