Located in Maui County, Hawaii, Slaughterhouse Beach is a beach. It sits roughly 5.5 km (3.4 mi) NE of Napili-Honokowai.
Slaughterhouse Beach or "Mokuleʻia Beach," is a sand beach in Maui. It is located off of Rte. 30 in Mokuleʻia Bay, directly east of Fleming Beach and directly west of Honolua Bay. The beach is a part of the Honolua-Mokuleʻia Bay Marine Life Conservation District.From the Wikipedia article “Slaughterhouse Beach (Mokuleʻia)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Slaughterhouse Beach the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 65° (ENE) at the June solstice and 115° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 296° (WNW) in June to 245° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 88° in summer but only 46° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:31 AM | 90° E | 6:38 PM | 270° W | 69° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 65° ENE | 7:11 PM | 296° WNW | 88° | 13h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:16 AM | 89° E | 6:24 PM | 271° W | 69° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:00 AM | 115° ESE | 5:51 PM | 245° WSW | 46° | 10h 51m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Beaches facing east suit sunrise and west-facing beaches suit sunset; wet sand mirrors the sky color during golden hour.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:43 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 00m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 28m |
| March | 6:14 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:37 PM | 6:59 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:46 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:38 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:09 PM | 12h 38m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:27 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:22 PM | 13h 08m |
| June | 5:21 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:35 PM | 13h 24m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:36 PM | 13h 17m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:36 AM | 6:27 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:21 PM | 12h 51m |
| September | 5:52 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:53 PM | 12h 16m |
| October | 6:00 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:52 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:26 PM | 11h 41m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:09 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:10 PM | 11h 08m |
| December | 6:33 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 52m |
Local time (Pacific/Honolulu), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Slaughterhouse Beach, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 40° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| February | 4:11 AM – 5:41 AM | 1.5 | 26° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:21 AM – 5:21 AM | 3.0 | 37° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:23 AM – 4:43 AM | 4.3 | 40° | SE → S |
| May | 10:19 PM – 4:19 AM | 6.0 | 40° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:35 PM – 4:15 AM | 7.7 | 40° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:35 PM – 2:55 AM | 6.3 | 40° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:16 PM – 12:46 AM | 4.5 | 40° | S → SW |
| September | 7:45 PM – 10:45 PM | 3.0 | 37° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:18 PM – 8:48 PM | 1.5 | 27° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -17° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.9 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (67%). September is the warmest month and February the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 78 | 78 | 79 | 78 | 79 | 81 | 81 | 83 | 84 | 83 | 82 | 80 |
| Low °F | 66 | 65 | 67 | 69 | 71 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 75 | 73 | 73 | 71 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.0 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this beach
- Time visits around low tide to reveal tide pools, sea stacks and reflective sand — check the tide widget below.
- Slow shutter speeds (0.5–2 s) turn receding waves into streaks that lead toward the horizon.
- Watch for sneaker waves; never turn your back on the ocean on exposed coasts.
- Salt spray coats lenses quickly; wipe often and rinse gear afterward.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Winter storms bring dramatic surf on Pacific coasts; summer and autumn sunsets are popular on Atlantic and Gulf beaches.
Suggested gear: Tripod, ND filters, Rain cover, Lens cloths. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Tides
The nearest NOAA tide prediction station is Lahaina, 14.8 km (9.2 mi) away. Low tide often reveals tide pools, wet-sand reflections and sea stacks.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Slaughterhouse Beach, closest first.
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Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Slaughterhouse Beach?
What time is golden hour at Slaughterhouse Beach?
Where does the sun rise and set at Slaughterhouse Beach?
Can you see the Milky Way from Slaughterhouse Beach?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Slaughterhouse Beach?
How far is Slaughterhouse Beach from Napili-Honokowai?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.