Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge in Hawaii County, Hawaii. It sits roughly 17.0 km (10.6 mi) SW of Laupāhoehoe.
Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. It is one of two units, along with the Kona Forest National Wildlife Refuge that is managed as part of the Big Island National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Access to the Kona Forest is restricted since it contains several endangered species.From the Wikipedia article “Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge 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) | 6:26 AM | 90° E | 6:33 PM | 270° W | 70° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 65° ENE | 7:04 PM | 295° WNW | 86° | 13h 20m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:11 AM | 89° E | 6:19 PM | 271° W | 70° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:52 AM | 115° ESE | 5:48 PM | 245° WSW | 47° | 10h 56m |
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
Wildlife is most active in the first and last two hours of daylight — exactly when the light is warmest.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:36 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:27 PM | 11h 04m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 30m |
| March | 6:08 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:54 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:40 PM | 7:02 PM | 12h 36m |
| May | 5:23 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:14 PM | 13h 05m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:27 PM | 13h 20m |
| July | 5:27 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:29 PM | 13h 13m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:32 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:14 PM | 12h 49m |
| September | 5:48 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:39 AM | 5:56 PM | 6:25 PM | 6:47 PM | 12h 16m |
| October | 5:55 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:46 AM | 5:29 PM | 5:59 PM | 6:21 PM | 11h 42m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:02 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:06 PM | 11h 12m |
| December | 6:25 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 56m |
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 Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, 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 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 | 4:05 AM – 5:35 AM | 1.5 | 27° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:14 AM – 5:14 AM | 3.0 | 38° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:15 AM – 4:45 AM | 4.5 | 41° | SE → S |
| May | 10:10 PM – 4:20 AM | 6.2 | 41° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:26 PM – 4:16 AM | 7.8 | 41° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:26 PM – 2:46 AM | 6.3 | 41° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:08 PM – 12:48 AM | 4.7 | 41° | S → SW |
| September | 7:38 PM – 10:48 PM | 3.2 | 38° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:12 PM – 8:52 PM | 1.7 | 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: 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 ≈ 21.81 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 national wildlife refuge
- Use auto-loop roads as mobile blinds; animals often tolerate vehicles more than people on foot.
- Stay on designated routes and keep a respectful distance — if an animal changes behavior, you are too close.
- A 400–600 mm lens (or a crop body) is the usual tool for birds.
- Fast shutter speeds (1/2000 s+) freeze wingbeats; raise ISO rather than lose the shot.
- Migration peaks bring the largest concentrations — see the birding calendar for this state.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Spring and autumn migration are the highlights; winter brings waterfowl to many southern refuges.
Suggested gear: Telephoto lens (400 mm+), Bean bag for car window, Binoculars. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Launching or landing drones on National Wildlife Refuge lands generally requires a special use permit from the refuge manager, and wildlife disturbance rules apply everywhere.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 40 km of Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Mountain Peak
Lake
Volcano
Ghost Town
Waterfall
Waterfall
State ParkWaterfallWaterfallFAQ
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Can you see the Milky Way from Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge from Laupāhoehoe?
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.