Gilliland-Reese Covered Bridge — a covered bridge in Etowah County, Alabama — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 3.2 km (2.0 mi) NNW of Gadsden. It dates from 1899.
The Gilliland-Reese Covered Bridge, more simply known as Gilliland's Covered Bridge, is a locally owned wooden covered bridge that spans a small pond near Black Creek in Etowah County, Alabama, United States. It is located at Noccalula Falls Park off Noccalula Road (State Route 211) in the city of Gadsden. Coordinates are 34°02′21.79″N 86°01′26.93″W (34.039386, -86.024147). Noccalula Falls Park is also home to the 90-foot (27 m) Noccalula Falls, part of Black Creek as it cascades down into a ravine from a ledge off Lookout Mountain. There are a couple of sources which state the bridge spans Clayton Fish Pond, but that is over a mile (2 kilometers) west of the park along a rural section of Hinds Road.From the Wikipedia article “Gilliland-Reese Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gilliland-Reese 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 79° in summer but only 33° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:49 AM | 90° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 61° ENE | 7:59 PM | 299° WNW | 79° | 14h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:33 AM | 89° E | 6:42 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:46 AM | 118° ESE | 4:39 PM | 242° WSW | 33° | 9h 53m |
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 | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:21 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:25 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:04 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:04 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:54 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:31 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:47 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:41 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 25m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 5:40 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:01 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:17 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:25 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:23 AM | 5:38 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 5:51 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:54 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:08 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:21 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 54m |
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 Gilliland-Reese 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 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:22 AM – 5:02 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:35 AM – 5:25 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:33 AM – 4:43 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:36 PM – 3:56 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:42 PM – 3:42 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:38 PM – 2:18 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:04 PM – 12:14 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:17 PM – 10:17 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:34 PM – 8:14 PM | 0.7 | 16° | 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 ≈ 19.01 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
- 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.
- Shoot from the stream bank to show the bridge, the water and its reflection together.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Gilliland-Reese Covered Bridge, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
Waterfall
Natural ArchFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Gilliland-Reese Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Gilliland-Reese Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gilliland-Reese Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Gilliland-Reese Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Gilliland-Reese Covered Bridge?
How far is Gilliland-Reese Covered Bridge from Gadsden?
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.