Locust Creek Covered Bridge is a covered bridge in Linn County, Missouri. It is part of Locust Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site. The nearest town is Brookfield, about 13.7 km (8.5 mi) away (Locust Creek Covered Bridge lies W of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Locust Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site is a publicly owned property in Linn County, Missouri, maintained as a state historic site by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Also called the Linn County Bridge, the covered bridge is located about 3 miles (4.8 km) east of Meadville, Missouri. At a length of 151 feet (46 m) with a width of 16 ft 8 in (5.08 m) it is the longest of the four remaining covered bridges in the state of Missouri. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.From the Wikipedia article “Locust Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Locust Creek Covered Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:17 AM | 90° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:46 AM | 58° ENE | 8:45 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 15h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:31 AM | 121° ESE | 4:52 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 21m |
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 | 7:03 AM | 7:33 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 40m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:12 PM | 5:49 PM | 6:17 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:44 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:08 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:29 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 22m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 58m |
| July | 5:26 AM | 5:58 AM | 6:38 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 43m |
| August | 5:57 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:28 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:50 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 5:58 PM | 6:35 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:19 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:27 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:11 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 22m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Locust Creek Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:20 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:30 AM – 5:50 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:28 AM – 4:58 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 4:01 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:45 PM – 3:35 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:37 PM – 2:17 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:52 PM – 12:12 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:55 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:05 PM – 8:15 PM | 0.2 | 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: 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 ≈ 21.72 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 42% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (63%). 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 | 72 | 75 | 80 | 89 | 98 | 107 | 109 | 110 | 104 | 94 | 77 | 72 |
| Low °F | -17 | -8 | -4 | 18 | 31 | 45 | 52 | 47 | 36 | 24 | 9 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.8 | 2.8 | 4.1 | 5.3 | 5.6 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 1.9 | 1.7 |
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
- 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.
- Autumn foliage peaks are the most popular time — visit on weekdays to avoid crowds.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Locust Creek Covered Bridge, closest first.
State Park
Ghost Town
National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Locust Creek Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Locust Creek Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Locust Creek Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Locust Creek Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Locust Creek Covered Bridge?
How far is Locust Creek Covered Bridge from Brookfield?
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.