Ulopoe Gulch is a canyon in Maui County, Hawaii at about 585 m (1,919 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 2.1 km (1.3 mi) NE of Lanai City.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ulopoe Gulch 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 87° in summer but only 46° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:32 AM | 90° E | 6:39 PM | 270° W | 69° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:48 AM | 65° ENE | 7:12 PM | 296° WNW | 87° | 13h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:17 AM | 89° E | 6:25 PM | 271° W | 69° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:01 AM | 115° ESE | 5:53 PM | 245° WSW | 46° | 10h 52m |
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
Canyons need light from above: rims glow at sunrise and sunset, while deep or narrow sections are brightest near midday when reflected light bounces off the walls.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:44 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:32 PM | 11h 00m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:50 PM | 11h 28m |
| March | 6:15 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:00 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:47 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:39 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:10 PM | 12h 38m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:28 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:23 PM | 13h 08m |
| June | 5:23 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:35 PM | 13h 23m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:27 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:37 PM | 13h 17m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:38 AM | 6:28 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:21 PM | 12h 51m |
| September | 5:54 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:54 PM | 12h 16m |
| October | 6:01 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:27 PM | 11h 41m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:10 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:11 PM | 11h 09m |
| December | 6:33 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:14 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 Ulopoe Gulch, 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 | 4:12 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.5 | 26° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:22 AM – 5:22 AM | 3.0 | 37° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:23 AM – 4:43 AM | 4.3 | 40° | SE → S |
| May | 10:20 PM – 4:30 AM | 6.2 | 40° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:36 PM – 4:16 AM | 7.7 | 40° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:36 PM – 2:56 AM | 6.3 | 40° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:16 PM – 12:46 AM | 4.5 | 40° | S → SW |
| September | 7:46 PM – 10:46 PM | 3.0 | 37° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:19 PM – 8:49 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 ≈ 20.71 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (53%). August 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 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 83 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 84 | 83 | 80 |
| Low °F | 64 | 62 | 63 | 65 | 68 | 69 | 71 | 72 | 71 | 71 | 69 | 66 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
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 canyon
- A long lens on a tripod handles the low light inside canyons better than raising ISO.
- From the rim, sunrise and sunset side-light reveals layers; a telephoto picks out buttes and shadows.
- In narrow canyons, reflected light creates orange and purple glows; avoid including bright sky in the frame.
- Check flash flood forecasts before entering slot or narrow canyons — rain miles away can flood them.
- Dust and sand are hard on gear; change lenses in a bag or with your back to the wind.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Spring and autumn are comfortable; summer monsoon storms bring dramatic skies but higher flood risk in the Southwest.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Wide and telephoto lenses, Lens blower, Weather radio or app. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Ulopoe Gulch, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ulopoe Gulch?
What time is golden hour at Ulopoe Gulch?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ulopoe Gulch?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ulopoe Gulch?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ulopoe Gulch?
How far is Ulopoe Gulch from Lanai City?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.