Goddard Covered Bridge is a covered bridge in Fleming County, Kentucky. It sits roughly 12.3 km (7.6 mi) ESE of Flemingsburg. It dates from 1864. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Spanning 63 feet (19 m) the Goddard Bridge crosses the Sand Lick Creek just off Kentucky 32, about 8 miles south of Flemingsburg on Covered Bridge Road in Goddard, Kentucky . The Pea Ridge Mountains and an old country church provide a scenic backdrop. The actual date of construction is unknown, but it is built on the 1820 lattice design of Ithiel Town. The bridge was built by Joseph Goddard. Originally located about one mile south of Goddard, the bridge was moved to its present location in 1933 when Highway 32 was rebuilt. Steel braces sunk into the creek bank near the abutments provide additional support for the span. The bridge is in regular use and is open to traffic with a gross weight under 4 tons. The bridge was restored in 1968 with the replacement of some lateral bracing, siding, roofing and the wooden pins or trunnels used as fasteners instead of nails.From the Wikipedia article “Goddard Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Goddard 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 301° (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) | 7:39 AM | 90° E | 7:47 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:12 AM | 59° ENE | 9:02 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:49 AM | 120° ESE | 5:18 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 29m |
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 | 7:22 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:31 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:07 PM | 9h 47m |
| February | 6:59 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:36 PM | 6:13 PM | 6:40 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:22 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:08 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:54 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:02 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:09 PM | 14h 15m |
| June | 5:39 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:32 PM | 14h 49m |
| July | 5:53 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:02 AM | 8:20 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:29 PM | 14h 35m |
| August | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:11 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:20 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:49 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 31m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 Goddard Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:31 AM – 5:51 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:49 AM – 6:09 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:44 AM – 5:14 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:44 AM – 4:34 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:56 PM – 4:06 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:49 PM – 2:49 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:08 PM – 12:48 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 9:13 PM – 10:43 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:25 PM – 8:45 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.51 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 47% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 70 | 73 | 82 | 86 | 97 | 103 | 109 | 103 | 102 | 96 | 82 | 71 |
| Low °F | -4 | -6 | 8 | 21 | 28 | 41 | 52 | 50 | 39 | 26 | 11 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 3.7 |
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 Goddard Covered Bridge, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Goddard Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Goddard Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Goddard Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Goddard Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Goddard Covered Bridge?
How far is Goddard Covered Bridge from Flemingsburg?
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.