Glen Canyon Covered Bridge is a covered bridge in Santa Cruz County, California. It sits roughly 2.0 km (1.2 mi) ESE of Pasatiempo. It dates from 1892. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Glen Canyon Covered Bridge, near Santa Cruz, California, was a covered bridge built in 1892. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. It has since been demolished. It was a single Howe truss span protected by a shake roof and vertical siding, built by G.H. McKay at cost of $1,145. It was 83 feet (25 m) long and was made of native fir and redwood. It has also been known as Delaveaga Covered Bridge. It brought Glen Canyon Road over Branciforte Creek. The bridge was moved by volunteers about .5 miles (0.80 km) to another location spanning Branciforte Creek within Delaveaga Park, Santa Cruz County, California, in 1939, to save it from demolition.From the Wikipedia article “Glen Canyon Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Glen Canyon Covered Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 30° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:49 AM | 60° ENE | 8:32 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 119° ESE | 4:55 PM | 241° WSW | 30° | 9h 37m |
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 | 6:53 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 54m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:13 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 51m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:07 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 13h 09m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 09m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 41m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 28m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 35m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:33 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 12m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 38m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Glen Canyon Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 7 (suburban / urban transition), 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 | 5:06 AM – 5:26 AM | 0.3 | 14° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:12 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:05 AM – 4:55 AM | 2.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| May | 12:13 AM – 4:13 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:22 PM – 3:52 AM | 5.5 | 24° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:16 PM – 2:26 AM | 4.2 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:37 PM – 12:27 AM | 2.8 | 24° | S → SW |
| September | 8:45 PM – 10:25 PM | 1.7 | 21° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:59 PM – 8:29 PM | 0.5 | 14° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -19° | — |
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: 7 Bortle 7 — Suburban / urban transition. The whole sky has a grey-white glow; the Milky Way is invisible to the eye. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 18.5 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 53% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (77%). September is the warmest month and April 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 | 65 | 64 | 63 | 65 | 64 | 69 | 66 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 64 | 63 |
| Low °F | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 49 | 51 | 53 | 54 | 53 | 52 | 47 | 46 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.3 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 3.4 |
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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Glen Canyon Covered Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
State Park
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
State Park
Botanical Garden
Scenic Viewpoint
State Park
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Glen Canyon Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Glen Canyon Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Glen Canyon Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Glen Canyon Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Glen Canyon Covered Bridge?
How far is Glen Canyon Covered Bridge from Pasatiempo?
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.