Sandy Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site is a covered bridge in Jefferson County, Missouri. The nearest town is Hillsboro, about 7.9 km (4.9 mi) away (Sandy Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site lies NNE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Sandy Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site is a publicly owned property in Jefferson County, Missouri, administered by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, preserving the Sandy Creek Covered Bridge. The bridge is one of four remaining covered bridges in Missouri, which once numbered about 30. It is a relatively rare example of a Howe truss bridge, one of three in Missouri. The covered bridge is named for Sandy Creek, which it crosses, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.From the Wikipedia article “Sandy Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Sandy Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 301° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:40 AM | 59° ENE | 8:30 PM | 301° WNW | 75° | 14h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:51 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 120° ESE | 4:46 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 30m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:58 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 48m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:30 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 47m |
| March | 6:48 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:36 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 11m |
| May | 5:22 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:36 PM | 14h 15m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:39 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 14h 49m |
| July | 5:21 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:57 PM | 14h 35m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:21 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 40m |
| September | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:19 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:26 PM | 6:52 PM | 11h 14m |
| November | 6:16 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:23 AM | 4:12 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:19 PM | 10h 07m |
| December | 6:43 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:54 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 31m |
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 Sandy Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 23° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 4:59 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:07 AM – 5:37 AM | 1.5 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:12 AM – 4:42 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:12 AM – 4:02 AM | 3.8 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:24 PM – 3:34 AM | 5.2 | 23° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:17 PM – 2:17 AM | 4.0 | 23° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:36 PM – 12:16 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:41 PM – 10:11 PM | 1.5 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:53 PM – 8:13 PM | 0.3 | 13° | 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: 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 ≈ 20.59 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 (65%). 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 | 71 | 77 | 82 | 88 | 96 | 109 | 109 | 107 | 103 | 94 | 81 | 72 |
| Low °F | -9 | -11 | 4 | 20 | 33 | 47 | 53 | 49 | 37 | 25 | 10 | -9 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.6 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.2 | 2.6 |
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
- 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.
- Overcast days keep contrast low between the dark interior and the bright surroundings.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Sandy Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site, closest first.
State Park
State Park
Natural Arch
State Park
Ghost TownGhost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Sandy Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site?
What time is golden hour at Sandy Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site?
Where does the sun rise and set at Sandy Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site?
Can you see the Milky Way from Sandy Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Sandy Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site?
How far is Sandy Creek Covered Bridge State Historic Site from Hillsboro?
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.