Clarkson–Legg Covered Bridge — a covered bridge in Cullman County, Alabama — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 14.0 km (8.7 mi) WNW of Cullman. It dates from 1904. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Clarkson–Legg Covered Bridge, more simply known as Clarkson Covered Bridge, is a county-owned wooden covered bridge that spans Crooked Creek in Cullman County, Alabama, United States. It is located at Clarkson Covered Bridge Park on County Road 1043 (CR 1043) off U.S. Route 278 near the community of Bethel, about 8 mi (13 km) west of Cullman. Originally built in 1904, the 270-foot (82 m) bridge (although some other sources say the bridge is only 250 ft long) is a Town lattice truss construction over four spans. The Clarkson–Legg Covered Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 25, 1974. It is currently the second longest existing historic covered bridge in Alabama and third longest overall in the state after the 334-foot (102 m) Twin Creek Covered Bridge in Midway, Alabama and 324-foot (99 m) Swann Covered Bridge in Cleveland, Alabama. The bridge is...From the Wikipedia article “Clarkson–Legg Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Clarkson–Legg Covered Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:53 AM | 90° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 61° ENE | 8:04 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 89° E | 6:46 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:51 AM | 118° ESE | 4:43 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 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
Covered bridges look their best with soft side-light and a backdrop of fall color, snow or fresh spring green.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:27 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:29 PM | 10h 07m |
| February | 6:08 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:32 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:34 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:52 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:51 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:45 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 25m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:07 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:05 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:21 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:28 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:28 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:40 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 5:55 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:58 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:12 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 53m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Clarkson–Legg Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 27° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:26 AM – 5:06 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:40 AM – 5:30 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:38 AM – 4:48 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:41 PM – 4:01 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:47 PM – 3:47 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:43 PM – 2:23 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:08 PM – 12:18 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:21 PM – 10:21 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:38 PM – 8:18 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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 ≈ 21.38 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 45% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (65%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 72 | 76 | 82 | 85 | 93 | 105 | 104 | 106 | 101 | 99 | 87 | 74 |
| Low °F | 4 | 6 | 14 | 24 | 38 | 52 | 56 | 53 | 40 | 29 | 17 | 9 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.4 | 5.5 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 5.6 |
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 covered bridge
- Autumn foliage peaks are the most popular time — visit on weekdays to avoid crowds.
- Shoot from the stream bank to show the bridge, the water and its reflection together.
- Inside the bridge, the timber trusses make strong symmetrical compositions — use a tripod for long exposures.
- Many covered bridges still carry traffic; stay off the roadway and watch for vehicles.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
Season: Peak fall color is the classic season; winter snow and spring blossoms are less crowded alternatives.
Suggested gear: Wide-angle lens, Tripod, Polarizer for foliage. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Clarkson–Legg Covered Bridge, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Clarkson–Legg Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Clarkson–Legg Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Clarkson–Legg Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Clarkson–Legg Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Clarkson–Legg Covered Bridge?
How far is Clarkson–Legg Covered Bridge from Cullman?
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.