Kīpuka Kahāli‘i Overlook — a scenic viewpoint in Hawaii County, Hawaii at about 930 m (3,051 ft) above sea level — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Volcano, about 10.2 km (6.3 mi) away (Kīpuka Kahāli‘i Overlook lies S of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kīpuka Kahāli‘i Overlook 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 86° 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 | 71° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:45 AM | 65° ENE | 7:02 PM | 295° WNW | 86° | 13h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:11 AM | 89° E | 6:18 PM | 271° W | 71° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:51 AM | 115° ESE | 5:49 PM | 245° WSW | 47° | 10h 58m |
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 | 6:35 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:27 PM | 11h 05m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 31m |
| 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 | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:01 PM | 12h 35m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:13 PM | 13h 03m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:25 PM | 13h 17m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:27 PM | 13h 11m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:13 PM | 12h 47m |
| September | 5:47 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:38 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:47 PM | 12h 15m |
| October | 5:54 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 5:29 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:21 PM | 11h 43m |
| November | 6:07 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:01 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:06 PM | 11h 13m |
| December | 6:24 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:20 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 58m |
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 Kīpuka Kahāli‘i Overlook, 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 42° 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 | — | 7° | — |
| February | 4:06 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.5 | 27° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:14 AM – 5:14 AM | 3.0 | 38° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:14 AM – 4:44 AM | 4.5 | 42° | SE → S |
| May | 10:09 PM – 4:19 AM | 6.2 | 42° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:24 PM – 4:14 AM | 7.8 | 42° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:25 PM – 2:55 AM | 6.5 | 42° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:07 PM – 12:47 AM | 4.7 | 42° | S → SW |
| September | 7:38 PM – 10:48 PM | 3.2 | 39° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:12 PM – 8:52 PM | 1.7 | 28° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.78 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 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Kīpuka Kahāli‘i Overlook, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
VolcanoScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointScenic ViewpointFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kīpuka Kahāli‘i Overlook?
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Where does the sun rise and set at Kīpuka Kahāli‘i Overlook?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kīpuka Kahāli‘i Overlook?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kīpuka Kahāli‘i Overlook?
How far is Kīpuka Kahāli‘i Overlook from Volcano?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.