Lowes Bridge is a covered bridge in Piscataquis County, Maine. It sits roughly 3.4 km (2.1 mi) ENE of Sangerville. It dates from 1857.
Lowes Bridge is a covered bridge in a rural part of Guilford, Maine. Built in 1857, this bridge was washed away by the flood of April 1, 1987. A modern covered bridge, patterned after the original, was built on the original abutments in 1990. The replacement was built to have a larger load-capacity and was raised in order to prevent damage from future flooding. The bridge, located just off Route 15 south of Guilford Village, has a clear span of 120 feet over the Piscataquis River.From the Wikipedia article “Lowes Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lowes Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:41 AM | 90° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:51 AM | 55° NE | 8:29 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:25 AM | 89° E | 6:37 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:14 AM | 124° ESE | 3:58 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 45m |
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 | 6:40 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:54 PM | 9h 08m |
| February | 6:09 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:35 PM | 10h 25m |
| March | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:04 PM | 6:43 PM | 7:13 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:22 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:33 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:53 PM | 13h 30m |
| May | 4:34 AM | 5:09 AM | 5:51 AM | 7:18 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:35 PM | 14h 52m |
| June | 4:13 AM | 4:50 AM | 5:35 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 37m |
| July | 4:29 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:49 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:59 PM | 15h 18m |
| August | 5:07 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:18 PM | 14h 07m |
| September | 5:47 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:20 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:24 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:34 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:54 PM | 6:24 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:04 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:21 AM | 3:25 PM | 4:09 PM | 4:41 PM | 9h 33m |
| December | 6:36 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:08 PM | 3:56 PM | 4:30 PM | 8h 46m |
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 Lowes Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 4:42 AM – 5:02 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:41 AM – 4:01 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:40 AM – 2:50 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:02 PM – 2:12 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:45 PM – 12:55 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 10:52 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:31 PM – 8:51 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.69 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 54% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 50 | 46 | 70 | 74 | 83 | 90 | 89 | 86 | 85 | 77 | 65 | 56 |
| Low °F | -32 | -27 | -19 | 7 | 26 | 34 | 46 | 43 | 31 | 22 | -1 | -21 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 3.7 | 5.3 | 4.4 | 4.3 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Lowes Bridge, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lowes Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Lowes Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lowes Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lowes Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lowes Bridge?
How far is Lowes Bridge from Sangerville?
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.