Located in Oxford County, Maine, Porter-Parsonfield Bridge is a covered bridge. The nearest town is Porter, about 700 m away (Porter-Parsonfield Bridge lies SW of town). It dates from 1876. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Porter-Parsonsfield Bridge is a covered bridge in western Maine, and one of the few 19th-century covered bridges left in the state. The bridge spans the Ossipee River just east of the modern alignment of North Road (Maine State Route 160), which it formerly carried, between the towns of Porter and Parsonsfield. Built in 1876 by the towns, it is a Paddleford truss bridge which has been strengthened with laminated arches. The bridge was closed to traffic in 1960, and is now maintained by the state. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.From the Wikipedia article “Porter-Parsonsfield Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Porter-Parsonfield Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:48 AM | 90° E | 6:56 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:02 AM | 56° NE | 8:30 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:32 AM | 89° E | 6:43 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:15 AM | 123° ESE | 4:10 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 55m |
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 | 6:43 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 17m |
| February | 6:14 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:24 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:28 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:35 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:19 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:32 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:40 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 4:46 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 4:26 AM | 5:02 AM | 5:46 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 26m |
| July | 4:41 AM | 5:16 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:59 PM | 15h 08m |
| August | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:21 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 5:55 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:02 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:25 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:30 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:38 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:31 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:08 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:22 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:51 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 6:39 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:21 PM | 4:08 PM | 4:41 PM | 8h 56m |
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 Porter-Parsonfield Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:36 AM – 5:16 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:32 AM – 4:12 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:36 AM – 3:06 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:51 PM – 2:31 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:38 PM – 1:18 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 11:11 PM | 1.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:35 PM – 9:15 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.36 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 50% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (66%). 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 | 60 | 61 | 73 | 85 | 83 | 89 | 90 | 95 | 94 | 79 | 68 | 62 |
| Low °F | -11 | -12 | -6 | 18 | 31 | 40 | 51 | 48 | 39 | 25 | 8 | -9 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.5 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 4.7 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 3.8 | 5.4 | 4.7 | 5.0 |
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 Porter-Parsonfield Bridge, closest first.
Waterfall
Lake
Scenic Viewpoint
Covered Bridge
Lake
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Porter-Parsonfield Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Porter-Parsonfield Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Porter-Parsonfield Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Porter-Parsonfield Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Porter-Parsonfield Bridge?
How far is Porter-Parsonfield Bridge from Porter?
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.