The Sunrises At This Lake In Louisiana Are Worth Waking Up Early For
By Tori Jane|Published September 27, 2021
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Tori Jane
Author
Tori Jane is a storm chaser, writer, photographer, and the village idiot - in that order. When she's not out and about dancing with the meanest storms on planet Earth for funsies she can be found wandering, shooting landscapes, writing, editing photos, and otherwise up to no good. Legend has it that she can also be occasionally spotted typing up short bios in the third person, but those rumors are unsubstantiated.
When people think about places to watch the sunrise, it probably brings to mind images of the sun peeking out from beyond the horizon over the ocean, or perhaps peeking out from behind epic mountain ranges. Would you believe, though, that Louisiana (of all places) is home to some particularly brilliant sunrises (and sunsets, for that matter)? It’s true! Our favorite spot to catch some of these amazing Lousiana sunrises also just so happens to be a beautiful place teeming with life.
Spend a day here and you'll see some incredible species of birds, like great herons, great egrets, white ibis, and roseate spoonbills. The swamp provides the perfect ecosystem for these birds, as well as for the plentiful reptiles and amphibians who also live here.
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The plant life is just as diverse and impressive as the animal life.
You'll see incredible old-growth cypress and tupelo trees, as well as the occasional mossy oak or two. Overall, it's a lovely place to be all year-round, as the summers are hot and humid but the winters tend to be nicer and quite mild.
The sun peeking over the horizon to greet each new day often seems to set the entire sky alight with brilliant orange fire, and to see the color of the sky reflected so perfectly in the surface of the water is an experience well worth waking up a little earlier than usual for.
Lake Martin is a part of the Cypress Island Preserve, so to watch sunrises here, one must be careful to observe posted hours and closures.
You can see the most up-to-date hours and closure information on the official Cypress Island Preserve website. Occasionally, the park will close for alligator nesting season, flooding, and other natural needs, so make sure to double-check often!
We recommend taking the Lake Martin Loop Trail for the best views of the lake as the sun comes up.
On the right days, when the park is quiet and you're one of the only people there, you'll be able to watch the wildlife preparing for the day, foraging for food, and otherwise doing things they won't be doing later, when the park, trail, and lake will be more full of human visitors.
The visitor's center doesn't open until 10 a.m., so you'll have some time to enjoy the silence before the bustle of the day begins.
So, what do you think? Have you ever got up early to watch the sun come up? Where are your favorite places to experience Louisiana sunrises? Tell us your picks in the comments. Want to watch the sunset somewhere too? Check out this article for some ideas as to where!
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