Located in Parke County, Indiana, West Union Covered Bridge is a covered bridge. It sits roughly 5.6 km (3.5 mi) WSW of Rockport. It dates from 1876. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The West Union Covered Bridge formerly carried Tow Path Road over Sugar Creek north-northeast of Montezuma, Indiana. The two-span Burr Arch Truss covered bridge structure was built by Joseph J. Daniels in 1876. It is notable for being the longest standing covered bridge in Parke County, and one of the nation's best-preserved examples of the Burr truss. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and was named a National Historic Landmark in 2016.From the Wikipedia article “West Union Covered Bridge (Indiana)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At West Union 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) | 7:54 AM | 90° E | 8:02 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:22 AM | 58° ENE | 9:22 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 15h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:38 AM | 89° E | 7:48 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:08 AM | 121° ESE | 5:28 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 | 7:40 AM | 8:10 AM | 8:51 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:19 PM | 9h 39m |
| February | 7:15 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:21 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:53 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 7:35 AM | 8:02 AM | 8:38 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:23 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:49 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:56 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 6:05 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:19 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:28 PM | 14h 22m |
| June | 5:49 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:02 AM | 8:40 PM | 9:20 PM | 9:53 PM | 14h 59m |
| July | 6:02 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:38 PM | 9:18 PM | 9:49 PM | 14h 44m |
| August | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:47 PM | 9:16 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 7:04 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:07 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:27 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:33 AM | 8:00 AM | 8:37 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 7:06 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:55 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 7:34 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:47 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:57 PM | 9h 22m |
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 West Union 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 | 5:56 AM – 6:06 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 5:06 AM – 6:26 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 3:03 AM – 5:33 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 1:07 AM – 4:37 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 11:21 PM – 4:11 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 11:13 PM – 2:53 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:28 PM – 12:48 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 9:31 PM – 10:51 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:41 PM – 8:51 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 ≈ 21.42 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
- 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.
- Autumn foliage peaks are the most popular time — visit on weekdays to avoid crowds.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 West Union Covered Bridge, closest first.
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Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph West Union Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at West Union Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at West Union Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from West Union Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at West Union Covered Bridge?
How far is West Union 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.