Arthur A. Smith Covered Bridge is a covered bridge in Franklin County, Massachusetts. The nearest town is Colrain, about 1.9 km (1.2 mi) away (Arthur A. Smith Covered Bridge lies W of town). It dates from 1868. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Arthur A. Smith Covered Bridge is a historic covered bridge, carrying Lyonsville Road across the North River in Colrain, Massachusetts, United States. Built in 1869, it is one of two Burr truss bridges in the state (the other being the Quinebaug River bridge), and is one of a few 19th century covered bridges in the state. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.From the Wikipedia article “Arthur A. Smith Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Arthur A. Smith Covered Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:55 AM | 90° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:14 AM | 57° ENE | 8:33 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:39 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:19 AM | 122° ESE | 4:21 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 02m |
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 | 6:48 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 24m |
| February | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:29 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:41 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:02 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 4:57 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:10 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 37m |
| June | 4:38 AM | 5:13 AM | 5:56 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 18m |
| July | 4:53 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:02 PM | 15h 01m |
| August | 5:28 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:36 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:13 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:25 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:00 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:33 PM | 4:19 PM | 4:51 PM | 9h 04m |
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 Arthur A. Smith Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:32 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:35 AM – 4:25 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:36 AM – 3:26 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:48 PM – 2:48 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:37 PM – 1:27 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:43 PM – 11:33 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:39 PM – 9:29 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 20.78 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 63 | 67 | 74 | 87 | 87 | 90 | 97 | 99 | 96 | 85 | 72 | 67 |
| Low °F | -22 | -19 | -13 | 12 | 27 | 36 | 48 | 47 | 36 | 18 | 2 | -13 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 4.8 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 4.2 |
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.
- Inside the bridge, the timber trusses make strong symmetrical compositions — use a tripod for long exposures.
- 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 Arthur A. Smith Covered Bridge, closest first.
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WaterfallWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Arthur A. Smith Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Arthur A. Smith Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Arthur A. Smith Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Arthur A. Smith Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Arthur A. Smith Covered Bridge?
How far is Arthur A. Smith Covered Bridge from Colrain?
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.