Lee's Creek Covered Bridge — a covered bridge in Mason County, Kentucky — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Ripley, about 3.0 km (1.9 mi) away (Lee's Creek Covered Bridge lies W of town). It dates from 1835. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Lee's Creek Covered Bridge is a historic wooden bridge on Lee's Creek Road 0.1 miles (0.16 km) south of Kentucky Route 8 near Dover, Kentucky. It is 61 feet (19 m) long with a double set of Queen post trusses on each side. It was built in 1835 as a toll bridge and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Major renovations were completed in 1926 by the Bower Bridge Company and in 1966 by the Kentucky Highway Department. It was raised to the current height by 15-year-old Stock Bower in 1920. The latest renovation took place in 2001. Iron support beams were added to the bridge during the course of these renovations. Many reasons have been offered to explain the construction of covered bridges in Kentucky during the 19th century. Roads across the bridges were kept dry and free of snow in winter. The protection the cover provided against wood deterioration was...From the Wikipedia article “Lee's Creek Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lee's 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 302° (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) | 6:12 AM | 59° ENE | 9:05 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:24 AM | 89° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:51 AM | 120° ESE | 5:18 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 27m |
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 | 4:58 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:07 PM | 9h 45m |
| February | 7:00 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:41 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:23 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:09 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:12 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:54 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:02 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:39 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:35 PM | 14h 52m |
| July | 5:52 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:02 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:32 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:00 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:53 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:18 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:21 AM | 6:23 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:50 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:44 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:46 PM | 9h 28m |
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 Lee's 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 22° 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 | 5:43 AM – 5:53 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:52 AM – 6:12 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:48 AM – 5:18 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:49 AM – 4:29 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 11:01 PM – 4:11 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:54 PM – 2:44 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:11 PM – 12:41 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 9:16 PM – 10:36 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:27 PM – 8:47 PM | 0.3 | 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 ≈ 21.3 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.
- 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 Lee's Creek Covered Bridge, closest first.
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Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lee's Creek Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Lee's Creek Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lee's Creek Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lee's Creek Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lee's Creek Covered Bridge?
How far is Lee's Creek Covered Bridge from Ripley?
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.