Located in Hawaii County, Hawaii, Kapoho is a ghost town. The nearest town is Nanawale Estates, about 6.9 km (4.3 mi) away (Kapoho lies E of town).
Kapoho is a now-uninhabited unincorporated area in Puna district, Hawaii County, Hawaii, US, located near the eastern tip of the island of Hawaii, in the easternmost subaerial end of the graben overlying Kīlauea's east rift zone. Originally destroyed by an eruption of Kīlauea in 1960, it was rebuilt as a community of private homes and vacation rentals. The town was again destroyed by lava during the 2018 lower Puna eruption, this time with the bay largely buried by lava as well.From the Wikipedia article “Kapoho, Hawaii”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kapoho 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) | 6:24 AM | 90° E | 6:31 PM | 270° W | 70° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:43 AM | 65° ENE | 7:01 PM | 295° WNW | 86° | 13h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:09 AM | 89° E | 6:17 PM | 271° W | 71° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:50 AM | 115° ESE | 5:47 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
Weathered wood and rusted metal show texture best in low-angle light; overcast skies suit interiors and moody black-and-white work.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:34 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:25 PM | 11h 05m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:19 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:20 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 31m |
| March | 6:07 AM | 6:28 AM | 6:58 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:52 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:32 AM | 6:08 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:00 PM | 12h 35m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:12 PM | 13h 03m |
| June | 5:17 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:24 PM | 13h 18m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:26 PM | 13h 12m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:31 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:11 PM | 12h 48m |
| September | 5:46 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:37 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:45 PM | 12h 15m |
| October | 5:52 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:44 AM | 5:28 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:19 PM | 11h 43m |
| November | 6:05 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:00 AM | 5:10 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:05 PM | 11h 13m |
| December | 6:23 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:19 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:08 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 Kapoho, 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| February | 4:04 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.5 | 27° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:12 AM – 5:12 AM | 3.0 | 38° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:12 AM – 4:42 AM | 4.5 | 42° | SE → S |
| May | 10:08 PM – 4:18 AM | 6.2 | 42° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:23 PM – 4:13 AM | 7.8 | 42° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:23 PM – 2:43 AM | 6.3 | 42° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:05 PM – 12:45 AM | 4.7 | 42° | S → SW |
| September | 7:36 PM – 10:46 PM | 3.2 | 39° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:10 PM – 8:50 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.56 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show January as the clearest month (about 48% 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 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 82 | 83 | 83 | 82 | 82 | 79 |
| Low °F | 69 | 69 | 67 | 70 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 75 | 72 | 71 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.7 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 4.7 | 3.6 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 4.5 |
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 ghost town
- Respect private property and closures: many ghost towns are on private land or protected historic sites — never enter unstable buildings.
- For interiors with windows, blend two exposures (one for inside, one for the view) instead of relying on HDR alone.
- Old buildings under the Milky Way make strong night images in dark rural skies.
- Look for details: door hinges, faded signs, square nails and window frames tell the story.
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: High-elevation mining towns are reachable mostly from June to October; desert ghost towns are best in spring and autumn.
Suggested gear: Wide-angle lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Private property: Many ghost towns sit on private land or protected historic sites. Respect signs, never enter unstable buildings and leave artifacts in place.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Kapoho, closest first.
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Beach
CaveFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kapoho?
What time is golden hour at Kapoho?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kapoho?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kapoho?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kapoho?
How far is Kapoho from Nanawale Estates?
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.