Hogback Covered Bridge — a covered bridge in Madison County, Iowa — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 6.8 km (4.2 mi) NNW of Winterset. It dates from 1884. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Hogback Covered Bridge is a historic covered bridge near Winterset, Iowa. Named after a nearby limestone ridge, it was built in 1884 by Harvey P. Jones and George K. Foster over the North River on Douglas Township Road. The 106-foot-long (32 m) bridge was designed with a Town lattice truss system. It was built with steel pylons to support the main span. The Hogback Bridge was originally one of 19 covered bridges in Madison County; there are only six remaining covered bridges in the county. In 1992, the bridge was rehabilitated for the cost of $118,810 ($273,000 today). The Hogback Covered Bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.From the Wikipedia article “Hogback Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hogback Covered Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:20 AM | 90° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:44 AM | 57° ENE | 8:54 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 10m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:04 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:40 AM | 121° ESE | 4:50 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 11m |
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 | 7:10 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 31m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:19 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:27 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 30m |
| June | 5:09 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 09m |
| July | 5:24 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:37 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 53m |
| August | 5:56 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:47 AM | 4:17 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 53m |
| December | 7:05 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 12m |
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 Hogback Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:45 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:46 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:44 AM – 3:54 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 11:02 PM – 3:32 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:52 PM – 2:02 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 10:02 PM – 12:02 AM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 10:02 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:08 PM – 8:08 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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 ≈ 21.2 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 44% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 56 | 67 | 79 | 87 | 95 | 101 | 108 | 105 | 100 | 87 | 76 | 65 |
| Low °F | -30 | -15 | -11 | 16 | 29 | 41 | 50 | 46 | 36 | 21 | 5 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.8 | 3.5 | 4.8 | 5.0 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 1.4 |
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 Hogback Covered Bridge, closest first.
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Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hogback Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Hogback Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hogback Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hogback Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hogback Covered Bridge?
How far is Hogback Covered Bridge from Winterset?
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.