Kalopa State Recreation Area is a botanical garden in Hawaii County, Hawaii. It sits roughly 5.4 km (3.4 mi) SSE of Honoka‘a.
The Kalōpā Native Forest State Park and Recreation Area is a state park with an arboretum of native trees located approximately 40 mi (64 km) northwest of Hilo, near the village of Honokaʻa, a few miles inland from the Mamalahoa Highway (Route 19) section of the Hawaii Belt Road, Island of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi. This 100-acre (40 ha) park adjoins an additional 500 acres (200 ha) in the Kalopa Forest Reserve. The park is at an elevation of 2,000 ft (610 m) and includes a 0.7 mi (1.1 km) loop through a forest of native ʻōhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) trees. A number of rare plants can be found in the arboretum area, including endangered loulu palms (Pritchardia spp.), as well as a number of rare native hibiscus. Due to the altitude, damp and chilly weather is the norm. Services available at the park include restrooms, drinking water, cabins, and camping.From the Wikipedia article “Kalōpā State Recreation Area”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kalopa State Recreation Area 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 295° (WNW) in June to 245° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 87° in summer but only 47° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:26 AM | 90° E | 6:33 PM | 270° W | 70° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 65° ENE | 7:05 PM | 295° WNW | 87° | 13h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:11 AM | 89° E | 6:19 PM | 271° W | 70° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:53 AM | 115° ESE | 5:48 PM | 245° WSW | 47° | 10h 55m |
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
Gardens are best on bright overcast days or early mornings when dew is fresh and the wind is calm.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:37 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:27 PM | 11h 03m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 30m |
| March | 6:09 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:54 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:42 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:34 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:03 PM | 12h 36m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:15 PM | 13h 05m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:28 PM | 13h 20m |
| July | 5:27 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:29 PM | 13h 14m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:33 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:15 PM | 12h 49m |
| September | 5:48 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:39 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:48 PM | 12h 16m |
| October | 5:55 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 5:29 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:21 PM | 11h 42m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:03 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:06 PM | 11h 11m |
| December | 6:26 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 56m |
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 Kalopa State Recreation Area, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 41° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| February | 4:06 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.5 | 27° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:15 AM – 5:15 AM | 3.0 | 38° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:16 AM – 4:46 AM | 4.5 | 41° | SE → S |
| May | 10:12 PM – 4:22 AM | 6.2 | 41° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:27 PM – 4:17 AM | 7.8 | 41° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:28 PM – 2:48 AM | 6.3 | 41° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:09 PM – 12:49 AM | 4.7 | 41° | S → SW |
| September | 7:40 PM – 10:50 PM | 3.2 | 38° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:13 PM – 8:43 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.86 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show January as the clearest month (about 57% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 79 | 80 | 80 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 83 | 83 | 85 | 84 | 82 | 81 |
| Low °F | 66 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 70 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 74 | 73 | 72 | 70 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 2.8 |
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 botanical garden
- Kaleidoscopic and abstract images are great for flower close-ups — try the online kaleidoscope tool.
- A macro lens or close-up filter opens a world of detail — try a shallow aperture against a soft background.
- Many gardens restrict tripods or charge for photography; check the rules before you go.
- Backlit petals glow; position yourself so the sun is behind the flower.
- Seasonal exhibits (orchids, tulips, cherry blossoms) draw crowds — arrive at opening.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Spring bulbs and blossoms, summer perennials and autumn color; glasshouses offer winter subjects.
Suggested gear: Macro lens, Diffuser, Small reflector. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Kalopa State Recreation Area, closest first.
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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.