Walcott Covered Bridge — a covered bridge in Bracken County, Kentucky — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 9.3 km (5.8 mi) WSW of Augusta. It dates from 1824. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Walcott Covered Bridge is situated at a point where Kentucky Highway 1159 used to cross Locust Creek in Bracken County, Kentucky. A concrete bridge was constructed in 1954, about 200 feet northwest of the covered bridge and the older structure was then bypassed by highway traffic. The bridge was severely damaged by floods in 1997 and 1998 and engineers determined a location about 400 feet east of the original site would be better for the bridge's chances of survival. The bridge was reconstructed in 2002. The bridge construction is a combination of Queen post and King post type truss. The sides are completely enclosed and the exterior is painted white. It is 75 feet in length, has a horizontal clearance of 14 feet, and a vertical clearance of 13 feet and six inches. The bridge is built of poplar and rests atop two stone abutments.From the Wikipedia article “Walcott Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Walcott 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) | 7:41 AM | 90° E | 7:49 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:13 AM | 59° ENE | 9:05 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:25 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:52 AM | 120° ESE | 5:19 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 | 7:25 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:34 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:39 PM | 6:08 PM | 9h 45m |
| February | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:42 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:22 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:24 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:10 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:55 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:40 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:35 PM | 14h 52m |
| July | 5:53 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:33 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:01 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:13 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:22 AM | 6:24 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:53 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:30 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:17 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 Walcott 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), 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: 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 ≈ 21.24 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 (72%). 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 | 69 | 73 | 81 | 85 | 94 | 103 | 107 | 103 | 101 | 96 | 82 | 71 |
| Low °F | -3 | -8 | 8 | 22 | 27 | 43 | 51 | 48 | 38 | 24 | 11 | -4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.7 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.8 |
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
- 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.
- Overcast days keep contrast low between the dark interior and the bright surroundings.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Walcott Covered Bridge, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Walcott Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Walcott Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Walcott Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Walcott Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Walcott Covered Bridge?
How far is Walcott Covered Bridge from Augusta?
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.