Lidy Walker Covered Bridge is a covered bridge in Cullman County, Alabama. It sits roughly 9.8 km (6.1 mi) E of Cullman.
The Lidy Walker Covered Bridge, formerly known as the Big Branch Covered Bridge, was a privately owned wood-&-metal combination style covered bridge which spanned the outlet to Lidy's Lake in Cullman County, Alabama, United States. It was located in the Berlin community at a pasture near the lake off Cullman County Road 1616 near U.S. Route 278, 6 miles (10 kilometers) east of the city of Cullman. Built in 1926, the 50-foot (15-meter) bridge was a Town Lattice truss construction over a single span. Its WGCB number is 01-22-12, originally given 01-05-14 as the Big Branch Covered Bridge. The covered bridge was originally located in Blount County near Blountsville and moved to its current location in 1958. It collapsed in early August 2001, leaving the 270-foot (82-meter) Clarkson-Legg Covered Bridge the only remaining historic covered bridge in Cullman County.From the Wikipedia article “Lidy Walker Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lidy Walker 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) | 6:52 AM | 90° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 61° ENE | 8:03 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:36 AM | 89° E | 6:45 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 6:50 AM | 118° ESE | 4:42 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 | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 07m |
| February | 6:07 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 4:57 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:57 PM | 10h 58m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:50 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:44 PM | 13h 02m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 56m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:30 PM | 14h 25m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 13m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 27m |
| September | 6:06 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:04 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:20 PM | 12h 24m |
| October | 6:27 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 21m |
| November | 5:54 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:57 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:11 PM | 10h 24m |
| December | 6:19 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:01 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:07 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 Lidy Walker 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 | 4:25 AM – 5:05 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 3:39 AM – 5:29 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 1:37 AM – 4:47 AM | 3.2 | 27° | SE → S |
| May | 11:40 PM – 4:00 AM | 4.3 | 27° | SE → SSW |
| June | 9:46 PM – 3:46 AM | 6.0 | 27° | SE → SW |
| July | 9:42 PM – 2:22 AM | 4.7 | 27° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:07 PM – 12:17 AM | 3.2 | 27° | S → SW |
| September | 8:20 PM – 10:20 PM | 2.0 | 24° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:37 PM – 8:17 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: 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 ≈ 21.16 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 Lidy Walker Covered Bridge, closest first.
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When is the best time to photograph Lidy Walker Covered Bridge?
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Can you see the Milky Way from Lidy Walker Covered Bridge?
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How far is Lidy Walker 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.