Mauna Loa is a volcano in Hawaii County, Hawaii. It lies in or next to Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Honaunau-Napoopoo, about 28 km (17 mi) away (Mauna Loa lies E of town).
Mauna Loa (, Hawaiian: [ˈmɐwnə ˈlowə]; lit. 'Long Mountain') is one of five volcanoes that form the Island of Hawaii in the U.S. state of Hawaii in the Pacific Ocean. Mauna Loa is Earth's largest active volcano by both mass and volume. It was historically considered to be the largest volcano on Earth until the submarine mountain Tamu Massif was discovered to be larger. Mauna Loa is a shield volcano with relatively gentle slopes, and a volume estimated at 18,000 cubic miles (75,000 km3), although its peak is about 125 feet (38 m) lower than that of its neighbor, Mauna Kea. Lava eruptions from Mauna Loa are silica-poor and very fluid, and tend to be non-explosive.From the Wikipedia article “Mauna Loa”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mauna Loa 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) | 6:27 AM | 90° E | 6:34 PM | 270° W | 70° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:46 AM | 65° ENE | 7:04 PM | 295° WNW | 86° | 13h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:12 AM | 89° E | 6:20 PM | 271° W | 71° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:53 AM | 115° ESE | 5:50 PM | 245° WSW | 47° | 10h 57m |
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 | 6:36 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:32 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:28 PM | 11h 05m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 31m |
| March | 6:10 AM | 6:31 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 | 6:11 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:03 PM | 12h 35m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:15 PM | 13h 03m |
| June | 5:20 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:27 PM | 13h 18m |
| July | 5:29 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:29 PM | 13h 12m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:34 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:14 PM | 12h 48m |
| September | 5:49 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:40 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:48 PM | 12h 15m |
| October | 5:55 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:22 PM | 11h 43m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:02 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:08 PM | 11h 13m |
| December | 6:26 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:11 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 Mauna Loa, 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 | — | 6° | — |
| February | 4:07 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.5 | 27° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:15 AM – 5:15 AM | 3.0 | 38° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:15 AM – 4:45 AM | 4.5 | 42° | SE → S |
| May | 10:11 PM – 4:21 AM | 6.2 | 42° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:26 PM – 4:16 AM | 7.8 | 42° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:26 PM – 2:46 AM | 6.3 | 42° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:08 PM – 12:48 AM | 4.7 | 42° | S → SW |
| September | 7:39 PM – 10:49 PM | 3.2 | 39° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:13 PM – 8:53 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 ≈ 21.87 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
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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.
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mauna Loa?
What time is golden hour at Mauna Loa?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mauna Loa?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mauna Loa?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mauna Loa?
How far is Mauna Loa from Honaunau-Napoopoo?
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.