Horton Mill Covered Bridge — a covered bridge in Blount County, Alabama — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 7.0 km (4.3 mi) NNE of Oneonta. It dates from 1935. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Horton Mill Covered Bridge is a state-owned wooden covered bridge that spans the Calvert Prong of the Little Warrior River in Blount County, Alabama, United States. It is located on a river crossing (Horton Mill Road) to Ebell Road and Covered Bridge Circle, off State Route 75 about 5 miles (8.0 km) north of the city of Oneonta. Built in 1934, the 220-foot-long (67 m) bridge is a Town Lattice truss with two spans. Its WGCB number is 01-05-07. The Horton Mill Covered Bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 29, 1970, the first covered bridge in the southeastern United States to be added. At 70 feet (21 m), it is the highest covered bridge above any U.S. waterway. It was reopened on March 11, 2013, after being closed in 2007 due to vandalism. The bridge will no longer open to motor vehicle traffic after April 1, 2022. The Horton Mill Covered Bridge...From the Wikipedia article “Horton Mill Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Horton Mill 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) | 6:50 AM | 90° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 61° ENE | 8:01 PM | 299° WNW | 79° | 14h 25m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:35 AM | 89° E | 6:44 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:48 AM | 118° ESE | 4:41 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 | 6:25 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 08m |
| February | 6:06 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:06 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 59m |
| March | 6:32 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:50 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 24m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 12m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 26m |
| September | 6:05 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:19 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:26 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 22m |
| November | 5:53 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:55 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:10 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:07 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 Horton Mill 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 4:24 AM – 5:04 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:37 AM – 5:27 AM | 1.8 | 24° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:35 AM – 4:45 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:38 PM – 3:58 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:44 PM – 3:44 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:40 PM – 2:20 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:06 PM – 12:16 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:19 PM – 10:19 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:36 PM – 8:16 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.11 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.
- Inside the bridge, the timber trusses make strong symmetrical compositions — use a tripod for long exposures.
- 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 Horton Mill Covered Bridge, closest first.
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When is the best time to photograph Horton Mill Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Horton Mill Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Horton Mill Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Horton Mill Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Horton Mill Covered Bridge?
How far is Horton Mill Covered Bridge from Oneonta?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, OpenStreetMap contributors, 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.