McBride Covered Bridge — a covered bridge in Madison County, Iowa — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 12.0 km (7.5 mi) S of Van Meter. It dates from 1871. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At McBride 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) | 5:43 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) | 7:39 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 | 7:40 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 31m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:11 PM | 5:50 PM | 6:18 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:50 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 | 5:26 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 30m |
| June | 5:09 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 09m |
| July | 5:23 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 | 6:29 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:59 PM | 6:36 PM | 7:04 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:46 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:27 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:20 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:19 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 McBride 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 ≈ 21.13 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 (65%). 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 | 69 | 79 | 88 | 97 | 103 | 109 | 106 | 101 | 89 | 76 | 69 |
| Low °F | -29 | -13 | -11 | 17 | 29 | 41 | 50 | 46 | 36 | 22 | 7 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.9 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 1.7 | 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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 McBride Covered Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
State Park
Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph McBride Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at McBride Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at McBride Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from McBride Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at McBride Covered Bridge?
How far is McBride Covered Bridge from Van Meter?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata. 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.