Bull's Bridge — a covered bridge in Northwest Hills Planning Region, Connecticut — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Kent, about 6.1 km (3.8 mi) away (Bull's Bridge lies SSW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Bull's Bridge is a single-lane vehicular wooden covered bridge across the Housatonic River in the town of Kent, Connecticut, close to the state border with New York. The first instance of a bridge at this location was constructed by Jacob and Isaac Bull in 1760, which gave the bridge its name. Popular legend suggests that George Washington crossed the bridge with the Bulls' assistance while still under construction. The current bridge was built in 1842 from timber, with additional supports added in the 19th and 20th centuries. Built with a Town lattice design, the bridge has reinforced trusswork visible on the interior. At the time of its nomination to the National Register of Historic Places the roof had wood shingles. It is historically significant as one of three surviving covered bridges in Connecticut, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.From the Wikipedia article “Bull's Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bull's Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:58 AM | 90° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:20 AM | 57° ENE | 8:33 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:42 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 121° ESE | 4:27 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 09m |
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 | 7:19 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 29m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:52 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:04 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 32m |
| June | 4:46 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 11m |
| July | 5:00 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 55m |
| August | 5:33 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:42 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:25 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:25 PM | 4:57 PM | 9h 10m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Bull's Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:24 AM – 5:24 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:25 AM – 4:25 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:33 AM – 3:33 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:42 PM – 3:02 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 1:42 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 11:42 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 9:40 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.07 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 50% average cloud cover) and December 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 | 66 | 70 | 73 | 91 | 87 | 95 | 101 | 102 | 96 | 88 | 76 | 69 |
| Low °F | -16 | -15 | -8 | 18 | 30 | 38 | 49 | 50 | 37 | 21 | 6 | -2 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 3.6 | 4.2 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Bull's Bridge, closest first.
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Scenic Viewpoint
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Lake
State ParkWaterfall
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bull's Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Bull's Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bull's Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bull's Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bull's Bridge?
How far is Bull's Bridge from Kent?
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.