Kazumura Cave is a cave in Hawaii County, Hawaii. It sits roughly 3.1 km (1.9 mi) SE of Hawaiian Acres.
Kazumura Cave is a lava tube and has been surveyed at 40.7 miles (65.5 kilometers) long and 3,614 feet (1,102 meters) deep, making it the longest and deepest lava tube in the world. The cave is located on the island of Hawaiʻi on the eastern slope of Kīlauea. Kīlauea is the most recently active volcano on the Big Island. The ʻAilāʻau lava flow that contains Kazumura Cave originated from the Kīlauea Iki Crater about 500 years ago.From the Wikipedia article “Kazumura Cave”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kazumura Cave 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 86° in summer but only 47° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:25 AM | 90° E | 6:32 PM | 270° W | 70° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 65° ENE | 7:02 PM | 295° WNW | 86° | 13h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:10 AM | 89° E | 6:17 PM | 271° W | 71° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:51 AM | 115° ESE | 5:48 PM | 245° WSW | 47° | 10h 57m |
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
Caves are lit artificially — show caves have fixed lighting, so a fast lens and high ISO beat flash, which flattens formations.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:34 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:26 PM | 11h 05m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:43 PM | 11h 31m |
| March | 6:07 AM | 6:29 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:52 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:01 PM | 12h 35m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:13 PM | 13h 03m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:25 PM | 13h 18m |
| July | 5:27 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:27 PM | 13h 12m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:31 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:12 PM | 12h 48m |
| September | 5:47 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:46 PM | 12h 15m |
| October | 5:53 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:45 AM | 5:28 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:20 PM | 11h 43m |
| November | 6:06 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:00 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:05 PM | 11h 13m |
| December | 6:24 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 58m |
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 Kazumura Cave, 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 42° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| February | 4:05 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.5 | 27° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:13 AM – 5:13 AM | 3.0 | 38° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:13 AM – 4:43 AM | 4.5 | 42° | SE → S |
| May | 10:09 PM – 4:19 AM | 6.2 | 42° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:24 PM – 4:14 AM | 7.8 | 42° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:24 PM – 2:44 AM | 6.3 | 42° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:06 PM – 12:46 AM | 4.7 | 42° | S → SW |
| September | 7:37 PM – 10:47 PM | 3.2 | 39° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:11 PM – 8:51 PM | 1.7 | 28° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.34 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show January as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (62%). 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 | 77 | 78 | 76 | 79 | 81 | 80 | 83 | 82 | 79 | 78 | 76 |
| Low °F | 50 | 46 | 48 | 52 | 53 | 55 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 56 | 53 | 50 |
| Precip. (in) | 5.6 | 6.6 | 8.6 | 7.7 | 5.4 | 4.2 | 4.7 | 5.4 | 4.8 | 5.3 | 6.7 | 6.6 |
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 cave
- Never touch formations — skin oils stop their growth.
- Follow White-nose Syndrome decontamination rules where posted to protect bats.
- Many show caves restrict tripods on tours; ask in advance or bring a small beanbag.
- Use manual focus with focus peaking in low light.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Cave interiors stay at a constant temperature year-round; summer tours fill up, so book ahead.
Suggested gear: Fast lens (f/1.8–f/2.8), High-ISO camera, Small beanbag. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Kazumura Cave, closest first.
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Beach
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LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kazumura Cave?
What time is golden hour at Kazumura Cave?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kazumura Cave?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kazumura Cave?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kazumura Cave?
How far is Kazumura Cave from Hawaiian Acres?
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.