Located in Hawaii County, Hawaii, Kohala is a volcano. It sits roughly 8.4 km (5.2 mi) NNW of Waimea.
Kohala (Hawaiian pronunciation: [koˈhɐlə]) is the oldest of five volcanoes that make up the island of Hawaii. Kohala is an estimated one million years old—so old that it experienced, and recorded, the reversal of Earth's magnetic field 780,000 years ago. It is believed to have breached sea level more than 500,000 years ago and to have last erupted 120,000 years ago. Kohala is 606 km2 (234 sq mi) in area and 14,000 km3 (3,400 cu mi) in volume, and thus constitutes just under 6% of the island of Hawaii.From the Wikipedia article “Kohala (mountain)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kohala 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 87° in summer but only 46° 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) | 5:45 AM | 65° ENE | 7:06 PM | 295° WNW | 87° | 13h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:13 AM | 89° E | 6:20 PM | 271° W | 70° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:54 AM | 115° ESE | 5:49 PM | 245° WSW | 46° | 10h 55m |
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 | 5:33 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:28 PM | 11h 03m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 30m |
| March | 6:10 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:55 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:35 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:04 PM | 12h 36m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:16 PM | 13h 05m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:29 PM | 13h 20m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:31 PM | 13h 14m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:34 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:16 PM | 12h 49m |
| September | 5:49 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:40 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:49 PM | 12h 16m |
| October | 5:56 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:48 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:22 PM | 11h 42m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:04 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:07 PM | 11h 11m |
| December | 6:27 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:24 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 55m |
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 Kohala, 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| February | 4:07 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.5 | 27° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:16 AM – 5:16 AM | 3.0 | 38° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:17 AM – 4:47 AM | 4.5 | 41° | SE → S |
| May | 10:13 PM – 4:23 AM | 6.2 | 41° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:28 PM – 4:18 AM | 7.8 | 41° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:29 PM – 2:49 AM | 6.3 | 41° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:10 PM – 12:50 AM | 4.7 | 41° | S → SW |
| September | 7:41 PM – 10:51 PM | 3.2 | 38° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:14 PM – 8:44 PM | 1.5 | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.49 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show January as the clearest month (about 57% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 80 | 80 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 83 | 83 | 85 | 84 | 82 | 81 |
| Low °F | 66 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 70 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 74 | 73 | 72 | 70 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 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 volcano
- 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.
- Long lenses from 20–60 miles away make large stratovolcanoes dominate the horizon.
- Check local volcanic activity notices and area closures before visiting.
- 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 Kohala, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Kohala?
What time is golden hour at Kohala?
Where does the sun rise and set at Kohala?
Can you see the Milky Way from Kohala?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Kohala?
How far is Kohala from Waimea?
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.