Located in White County, Georgia, Stovall Mill Covered Bridge is a covered bridge. It sits roughly 16.0 km (9.9 mi) NE of Cleveland. It dates from 1895.
The Stovall Mill Covered Bridge is the smallest covered bridge in Georgia. Built in 1895, it is one-lane wide, 33 feet long, and made of wood. It spans Chickamauga Creek in White County and is located near State Route 255. The bridge is currently owned by the White County Historical Society. In the past, it served as a link on the Cleveland to Clayton road; but by 1959, the road was moved away from the bridge. The Stovall Mill Covered Bridge has a variety of other names including the Helen Bridge (for the town of Helen), The Covered Bridge (to locals) Chickamauga Bridge, Nacoochee Bridge, and Sautee Bridge.From the Wikipedia article “Stovall Mill Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Stovall Mill 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) | 7:39 AM | 90° E | 7:47 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:23 AM | 61° ENE | 8:52 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 56° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:39 AM | 118° ESE | 5:28 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 49m |
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 | 7:15 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:20 AM | 5:09 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 05m |
| February | 6:55 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:44 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:20 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:08 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:38 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 6:05 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:59 PM | 13h 58m |
| June | 5:52 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 28m |
| July | 6:04 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:10 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:18 PM | 14h 16m |
| August | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 28m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:52 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:08 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:15 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:31 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 22m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:54 PM | 9h 51m |
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 Stovall Mill Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:13 AM – 5:53 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:27 AM – 6:17 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:26 AM – 5:26 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:30 AM – 4:50 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:37 PM – 4:27 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:32 PM – 3:02 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:57 PM – 1:07 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 9:09 PM – 10:59 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:26 PM – 9:06 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.54 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (59%). 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 | 75 | 81 | 86 | 92 | 108 | 107 | 103 | 100 | 100 | 84 | 74 |
| Low °F | 3 | 7 | 20 | 22 | 34 | 49 | 55 | 54 | 40 | 27 | 18 | 12 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.5 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 5.7 |
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.
- Overcast days keep contrast low between the dark interior and the bright surroundings.
- 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 Stovall Mill Covered Bridge, closest first.
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain PeakMountain PassMountain PassMountain PassMountain PassMountain PassCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Andrew'S Cove Campground10.4 km (6.5 mi) · reservable
- Upper Chattahoochee River Campground14.2 km (8.8 mi) · reservable
- Lake Rabun Beach Recreation Area16.8 km (10.5 mi) · reservable
- Lake Winfield Scott Recreation Area22 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Desoto Falls Recreation Area24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Stovall Mill Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Stovall Mill Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Stovall Mill Covered Bridge?
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Stovall Mill Covered Bridge?
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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.