Knight's Ferry Bridge is a covered bridge in Stanislaus County, California. It sits roughly 12.8 km (8.0 mi) ENE of East Oakdale. It dates from 1864. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Knight's Ferry Bridge is a historic covered bridge spanning the Stanislaus River at Knights Ferry, California. Built in 1863, it is one of the best-preserved 19th-century wood-iron Howe truss bridges to survive. It was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 2012.From the Wikipedia article “Knight's Ferry Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Knight's Ferry Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (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 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:07 AM | 90° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 59° ENE | 8:29 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 120° ESE | 4:48 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 32m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 50m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:10 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:24 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:10 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 46m |
| July | 5:23 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 32m |
| August | 5:51 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 38m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:53 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:22 AM | 4:14 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:20 PM | 10h 09m |
| December | 6:42 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:15 PM | 9h 34m |
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 Knight's Ferry Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:01 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:08 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:12 AM – 4:52 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:11 AM – 4:01 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:22 PM – 3:42 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:15 PM – 2:15 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:35 PM – 12:15 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 10:11 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:54 PM – 8:14 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 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 ≈ 20.82 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show August as the clearest month (about 11% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (59%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 76 | 79 | 88 | 97 | 110 | 113 | 119 | 115 | 115 | 105 | 87 | 75 |
| Low °F | 25 | 28 | 31 | 35 | 41 | 45 | 53 | 52 | 49 | 41 | 28 | 24 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 3.5 |
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
- 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.
- Many covered bridges still carry traffic; stay off the roadway and watch for vehicles.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Knight's Ferry Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Ghost Town
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Tuttletown Recreation Area23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Glory Hole Recreation Area24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Coyote Point24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Knight's Ferry Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Knight's Ferry Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Knight's Ferry Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Knight's Ferry Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Knight's Ferry Bridge?
How far is Knight's Ferry Bridge from East Oakdale?
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.