Mary's River Covered Bridge — a covered bridge in Randolph County, Illinois — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 6.3 km (3.9 mi) NE of Chester. It dates from 1854. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mary's River Covered Bridge is a covered bridge which crosses Marys River 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Chester, Illinois. The Burr truss bridge is 86 feet (26 m) long and 17 feet 8 inches (5.38 m) wide. The bridge was built in 1854 as part of a plank toll road connecting Chester to Bremen; the bridge allowed agricultural products to be transported to Chester, a significant port on the Mississippi River. In the early 1870s, the toll road and the bridge were sold to Randolph County. The bridge served road traffic until 1930. In 1936, the State of Illinois assumed ownership of the bridge in order to preserve it. The bridge is now located in a picnic area and park on the south side of Illinois Route 150. It is the only extant covered bridge in Southern Illinois. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 31, 1974.From the Wikipedia article “Mary's River Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mary's River Covered 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 75° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:04 AM | 90° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 59° ENE | 8:26 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 48m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:12 AM | 120° ESE | 4:44 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 | 6:46 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 49m |
| February | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:27 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:05 PM | 10h 48m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:33 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:32 PM | 14h 13m |
| June | 5:06 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:55 PM | 14h 47m |
| July | 5:19 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 33m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 39m |
| September | 6:15 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:16 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:35 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:47 PM | 6:23 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 15m |
| November | 6:12 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:19 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:17 PM | 10h 08m |
| December | 6:39 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 33m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Mary's River Covered 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 | 4:56 AM – 5:16 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:04 AM – 5:34 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:08 AM – 4:48 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:08 AM – 3:58 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → S |
| June | 10:19 PM – 3:39 AM | 5.3 | 23° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:13 PM – 2:13 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:32 PM – 12:12 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:38 PM – 10:08 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:50 PM – 8:10 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 ≈ 21.06 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 44% average cloud cover) and February 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 | 71 | 73 | 79 | 85 | 89 | 108 | 108 | 105 | 100 | 92 | 80 | 72 |
| Low °F | -2 | -2 | 6 | 22 | 35 | 45 | 53 | 50 | 40 | 25 | 13 | -2 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 5.0 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 3.9 |
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 Mary's River Covered Bridge, closest first.
State Park
National Wildlife Refuge
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mary's River Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Mary's River Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mary's River Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mary's River Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mary's River Covered Bridge?
How far is Mary's River Covered Bridge from Chester?
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.