Kakahaia National Wildlife Refuge — a national wildlife refuge in Maui County, Hawaii — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 8.5 km (5.3 mi) ESE of Kaunakakai.
Kakahaiʻa National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) was established in 1977 to permanently protect wetland habitat for endangered endemic waterbirds and wintering migratory wetland birds and to maintain the structural integrity of an ancient Hawaiian fishpond.From the Wikipedia article “Kakahaiʻa National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Kakahaia 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 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) | 6:32 AM | 90° E | 6:39 PM | 270° W | 69° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:48 AM | 65° ENE | 7:13 PM | 296° WNW | 88° | 13h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:17 AM | 89° E | 6:25 PM | 271° W | 69° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:01 AM | 115° ESE | 5:52 PM | 245° WSW | 45° | 10h 51m |
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 | 6:44 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:31 PM | 10h 59m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:29 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 28m |
| March | 6:15 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:09 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:00 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:47 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:39 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:47 PM | 7:10 PM | 12h 38m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:28 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:23 PM | 13h 08m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:36 PM | 13h 24m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:27 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:37 PM | 13h 18m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:38 AM | 6:29 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:22 PM | 12h 51m |
| September | 5:54 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:45 AM | 6:03 PM | 6:32 PM | 6:54 PM | 12h 16m |
| October | 6:02 AM | 6:24 AM | 6:54 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:27 PM | 11h 40m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:11 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:11 PM | 11h 08m |
| December | 6:34 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:31 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:14 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 Kakahaia National Wildlife Refuge, 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| February | 4:12 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.5 | 26° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:22 AM – 5:22 AM | 3.0 | 37° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:24 AM – 4:44 AM | 4.3 | 40° | SE → S |
| May | 10:20 PM – 4:20 AM | 6.0 | 40° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:36 PM – 4:16 AM | 7.7 | 40° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:36 PM – 2:56 AM | 6.3 | 40° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:17 PM – 12:47 AM | 4.5 | 40° | S → SW |
| September | 7:46 PM – 10:46 PM | 3.0 | 37° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:19 PM – 8:49 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 ≈ 21.54 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 51% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 78 | 78 | 79 | 78 | 79 | 81 | 81 | 83 | 84 | 83 | 82 | 80 |
| Low °F | 66 | 65 | 67 | 69 | 71 | 74 | 74 | 74 | 75 | 73 | 73 | 71 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.6 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.0 |
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
- Migration peaks bring the largest concentrations — see the birding calendar for this state.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Kakahaia National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
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VolcanoFAQ
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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.