Located in Grafton County, New Hampshire, Blair Bridge is a covered bridge. The nearest town is Plymouth, about 6.2 km (3.9 mi) away (Blair Bridge lies NNE of town).
The Blair Bridge is a wooden covered bridge built in 1870 that crosses the Pemigewasset River near Campton, New Hampshire, United States. It connects New Hampshire Route 175 to the east and U.S. Route 3 and Interstate 93 to the west. The previous bridge at this location was built in 1829. On Wednesday, July 28, 1869, Campton's Blair Bridge was destroyed by arson. Lemuel Palmer (1834–1911) was charged with the crime. Palmer drove a wagon loaded with hay onto the bridge, unhitched the horse, then lit the hay on fire. At the trial, Palmer reportedly stated that God told him to do it. Palmer was found not guilty as no witnesses saw him commit the crime. The current Long truss was constructed in 1870 by Hiram Wesley Merrill for $3,350. The bridge was damaged during Tropical Storm Irene on August 28, 2011.From the Wikipedia article “Blair Bridge (New Hampshire)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Blair Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:51 AM | 90° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:05 AM | 56° NE | 8:33 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:34 AM | 89° E | 6:46 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:18 AM | 123° ESE | 4:13 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 54m |
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 | 6:46 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 17m |
| February | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:31 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:34 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 4:49 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:39 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 4:29 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:49 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:07 PM | 15h 26m |
| July | 4:44 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:02 PM | 15h 09m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:24 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 5:58 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:05 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:28 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:34 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:25 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 6:42 AM | 7:15 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:24 PM | 4:11 PM | 4:44 PM | 8h 56m |
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 Blair Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:39 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:35 AM – 4:15 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:39 AM – 3:09 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:54 PM – 2:34 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:41 PM – 1:21 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 11:14 PM | 1.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:38 PM – 9:18 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.21 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 | 59 | 65 | 74 | 82 | 84 | 94 | 105 | 94 | 93 | 79 | 70 | 62 |
| Low °F | -23 | -23 | -19 | 13 | 28 | 37 | 49 | 44 | 35 | 20 | -3 | -17 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 4.3 |
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.
- 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 Blair Bridge, closest first.
WaterfallWaterfall
LakeWaterfall
LakeWaterfall
Mountain PeakWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Campton Campground7.7 km (4.8 mi) · reservable
- Waterville Campground19.3 km (12.0 mi) · reservable
- Osceola Vista Campground22 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Russell Pond Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Big Rock28 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Blair Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Blair Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Blair Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Blair Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Blair Bridge?
How far is Blair Bridge from Plymouth?
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.