West Maui Mountains is a volcano in Maui County, Hawaii. It sits roughly 8.6 km (5.3 mi) W of Wailuku.
The West Maui Mountains, West Maui Volcano, or Mauna Kahālāwai (which means "holding house of water") are the remnants of an eroded shield volcano that constitutes the western quarter of Maui. Approximately 1.7 million years old, the volcano's last eruption was approximately 320,000 years ago. Thanks to hundreds of inches of rainfall annually the mountains have undergone substantial stream erosion. The ʻĪao Valley, and its ʻĪao Needle are popular attractions within the mountains and are accessible from Wailuku. The three districts (moku) of West Maui are Lahaina, Kāʻanapali, and Wailuku. Wailuku is also known as "Pūʻalikomohana" ("west isthmus"), or "Nā Wai ʻEhā" ("the four waters"). The port of Lahaina lies on the southwestern slope. The summit peak at 5,788 ft (1,764 m) elevation is called "Puʻu Kukui," which translates to "candlenut hill".From the Wikipedia article “West Maui Mountains”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At West Maui Mountains 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 296° (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) | 6:31 AM | 90° E | 6:38 PM | 270° W | 69° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:47 AM | 65° ENE | 7:11 PM | 296° WNW | 87° | 13h 24m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:16 AM | 89° E | 6:24 PM | 271° W | 69° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:59 AM | 115° ESE | 5:51 PM | 245° WSW | 46° | 10h 52m |
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 | 6:43 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 00m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:55 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 28m |
| March | 6:13 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:37 PM | 6:59 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:45 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:38 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:08 PM | 12h 38m |
| May | 5:26 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:26 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:21 PM | 13h 08m |
| June | 5:21 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:34 PM | 13h 24m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:36 PM | 13h 17m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:36 AM | 6:27 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:20 PM | 12h 51m |
| September | 5:52 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:53 PM | 12h 16m |
| October | 6:00 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:52 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:25 PM | 11h 41m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:09 AM | 5:15 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:10 PM | 11h 09m |
| December | 6:32 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 52m |
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 West Maui Mountains, 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| February | 4:10 AM – 5:40 AM | 1.5 | 26° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:20 AM – 5:20 AM | 3.0 | 37° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:22 AM – 4:42 AM | 4.3 | 40° | SE → S |
| May | 10:18 PM – 4:18 AM | 6.0 | 40° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:34 PM – 4:14 AM | 7.7 | 40° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:34 PM – 2:54 AM | 6.3 | 40° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:15 PM – 12:45 AM | 4.5 | 40° | S → SW |
| September | 7:44 PM – 10:44 PM | 3.0 | 37° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:17 PM – 8:47 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: 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 ≈ 20.62 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 36% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (53%). 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 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 83 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 84 | 83 | 80 |
| Low °F | 64 | 62 | 63 | 65 | 68 | 69 | 71 | 72 | 71 | 71 | 69 | 66 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 2.6 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
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
- 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.
- Long lenses from 20–60 miles away make large stratovolcanoes dominate the horizon.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 West Maui Mountains, closest first.
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Botanical GardenWaterfall
Lighthouse
State Park
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph West Maui Mountains?
What time is golden hour at West Maui Mountains?
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Do you need a permit to photograph at West Maui Mountains?
How far is West Maui Mountains from Wailuku?
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.