Laupāhoehoe — a ghost town in Hawaii County, Hawaii — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers.
Laupāhoehoe is a census-designated place (CDP) in Hawaiʻi County, Hawaii, United States, in the District of North Hilo. The population was 581 at the 2010 census, up from 473 at the 2000 census. The community's name means "lava tip" and refers to the angular lava tip or cape formed by ancient pāhoehoe (smooth lava) flows which created the cape on which the community was built.From the Wikipedia article “Laupāhoehoe, Hawaii”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Laupāhoehoe 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) | 5:43 AM | 65° ENE | 7:04 PM | 295° WNW | 87° | 13h 20m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:11 AM | 89° E | 6:18 PM | 271° W | 70° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:52 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
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 | 6:36 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:26 PM | 11h 03m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 30m |
| March | 6:08 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:59 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:53 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:33 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:02 PM | 12h 36m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:14 PM | 13h 05m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:27 PM | 13h 20m |
| July | 5:27 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:28 PM | 13h 14m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:32 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:14 PM | 12h 49m |
| September | 5:47 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:47 PM | 12h 16m |
| October | 5:54 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:46 AM | 5:29 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:21 PM | 11h 42m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:02 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:05 PM | 11h 11m |
| December | 6:25 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:09 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 Laupāhoehoe, 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 | 4:05 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.5 | 27° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:14 AM – 5:14 AM | 3.0 | 38° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:15 AM – 4:45 AM | 4.5 | 41° | SE → S |
| May | 10:11 PM – 4:21 AM | 6.2 | 41° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:26 PM – 4:16 AM | 7.8 | 41° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:27 PM – 2:47 AM | 6.3 | 41° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:08 PM – 12:48 AM | 4.7 | 41° | S → SW |
| September | 7:39 PM – 10:49 PM | 3.2 | 38° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:12 PM – 8:42 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 ≈ 21.84 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 ghost town
- Leave everything as you found it; removing artifacts from public land is illegal.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Laupāhoehoe, closest first.
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Waterfall
Botanical GardenWaterfall
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National Wildlife Refuge
State ParkWaterfall
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Laupāhoehoe?
What time is golden hour at Laupāhoehoe?
Where does the sun rise and set at Laupāhoehoe?
Can you see the Milky Way from Laupāhoehoe?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Laupāhoehoe?
How far is Laupāhoehoe from Laupāhoehoe?
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.