Located in Jackson County, Indiana, Shields' Mill Covered Bridge is a covered bridge. The nearest town is Brownstown, about 5.3 km (3.3 mi) away (Shields' Mill Covered Bridge lies NE of town). It dates from 1876. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Shields' Mill Covered Bridge, also known as Shieldstown Covered Bridge, is a historic covered bridge located in Brownstown Township and Hamilton Township, Jackson County, Indiana. It spans the White River and is a multiple kingpost Burr Arch Truss bridge. It was built 1876, and is a two-span wooden bridge resting on cut limestone pier and abutments. It measures 365 feet, 6 inches, long. The bridge was closed to traffic in 1970. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. The bridge was restored in 2019.From the Wikipedia article “Shields' Mill Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Shields' Mill 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:48 AM | 90° E | 7:56 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:20 AM | 59° ENE | 9:14 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:32 AM | 89° E | 7:43 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:00 AM | 120° ESE | 5:26 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 26m |
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 | 7:33 AM | 8:02 AM | 8:42 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:15 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 7:09 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:49 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:30 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:32 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:18 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:49 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 6:02 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:10 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:47 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:32 PM | 9:12 PM | 9:44 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 6:00 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:10 AM | 8:31 PM | 9:10 PM | 9:41 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:09 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:59 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:01 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:21 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:27 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:30 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:59 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 7:26 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:38 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:54 PM | 9h 27m |
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 Shields' Mill Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | 5:51 AM – 6:01 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 5:00 AM – 6:20 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:56 AM – 5:26 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:58 AM – 4:38 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 11:11 PM – 4:11 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 11:04 PM – 2:54 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:20 PM – 12:50 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 9:25 PM – 10:45 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:36 PM – 8:46 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: 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 ≈ 20.9 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 February as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 83 | 89 | 107 | 107 | 101 | 101 | 94 | 80 | 71 |
| Low °F | -6 | -8 | -1 | 23 | 32 | 42 | 51 | 51 | 38 | 25 | 12 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.4 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.1 |
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.
- 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 Shields' Mill Covered Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Scenic Viewpoint
Covered Bridge
National Wildlife RefugeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Shields' Mill Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Shields' Mill Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Shields' Mill Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Shields' Mill Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Shields' Mill Covered Bridge?
How far is Shields' Mill Covered Bridge from Brownstown?
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.