There are very few (good) reasons to awake at 5:30 AM, but the promise of a picturesque sunrise and room to roam brought out a snap-happy group of Instagrammers to the park on Wednesday, July 23. We joined with Instagram to welcome a small group to visit the park before it opened and document their adventures. The event, #emptyhighline, produced dozens of beautiful shots that captured the park in an early morning glow.

Check out some of our favorites below, and follow @highlinenyc and @highlineartnyc for more beautiful photos of the park.

A special thanks to Blue Bottle Coffee for providing a much-needed morning buzz with their New Orleans Iced Coffee and a bevy of baked goods!Photo by @laurenreddy