Bell stone — a rock formation in Kauai County, Hawaii — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 3.9 km (2.4 mi) WSW of Anahola.
A bell stone (also bellstone) is a rock that produces a bell-like sound when struck. A type of lithophone, bell stones are significant in ethnography and are typically identified through local written history and folklore in combination with physical archeological details such as cup-shaped depressions.From the Wikipedia article “Bell stone”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bell stone 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 89° in summer but only 44° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:42 AM | 90° E | 6:49 PM | 270° W | 68° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:55 AM | 64° ENE | 7:25 PM | 296° WNW | 89° | 13h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:27 AM | 89° E | 6:35 PM | 271° W | 68° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:13 AM | 115° ESE | 6:00 PM | 245° WSW | 44° | 10h 47m |
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
Rock towers and buttes glow red and orange in the first and last half-hour of sun; midday light flattens their shape.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:56 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:39 PM | 10h 56m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:35 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 26m |
| March | 6:25 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:10 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:28 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:21 PM | 12h 40m |
| May | 5:35 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:35 PM | 13h 12m |
| June | 5:29 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:27 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:48 PM | 13h 29m |
| July | 5:39 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:35 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:49 PM | 13h 22m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:46 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 54m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:04 PM | 12h 17m |
| October | 6:12 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:04 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 39m |
| November | 6:27 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:24 PM | 5:55 PM | 6:19 PM | 11h 05m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:24 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:22 PM | 10h 47m |
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 Bell stone, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 39° 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 | — | 4° | — |
| February | 4:30 AM – 5:50 AM | 1.3 | 25° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:41 AM – 5:21 AM | 2.7 | 35° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:34 AM – 4:54 AM | 4.3 | 39° | SE → S |
| May | 10:42 PM – 4:32 AM | 5.8 | 39° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:49 PM – 4:19 AM | 7.5 | 39° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:49 PM – 2:59 AM | 6.2 | 39° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:28 PM – 12:58 AM | 4.5 | 39° | S → SW |
| September | 7:56 PM – 10:56 PM | 3.0 | 36° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:27 PM – 8:57 PM | 1.5 | 26° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.02 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (69%). 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 | 78 | 78 | 78 | 81 | 81 | 83 | 83 | 84 | 83 | 81 | 80 |
| Low °F | 66 | 66 | 65 | 68 | 70 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 74 | 71 | 66 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 2.3 | 2.5 | 3.0 |
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 rock formation
- At night, a formation under the Milky Way or star trails makes a strong anchor.
- Use the sunrise and sunset azimuths below to know which face will be lit.
- Stay on trails; desert soils and lichens take decades to recover from footprints.
- Find a spot where the formation sits against open sky to emphasize its silhouette.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Spring and autumn are best in desert regions; winter snow on red rock is rare but spectacular.
Suggested gear: Wide and telephoto lenses, Tripod, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bell stone, closest first.
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When is the best time to photograph Bell stone?
What time is golden hour at Bell stone?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bell stone?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bell stone?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bell stone?
How far is Bell stone from Anahola?
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.