Johnson Creek Covered Bridge — a covered bridge in Robertson County, Kentucky — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Carlisle, about 19.3 km (12.0 mi) away (Johnson Creek Covered Bridge lies NNE of town). It dates from 1882. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Johnson Creek Covered Bridge is located four miles north of Blue Licks Battlefield State Park in Robertson County and is currently closed to vehicular traffic. The bridge is important as the only known example of Robert Smith's truss system in Kentucky and the only covered bridge extant known to have been built by Jacob N. Bower (1819–1906). The bridge was constructed in 1874 and was one of thirteen that remained, now eleven, of more than four hundred covered bridges in Kentucky. Around 1912, Jacob Bower's son, Louis, added an arch on each side to support increased traffic using the bridge. The bridge is 114 feet long and 16 feet wide, according to Louis Bower, grandson of Jacob Bower and a local covered bridge builder. Later generations have advanced numerous reasons for the construction of covered bridges, but the historical reason for their existence was the maintenance of...From the Wikipedia article “Johnson Creek Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Johnson Creek 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) | 7:40 AM | 90° E | 7:48 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:13 AM | 59° ENE | 9:04 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:24 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:50 AM | 120° ESE | 5:19 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 | 7:24 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:33 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:08 PM | 9h 47m |
| February | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:41 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:23 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:56 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 16m |
| June | 5:40 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:34 PM | 14h 50m |
| July | 5:54 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:31 PM | 14h 36m |
| August | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:00 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:21 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:50 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 06m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:47 PM | 9h 30m |
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 Johnson Creek 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 | 5:33 AM – 5:53 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:52 AM – 6:12 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:47 AM – 5:17 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:48 AM – 4:38 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 11:00 PM – 4:10 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:53 PM – 2:43 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:11 PM – 12:41 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 9:16 PM – 10:46 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:27 PM – 8:47 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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 ≈ 21.41 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
- 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.
- Shoot from the stream bank to show the bridge, the water and its reflection together.
- 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 Johnson Creek Covered Bridge, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Johnson Creek Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Johnson Creek Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Johnson Creek Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Johnson Creek Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Johnson Creek Covered Bridge?
How far is Johnson Creek Covered Bridge from Carlisle?
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.