Union Covered Bridge State Historic Site — a covered bridge in Monroe County, Missouri — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 10.2 km (6.3 mi) WSW of Paris. It dates from 1967. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Union Covered Bridge State Historic Site is a Missouri State Historic Site in Monroe County, Missouri. The covered bridge is a Burr-arch truss structure built in 1871 over the Elk Fork of the Salt River. It was almost lost to neglect in the 1960s, but was added to the state park system in 1967, the same year it was damaged by a flood. Repairs were made the next year, using timbers salvaged from another covered bridge that had been destroyed by the same flood. In 1970, it was closed to vehicular traffic and was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Further repairs were made in 1988, and it survived the Great Flood of 1993, only to be damaged by another flood in 2008 and later re-repaired. It is about 120 feet (37 m) or 125 feet (38 m) long, 12 feet (3.7 m) high, and 17.5 feet (5.3 m) wide.From the Wikipedia article “Union Covered Bridge State Historic Site”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Union Covered Bridge State Historic Site the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (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) | 7:13 AM | 90° E | 7:21 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:42 AM | 58° ENE | 8:40 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:57 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 120° ESE | 4:49 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 23m |
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 | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:39 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 6:54 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:04 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:25 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:09 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 56m |
| July | 5:23 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 41m |
| August | 5:53 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:15 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:23 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 24m |
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 Union 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 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° 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 | 5:15 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:25 AM – 5:45 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:22 AM – 4:52 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:25 AM – 3:55 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:39 PM – 3:39 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 2:11 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 9:46 PM – 12:06 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:50 PM – 10:10 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:00 PM – 8:10 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 ≈ 21.71 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 March as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 69 | 74 | 79 | 87 | 96 | 107 | 109 | 108 | 103 | 94 | 79 | 71 |
| Low °F | -17 | -10 | -4 | 19 | 31 | 46 | 52 | 47 | 36 | 24 | 9 | -9 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.9 | 2.8 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 5.0 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 1.9 |
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
- 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.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Union Covered Bridge State Historic Site?
What time is golden hour at Union Covered Bridge State Historic Site?
Where does the sun rise and set at Union Covered Bridge State Historic Site?
Can you see the Milky Way from Union Covered Bridge State Historic Site?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Union Covered Bridge State Historic Site?
How far is Union Covered Bridge State Historic Site from Paris?
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.