Kaʻala — a mountain peak in Honolulu County, Hawaii at about 1,229 m (4,032 ft) above sea level — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 6.8 km (4.2 mi) ENE of Mākaha Valley.
Kaʻala or Mount Kaʻala (pronounced [kəˈʔɐlə] in Hawaiian) is the highest mountain on the island of Oahu, at 1,227 metres (4,026 ft). It is a part of the Waianae Range, an eroded shield volcano on the west side of the island. The FAA maintains an active tracking station at the summit, which is closed to the general public and secured by the US Army, which is stationed at the base of the mountain at Schofield Barracks. The tracking station can be clearly seen from afar as a white, domed-shaped structure.From the Wikipedia article “Kaʻala”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kaʻala 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) | 6:37 AM | 90° E | 6:44 PM | 270° W | 68° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:52 AM | 64° ENE | 7:18 PM | 296° WNW | 88° | 13h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:22 AM | 89° E | 6:30 PM | 271° W | 69° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:07 AM | 115° ESE | 5:56 PM | 245° WSW | 45° | 10h 49m |
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
Summits catch first and last light — alpenglow can turn rock pink or orange minutes before sunrise and after sunset while valleys stay in shadow.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:50 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 58m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 27m |
| March | 6:20 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:05 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:15 PM | 12h 39m |
| May | 5:31 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:29 PM | 13h 10m |
| June | 5:26 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 26m |
| July | 5:35 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:31 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:43 PM | 13h 19m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:42 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 52m |
| September | 5:58 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:37 PM | 6:59 PM | 12h 16m |
| October | 6:07 AM | 6:29 AM | 6:59 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 40m |
| November | 6:21 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:16 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:15 PM | 11h 07m |
| December | 6:39 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 50m |
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 Kaʻala, 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 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 | — | 5° | — |
| February | 4:17 AM – 5:47 AM | 1.5 | 25° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:27 AM – 5:27 AM | 3.0 | 36° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:29 AM – 4:49 AM | 4.3 | 40° | SE → S |
| May | 10:27 PM – 4:27 AM | 6.0 | 40° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:43 PM – 4:23 AM | 7.7 | 40° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:43 PM – 2:53 AM | 6.2 | 40° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:23 PM – 12:53 AM | 4.5 | 40° | S → SW |
| September | 7:52 PM – 10:52 PM | 3.0 | 37° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:24 PM – 8:54 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: 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 ≈ 19.58 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (58%). 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 | 79 | 78 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 85 | 84 | 83 | 83 | 80 |
| Low °F | 70 | 67 | 68 | 70 | 71 | 75 | 75 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 74 | 70 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 2.8 |
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 mountain peak
- Long lenses compress ridgelines; shoot the peak from several miles away to make it look massive.
- Afternoon thunderstorms are common in summer at high elevations — plan summit hikes for early morning.
- Snow on the summit holds detail best when you expose for the highlights and lift shadows later.
- Alpenglow lasts only a few minutes; set up and focus beforehand.
- Clouds around the summit add drama — a clear blue sky is often the least interesting condition.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Early summer keeps snow on the peaks with green valleys below; autumn adds aspen or larch color in many ranges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Lightweight tripod, Warm layers, Microspikes in shoulder seasons. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Kaʻala, closest first.
Beach
Botanical Garden
Lighthouse
Botanical Garden
Waterfall
Beach
National Wildlife Refuge
LighthouseNational Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kaʻala?
What time is golden hour at Kaʻala?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kaʻala?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kaʻala?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kaʻala?
How far is Kaʻala from Mākaha Valley?
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.