Auchumpkee Creek Covered Bridge — a covered bridge in Upson County, Georgia — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 17.2 km (10.7 mi) SSE of Thomaston. It dates from 1892. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Auchumpkee Creek Covered Bridge, near Thomaston, Georgia, was originally built in 1892, destroyed by a flood in 1994, and rebuilt using original timbers and traditional methods in 1997. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. It is a Town lattice truss bridge. It has also been called the Hootenville Covered Bridge. It is located about 10 miles (16 km) southeast of Thomaston, about 1 mile (1.6 km) off U.S. 19 on Allen Rd. "It spans Auchumpkee Creek in the Hootenville Militia District of Upson County, Georgia. The bridge is completely covered and extends 120 feet 9 inches in length resting on two native stone piers held together with cement."From the Wikipedia article “Auchumpkee Creek Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Auchumpkee Creek 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 81° in summer but only 34° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:42 AM | 90° E | 7:49 PM | 271° W | 57° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:30 AM | 61° ENE | 8:49 PM | 299° WNW | 81° | 14h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:26 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 58° | 12h 09m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 118° ESE | 5:35 PM | 242° WSW | 34° | 9h 59m |
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 | 7:13 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:17 AM | 5:17 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 14m |
| February | 6:56 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:48 PM | 11h 02m |
| March | 7:24 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:21 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:10 PM | 11h 57m |
| April | 6:43 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:41 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:32 PM | 12h 59m |
| May | 6:12 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:29 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 50m |
| June | 6:01 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:06 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 18m |
| July | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 06m |
| August | 6:35 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 22m |
| September | 6:57 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:09 PM | 12h 23m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:30 PM | 11h 24m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:37 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 29m |
| December | 7:05 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:33 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 00m |
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 Auchumpkee Creek Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 6.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 28° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| February | 5:06 AM – 5:56 AM | 0.8 | 17° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:17 AM – 6:17 AM | 2.0 | 25° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:13 AM – 5:33 AM | 3.3 | 28° | SE → S |
| May | 12:14 AM – 4:54 AM | 4.7 | 28° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:29 PM – 4:39 AM | 6.2 | 28° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:25 PM – 3:15 AM | 4.8 | 28° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:53 PM – 1:13 AM | 3.3 | 28° | S → SW |
| September | 9:08 PM – 11:18 PM | 2.2 | 25° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:27 PM – 9:17 PM | 0.8 | 17° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.51 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (58%). 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 | 78 | 79 | 85 | 93 | 100 | 110 | 104 | 108 | 103 | 102 | 87 | 78 |
| Low °F | 9 | 20 | 22 | 31 | 43 | 55 | 60 | 59 | 46 | 30 | 20 | 20 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 5.0 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 5.3 |
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.
- Many covered bridges still carry traffic; stay off the roadway and watch for vehicles.
- 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.
FAQ
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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.