JH Russell Covered Bridge — a covered bridge in Parke County, Indiana — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 1.9 km (1.2 mi) ESE of Rockport.
The J. H. Russell Covered Bridge was north of Annapolis, Indiana. The single-span Modified Queen Truss covered bridge structure was built by Pearly Weaver and George Weaver in 1897 and destroyed by deterioration. It was one of five bridges in Parke County to be on private land. The others were the State Sanitorium Covered Bridge, Lusk Covered Bridge 1840, Lusk Covered Bridge 1847, and the Clinton Toll Bridge. It was also one of two Queen Truss tupe covered bridges, the other being the Turkey Run Covered BridgeFrom the Wikipedia article “J. H. Russell Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At JH Russell 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 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:53 AM | 90° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:22 AM | 58° ENE | 8:22 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 15h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 89° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:08 AM | 121° ESE | 4:28 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 20m |
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 | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 39m |
| February | 6:15 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:20 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 5:44 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:55 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:04 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:14 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 22m |
| June | 4:48 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 59m |
| July | 5:02 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 44m |
| August | 5:33 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:04 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:27 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:36 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:38 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:06 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:15 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:03 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 6:34 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:47 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:56 PM | 9h 22m |
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 JH Russell Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 4:56 AM – 5:06 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:06 AM – 5:26 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:03 AM – 4:33 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:07 AM – 3:37 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:21 PM – 3:11 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:13 PM – 1:53 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:28 PM – 11:48 PM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:31 PM – 9:51 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:41 PM – 7:51 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.4 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 43% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 67 | 72 | 80 | 84 | 90 | 106 | 108 | 103 | 99 | 92 | 78 | 70 |
| Low °F | -18 | -14 | 3 | 21 | 30 | 36 | 49 | 49 | 38 | 25 | 7 | -2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 2.8 | 3.4 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 4.3 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 3.4 | 3.2 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 JH Russell Covered Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
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State Park
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Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph JH Russell Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at JH Russell Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at JH Russell Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from JH Russell Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at JH Russell Covered Bridge?
How far is JH Russell Covered Bridge from Rockport?
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.