Located in Aroostook County, Maine, Watson Settlement Bridge is a covered bridge. It sits roughly 9.8 km (6.1 mi) NNE of Houlton. It dates from 1900. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Watson Settlement Bridge was a historic covered bridge in eastern Littleton, Maine, United States. Built in 1911, it was one of the youngest of Maine's few surviving covered bridges. It formerly carried Framingham Road over the Meduxnekeag River, but was closed to traffic, the road passing over a modern bridge to its south. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. It was destroyed by fire on July 19, 2021, and subsequently delisted from the National Register in 2023.From the Wikipedia article “Watson Settlement Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Watson Settlement Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:35 AM | 90° E | 6:44 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 4:40 AM | 54° NE | 8:27 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 47m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:19 AM | 89° E | 6:31 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:12 AM | 124° SE | 3:48 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 37m |
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 | 6:37 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:24 PM | 4:12 PM | 4:45 PM | 9h 01m |
| February | 6:05 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:18 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:28 PM | 10h 22m |
| March | 6:15 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 5:57 PM | 6:37 PM | 7:07 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:14 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:26 AM | 6:38 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:50 PM | 13h 33m |
| May | 4:24 AM | 4:59 AM | 5:43 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:33 PM | 14h 58m |
| June | 4:01 AM | 4:40 AM | 5:26 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:25 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 45m |
| July | 4:18 AM | 4:55 AM | 5:40 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:58 PM | 15h 26m |
| August | 4:58 AM | 5:31 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:01 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:15 PM | 14h 11m |
| September | 5:40 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:49 AM | 6:05 PM | 6:45 PM | 7:15 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:18 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:47 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 6:00 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:19 AM | 3:15 PM | 4:00 PM | 4:33 PM | 9h 27m |
| December | 6:33 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:58 AM | 2:56 PM | 3:46 PM | 4:21 PM | 8h 38m |
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 Watson Settlement Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 4:47 AM – 4:57 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:49 AM – 3:49 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 12:42 AM – 2:32 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:10 PM – 1:50 AM | 2.7 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:50 PM – 12:40 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 10:31 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:28 PM – 8:38 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.77 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.5+ 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 56% average cloud cover) and November as the cloudiest (71%). 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 | 49 | 47 | 70 | 74 | 82 | 87 | 86 | 86 | 85 | 75 | 65 | 57 |
| Low °F | -33 | -30 | -22 | -3 | 24 | 31 | 43 | 39 | 27 | 19 | -6 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 3.9 |
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
- 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.
- Many covered bridges still carry traffic; stay off the roadway and watch for vehicles.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Watson Settlement Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Watson Settlement Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Watson Settlement Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Watson Settlement Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Watson Settlement Bridge?
How far is Watson Settlement Bridge from Houlton?
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.