Located in Honolulu County, Hawaii, Oahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge. The nearest town is Mililani Mauka / Launani Valley, about 6.9 km (4.3 mi) away (Oahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge lies E of town).
Oʻahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge was established in 2000 to protect fish, wildlife, and plants which are listed as threatened or endangered species. The refuge encompasses approximately 4,525 acres (18.31 km2) and is managed by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.From the Wikipedia article “Oʻahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Oahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 64° (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) | 6:36 AM | 90° E | 6:43 PM | 270° W | 68° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:51 AM | 64° ENE | 7:18 PM | 296° WNW | 88° | 13h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:21 AM | 89° E | 6:29 PM | 271° W | 69° | 12h 08m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:06 AM | 115° ESE | 5:55 PM | 245° WSW | 45° | 10h 49m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:35 PM | 10h 58m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:00 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 27m |
| March | 6:19 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:42 PM | 7:04 PM | 12h 01m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:14 PM | 12h 39m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:25 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:28 PM | 13h 10m |
| June | 5:25 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:41 PM | 13h 26m |
| July | 5:34 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:30 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:42 PM | 13h 19m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:33 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 52m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:36 PM | 6:58 PM | 12h 16m |
| October | 6:06 AM | 6:28 AM | 6:58 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:30 PM | 11h 40m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:15 AM | 5:19 PM | 5:51 PM | 6:14 PM | 11h 07m |
| December | 6:39 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:20 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 50m |
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 Oahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 7.7 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 6 (bright suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| February | 4:16 AM – 5:46 AM | 1.5 | 25° | SE → SE |
| March | 2:26 AM – 5:26 AM | 3.0 | 36° | SE → SSE |
| April | 12:28 AM – 4:48 AM | 4.3 | 40° | SE → S |
| May | 10:26 PM – 4:26 AM | 6.0 | 40° | SE → SSW |
| June | 8:42 PM – 4:22 AM | 7.7 | 40° | SE → SW |
| July | 8:42 PM – 2:52 AM | 6.2 | 40° | SSE → SW |
| August | 8:22 PM – 12:52 AM | 4.5 | 40° | S → SW |
| September | 7:51 PM – 10:51 PM | 3.0 | 37° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:23 PM – 8:53 PM | 1.5 | 26° | 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.02 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and March as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 79 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 83 | 83 | 85 | 85 | 84 | 83 | 80 |
| Low °F | 68 | 66 | 66 | 67 | 70 | 74 | 74 | 75 | 75 | 73 | 72 | 69 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.2 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 2.9 |
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.
- Fast shutter speeds (1/2000 s+) freeze wingbeats; raise ISO rather than lose the shot.
- 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 Oahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge, closest first.
Volcano
State Park
State Park
Botanical Garden
Waterfall
State Park
Volcano
Botanical GardenWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Oahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge?
What time is golden hour at Oahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Oahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Oahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Oahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge?
How far is Oahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge from Mililani Mauka / Launani Valley?
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.