Ka‘ūpūlehu Crater — a volcano in Hawaii County, Hawaii at about 1,764 m (5,787 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 7.9 km (4.9 mi) E of Kalaoa.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ka‘ūpūlehu Crater 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) | 6:28 AM | 90° E | 6:35 PM | 270° W | 70° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 65° ENE | 7:06 PM | 295° WNW | 86° | 13h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:13 AM | 89° E | 6:21 PM | 271° W | 70° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:54 AM | 115° ESE | 5:51 PM | 245° WSW | 47° | 10h 56m |
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
Volcanic cones and lava fields have strong shapes that read well in side-light; dark basalt needs careful exposure.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:38 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:29 PM | 11h 04m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:24 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 31m |
| March | 6:11 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:34 PM | 6:56 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:36 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:05 PM | 12h 36m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:17 PM | 13h 04m |
| June | 5:21 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:29 PM | 13h 19m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:31 PM | 13h 13m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:35 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:16 PM | 12h 48m |
| September | 5:50 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:41 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:49 PM | 12h 15m |
| October | 5:57 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:01 PM | 6:23 PM | 11h 42m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:04 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:08 PM | 11h 12m |
| December | 6:27 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:48 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 57m |
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 Ka‘ūpūlehu Crater, 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 41° 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 | — | 6° | — |
| February | 4:08 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.5 | 27° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:17 AM – 5:17 AM | 3.0 | 38° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:18 AM – 4:48 AM | 4.5 | 41° | SE → S |
| May | 10:13 PM – 4:23 AM | 6.2 | 41° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:29 PM – 4:19 AM | 7.8 | 41° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:29 PM – 2:49 AM | 6.3 | 41° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:11 PM – 12:51 AM | 4.7 | 41° | S → SW |
| September | 7:41 PM – 10:51 PM | 3.2 | 38° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:15 PM – 8:55 PM | 1.7 | 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 ≈ 21.19 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 volcano
- Long lenses from 20–60 miles away make large stratovolcanoes dominate the horizon.
- Check local volcanic activity notices and area closures before visiting.
- Snow-capped volcanoes reflect alpenglow at sunrise — shoot from a lake or meadow for a reflection.
- Lava rock is sharp and unstable; stay on trails.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
Season: Summer for high trails; winter and spring for snowy cones viewed from below.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens, Tripod, Sturdy boots. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Ka‘ūpūlehu Crater, closest first.
Volcano
Botanical Garden
Lighthouse
State Park
Beach
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ka‘ūpūlehu Crater?
What time is golden hour at Ka‘ūpūlehu Crater?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ka‘ūpūlehu Crater?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ka‘ūpūlehu Crater?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ka‘ūpūlehu Crater?
How far is Ka‘ūpūlehu Crater from Kalaoa?
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.