Papala Falls is a waterfall in Hawaii County, Hawaii at about 543 m (1,781 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Waimea, about 10.2 km (6.3 mi) away (Papala Falls lies NE of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Papala Falls 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) | 6:27 AM | 90° E | 6:34 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) | 6:12 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
Waterfalls photograph best in soft, even light: overcast days, deep shade, or the hour after sunrise before direct sun hits the water. Bright sun on white water blows highlights and adds harsh contrast.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:38 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:33 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:28 PM | 11h 03m |
| February | 6:30 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:22 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 | 5:42 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:34 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:41 PM | 7:04 PM | 12h 36m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:16 PM | 13h 05m |
| June | 5:19 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:29 PM | 13h 20m |
| July | 5:28 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:30 PM | 13h 14m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:33 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:15 PM | 12h 49m |
| September | 5:49 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:40 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:48 PM | 12h 16m |
| October | 5:56 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:48 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:00 PM | 6:22 PM | 11h 42m |
| November | 6:09 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:04 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:07 PM | 11h 11m |
| December | 6:27 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:10 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 Papala Falls, 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 | 4:06 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.5 | 27° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:15 AM – 5:15 AM | 3.0 | 38° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:16 AM – 4:46 AM | 4.5 | 41° | SE → S |
| May | 10:12 PM – 4:22 AM | 6.2 | 41° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:27 PM – 4:17 AM | 7.8 | 41° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:28 PM – 2:48 AM | 6.3 | 41° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:09 PM – 12:49 AM | 4.7 | 41° | S → SW |
| September | 7:40 PM – 10:50 PM | 3.2 | 38° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:13 PM – 8:43 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 ≈ 21.64 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 waterfall
- Use 1/4 to 1 second for a silky look; 1/500 s or faster freezes individual drops.
- A circular polarizer cuts glare on wet rocks and leaves and deepens greens — rotate it while watching the rocks, not the sky.
- Spring snowmelt and the days after heavy rain give the strongest flow; late summer flow can drop to a trickle.
- Look for a foreground: a mossy boulder, a fallen log or the creek's leading lines make a stronger frame than the falls alone.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
Season: Peak flow is usually in late spring; autumn adds color around the falls, and winter can bring ice formations at colder locations.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Circular polarizer, 3–6 stop ND filter, Lens cloth, Waterproof footwear. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Papala Falls, closest first.
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When is the best time to photograph Papala Falls?
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Can you see the Milky Way from Papala Falls?
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How far is Papala Falls from Waimea?
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.