Located in Honolulu County, Hawaii, Spitting Cave is a cave. The nearest town is Portlock, about 1.3 km (0.8 mi) away (Spitting Cave lies S of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Spitting Cave the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 64° (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 45° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:36 AM | 90° E | 6:43 PM | 270° W | 69° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:51 AM | 64° ENE | 7:16 PM | 296° WNW | 88° | 13h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:20 AM | 89° E | 6:28 PM | 271° W | 69° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:05 AM | 115° ESE | 5:55 PM | 245° WSW | 45° | 10h 50m |
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 | 6:48 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:34 PM | 10h 59m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 28m |
| March | 6:18 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:03 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:13 PM | 12h 38m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:26 PM | 13h 09m |
| June | 5:25 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:40 PM | 13h 25m |
| July | 5:34 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:41 PM | 13h 18m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 52m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:35 PM | 6:57 PM | 12h 16m |
| October | 6:05 AM | 6:27 AM | 6:57 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 40m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:14 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:14 PM | 11h 08m |
| December | 6:37 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 51m |
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 Spitting Cave, 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 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | — | 5° | — |
| February | 4:15 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.5 | 26° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:25 AM – 5:25 AM | 3.0 | 37° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:27 AM – 4:47 AM | 4.3 | 40° | SE → S |
| May | 10:24 PM – 4:24 AM | 6.0 | 40° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:40 PM – 4:20 AM | 7.7 | 40° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:40 PM – 2:50 AM | 6.2 | 40° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:20 PM – 12:50 AM | 4.5 | 40° | S → SW |
| September | 7:49 PM – 10:49 PM | 3.0 | 37° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:22 PM – 8:52 PM | 1.5 | 26° | 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.4 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 79 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 83 | 83 | 85 | 85 | 84 | 83 | 80 |
| Low °F | 68 | 66 | 66 | 67 | 70 | 74 | 74 | 75 | 75 | 73 | 72 | 69 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.9 |
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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Spitting Cave, closest first.
Volcano
Scenic Viewpoint
Rock Formation
Beach
Botanical Garden
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Mountain Peak
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Spitting Cave?
What time is golden hour at Spitting Cave?
Where does the sun rise and set at Spitting Cave?
Can you see the Milky Way from Spitting Cave?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Spitting Cave?
How far is Spitting Cave from Portlock?
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.