Violet Lake is a lake in Maui County, Hawaii at about 1,530 m (5,020 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 9.1 km (5.7 mi) W of Wailuku.
Violet Lake (Hawaiian: Kiʻowaiokihawahine), is a small high-elevation lake located at 5,020 ft (1,530 m) above sea level on Mauna Kahalawai (the West Maui Mountains), situated in the western part of the island of Maui. It is located in the boggy slopes near the ʻEke Crater and Puʻu Kukui, the highest peak of the West Maui Mountains. It is approximately 10 ft × 20 ft (3.0 m × 6.1 m) in size. The lake's English name derive from the reflected color of the lake's surface and also the Maui violet (Viola mauiensis) which grows on its banks. The Hawaiian language name Kiʻowaiokihawahine means the "pond of Kihawahine".From the Wikipedia article “Violet Lake”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Violet Lake 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) | 6:31 AM | 90° E | 6:38 PM | 270° W | 69° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 65° ENE | 7:11 PM | 296° WNW | 87° | 13h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:16 AM | 89° E | 6:24 PM | 271° W | 69° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:59 AM | 115° ESE | 5:51 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
Lakes reflect best in calm air — usually the first hour after sunrise, before breezes ripple the surface.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:43 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 00m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 28m |
| March | 6:13 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:37 PM | 6:59 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:45 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:38 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:08 PM | 12h 38m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:27 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:21 PM | 13h 08m |
| June | 5:21 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:34 PM | 13h 24m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:36 PM | 13h 17m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:36 AM | 6:27 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:20 PM | 12h 51m |
| September | 5:52 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:53 PM | 12h 16m |
| October | 6:00 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:52 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:25 PM | 11h 41m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:09 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:10 PM | 11h 09m |
| December | 6:32 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:13 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 Violet Lake, 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 | 4:10 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.5 | 26° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:20 AM – 5:20 AM | 3.0 | 37° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:22 AM – 4:42 AM | 4.3 | 40° | SE → S |
| May | 10:18 PM – 4:18 AM | 6.0 | 40° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:34 PM – 4:14 AM | 7.7 | 40° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:34 PM – 2:54 AM | 6.3 | 40° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:15 PM – 12:45 AM | 4.5 | 40° | S → SW |
| September | 7:44 PM – 10:44 PM | 3.0 | 37° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:17 PM – 8:47 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 ≈ 20.66 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 lake
- After sunset, long exposures smooth wind ripples into glass.
- For mirror reflections, get low and close to the water; the reflection grows with a lower camera.
- A polarizer can remove reflections to show the lakebed — or keep them, depending on rotation.
- Mist often lifts off lakes on cold mornings after warm days, especially in autumn.
- Include shoreline rocks, reeds or a log as foreground to give the reflection depth.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Autumn mornings bring mist and fall color; high-elevation lakes are usually ice-free only from early summer to mid-autumn.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Circular polarizer, Wide-angle lens, Waterproof boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Violet Lake, closest first.
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Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Violet Lake?
What time is golden hour at Violet Lake?
Where does the sun rise and set at Violet Lake?
Can you see the Milky Way from Violet Lake?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Violet Lake?
How far is Violet Lake from Wailuku?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, 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.