Cumberland Covered Bridge is a covered bridge in Grant County, Indiana. It sits roughly 9.7 km (6.0 mi) S of Upland. It dates from 1879. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Cumberland Covered Bridge, also known as the Matthews Covered Bridge, is a historic covered bridge spanning the Mississinewa River at Jefferson Township and Matthews, Indiana. It was originally called the New Cumberland Covered Bridge, it was built in 1877 by William Parks of Marion, Indiana. This Howe Truss bridge is 181 feet (55 m) long. It is the only remaining covered bridge in Grant County. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.From the Wikipedia article “Cumberland Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cumberland Covered Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:46 AM | 90° E | 7:54 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:13 AM | 58° ENE | 9:16 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:30 AM | 89° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:02 AM | 121° ESE | 5:19 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 17m |
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 | 7:34 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:45 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:10 PM | 9h 37m |
| February | 7:09 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:14 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:18 PM | 6:45 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 7:27 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:31 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:16 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:56 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:06 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 25m |
| June | 5:39 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:33 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 02m |
| July | 5:53 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:05 AM | 8:32 PM | 9:12 PM | 9:44 PM | 14h 47m |
| August | 6:24 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:10 PM | 13h 47m |
| September | 6:56 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:59 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:20 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:26 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:30 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 7:00 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:46 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:55 PM | 9h 57m |
| December | 7:28 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:42 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 18m |
Local time (America/Indiana/Indianapolis), 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 Cumberland Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:59 AM – 5:59 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 5:10 AM – 6:20 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 3:09 AM – 5:19 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 1:04 AM – 4:24 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 11:20 PM – 4:00 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:11 PM – 2:41 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:24 PM – 12:34 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:26 PM – 10:36 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:34 PM – 8:34 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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 ≈ 20.97 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 46% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 64 | 70 | 81 | 81 | 91 | 104 | 104 | 96 | 97 | 90 | 77 | 70 |
| Low °F | -18 | -17 | -1 | 21 | 24 | 41 | 46 | 46 | 37 | 27 | 10 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.6 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 2.8 |
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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Cumberland Covered Bridge, closest first.
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
Botanical Garden
Botanical Garden
Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cumberland Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Cumberland Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cumberland Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cumberland Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cumberland Covered Bridge?
How far is Cumberland Covered Bridge from Upland?
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.