Coldwater Covered Bridge is a covered bridge in Calhoun County, Alabama. It sits roughly 1.9 km (1.2 mi) ESE of Oxford. It dates from 1850. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Coldwater Covered Bridge, also known as the Hughes Mill Covered Bridge, is a locally owned wooden covered bridge that spans the outflow from Oxford Lake (marble springs) in Calhoun County, Alabama, United States. It is located at Oxford Lake Park off State Route 21 in the city of Oxford, about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) south of Anniston. Built circa 1850, the 63-foot (19-meter) bridge is a rare construction of Multiple King-post truss with Town Lattice over a single span. The Tallahatchee Covered Bridge, which was also located in Calhoun County, had a similar build. Its World Guide to Covered Bridges (WGCB) number is 01–08–01. As Coldwater Creek Covered Bridge, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 11, 1973. It is currently the oldest existing covered bridge in Alabama. The bridge is maintained by the City of Oxford.From the Wikipedia article “Coldwater Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Coldwater 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 299° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 80° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:48 AM | 90° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 61° ENE | 7:57 PM | 299° WNW | 80° | 14h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:32 AM | 89° E | 6:42 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:45 AM | 118° ESE | 4:40 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 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
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 | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:21 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 10m |
| February | 6:03 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:03 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:54 PM | 11h 00m |
| March | 6:30 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:28 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:14 PM | 7:40 PM | 13h 01m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 54m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 22m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:23 PM | 14h 10m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 25m |
| September | 6:02 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:00 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:16 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:23 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 5:49 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:52 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:08 PM | 10h 26m |
| December | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:19 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 56m |
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 Coldwater Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° 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 | — | 1° | — |
| February | 4:22 AM – 5:02 AM | 0.7 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:24 AM – 5:24 AM | 2.0 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:31 AM – 4:41 AM | 3.2 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 11:33 PM – 4:03 AM | 4.5 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:38 PM – 3:48 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:34 PM – 2:24 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:01 PM – 12:21 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 8:15 PM – 10:15 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:33 PM – 8:13 PM | 0.7 | 17° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 3° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 19.15 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 43% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (61%). 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 | 73 | 79 | 86 | 90 | 97 | 107 | 105 | 106 | 103 | 101 | 87 | 77 |
| Low °F | 6 | 15 | 21 | 25 | 38 | 52 | 55 | 53 | 41 | 29 | 18 | 15 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.4 | 5.4 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 4.1 | 5.1 |
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
- 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.
- Overcast days keep contrast low between the dark interior and the bright surroundings.
- Autumn foliage peaks are the most popular time — visit on weekdays to avoid crowds.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Coldwater Covered Bridge, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
National Wildlife RefugeScenic Viewpoint
National Forest
Mountain PeakScenic Viewpoint
WaterfallScenic Viewpoint
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Coldwater Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Coldwater Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Coldwater Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Coldwater Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Coldwater Covered Bridge?
How far is Coldwater Covered Bridge from Oxford?
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.