Bay View Home — a scenic viewpoint in Kalawao County, Hawaii — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It lies in or next to Kalaupapa National Historical Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Kualapu‘u, about 6.7 km (4.2 mi) away (Bay View Home lies NE of town).
From the National Park Service
New patients at Kalaupapa often found themselves in an unfamiliar environment without family or friends. Group homes helped by meeting both physical and social needs. Bay View Home, first established in 1901, served as a group home for the elderly, blind, and disabled. Patients at Bay View shared meals in a central dining room and received round-the-clock nursing care. The original building burned to the ground around 1914, and a larger complex of buildings that accommodated up to 96 patients was built. One Kalaupapa resident recalls, "The old times used to line the walkway of Bayview Home in the afternoon. They were often the worst cases. Half were blind. The ones who could see would give the others a running description, in Hawaiian, of everything they were seeing." Bay View Home housed patients until 2007, ending a long history of housing and care. The home now serves as offices, housing for park employees and volunteers, and a large kitchen where State of Hawaii employees cook meals for current patients. Visitors can walk around the lawn at Bay View but are not permited inside unless invided by a resident. If you are viewing Bay View please be respectful and remember that these building are homes and work spaces.
Text: National Park Service (public domain) — nps.gov.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bay View Home 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) | 6:33 AM | 90° E | 6:40 PM | 270° W | 69° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:48 AM | 64° ENE | 7:13 PM | 296° WNW | 88° | 13h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:18 AM | 89° E | 6:25 PM | 271° W | 69° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:02 AM | 115° ESE | 5:52 PM | 245° WSW | 45° | 10h 50m |
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
Overlooks are about the sweep of the land, so low-angle light matters most: side-light at sunrise or sunset reveals ridges and texture that midday sun flattens.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:45 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:31 PM | 10h 59m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 28m |
| March | 6:15 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:07 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:00 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:47 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:39 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:10 PM | 12h 38m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:23 PM | 13h 09m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:37 PM | 13h 25m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:27 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:38 PM | 13h 18m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:38 AM | 6:29 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:22 PM | 12h 52m |
| September | 5:54 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:54 PM | 12h 16m |
| October | 6:02 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:54 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:27 PM | 11h 40m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:11 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:11 PM | 11h 08m |
| December | 6:34 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 51m |
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 Bay View Home, 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| February | 4:12 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.5 | 26° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:22 AM – 5:22 AM | 3.0 | 37° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:24 AM – 4:44 AM | 4.3 | 40° | SE → S |
| May | 10:21 PM – 4:21 AM | 6.0 | 40° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:37 PM – 4:17 AM | 7.7 | 40° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:37 PM – 2:47 AM | 6.2 | 40° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:17 PM – 12:47 AM | 4.5 | 40° | S → SW |
| September | 7:46 PM – 10:46 PM | 3.0 | 37° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:19 PM – 8:49 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.62 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 79 | 78 | 79 | 81 | 81 | 83 | 84 | 83 | 82 | 80 |
| Low °F | 66 | 65 | 67 | 69 | 71 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 75 | 73 | 73 | 71 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.0 |
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 scenic viewpoint
- Check the sun azimuth for your date: front-light, side-light and back-light give three different pictures from the same rail.
- Haze builds in summer afternoons; mornings after a cold front are often the clearest.
- Stay behind barriers — many overlook edges are undercut or crumbly.
- A panorama of 3–5 vertical frames gives more resolution and a wider view without a fisheye look.
- Blue hour after sunset is excellent for towns or roads below the viewpoint as lights come on.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Clear, dry air in autumn and after winter storms gives the longest views; summer adds wildflowers but also haze.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Telephoto lens, Graduated ND filter, Headlamp. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bay View Home, closest first.
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National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bay View Home?
What time is golden hour at Bay View Home?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bay View Home?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bay View Home?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bay View Home?
How far is Bay View Home from Kualapu‘u?
Sources
Location data: National Park Service. 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.