Koʻolau Range is a volcano in Honolulu County, Hawaii. It sits roughly 5.8 km (3.6 mi) W of Kahalu‘u.
Koʻolau Range (koʻolau means "windward" in Hawaiian) is the dormant fragmented remnant of the eastern or windward shield volcano of the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1972.From the Wikipedia article “Koʻolau Range”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Koʻolau Range 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) | 6:36 AM | 90° E | 6:43 PM | 270° W | 69° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:51 AM | 64° ENE | 7:17 PM | 296° WNW | 88° | 13h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:21 AM | 89° E | 6:29 PM | 271° W | 69° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:06 AM | 115° ESE | 5:55 PM | 245° WSW | 45° | 10h 49m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 58m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 27m |
| March | 6:19 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:04 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:14 PM | 12h 39m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:28 PM | 13h 10m |
| June | 5:25 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:41 PM | 13h 26m |
| July | 5:34 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 19m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 52m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:36 PM | 6:58 PM | 12h 16m |
| October | 6:06 AM | 6:28 AM | 6:58 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 40m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:15 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:14 PM | 11h 07m |
| December | 6:38 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:35 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 50m |
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 Koʻolau Range, 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 7 (suburban / urban transition), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| February | 4:16 AM – 5:46 AM | 1.5 | 25° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:26 AM – 5:26 AM | 3.0 | 36° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:28 AM – 4:48 AM | 4.3 | 40° | SE → S |
| May | 10:26 PM – 4:26 AM | 6.0 | 40° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:42 PM – 4:22 AM | 7.7 | 40° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:42 PM – 2:52 AM | 6.2 | 40° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:22 PM – 12:52 AM | 4.5 | 40° | S → SW |
| September | 7:51 PM – 10:51 PM | 3.0 | 37° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:23 PM – 8:53 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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.79 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 79 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 83 | 83 | 85 | 85 | 84 | 83 | 80 |
| Low °F | 68 | 66 | 66 | 67 | 70 | 74 | 74 | 75 | 75 | 73 | 72 | 69 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.9 |
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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Koʻolau Range, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
State Park
State Park
Volcano
Botanical Garden
Waterfall
Botanical Garden
State ParkWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Koʻolau Range?
What time is golden hour at Koʻolau Range?
Where does the sun rise and set at Koʻolau Range?
Can you see the Milky Way from Koʻolau Range?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Koʻolau Range?
How far is Koʻolau Range from Kahalu‘u?
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.