Located in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, Carleton Bridge is a covered bridge. The nearest town is Swanzey, about 1.8 km (1.1 mi) away (Carleton Bridge lies SSE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Carlton Bridge (or Carleton Bridge) is a historic wooden covered bridge that carries Carlton Road over the South Branch Ashuelot River in East Swanzey, New Hampshire. The bridge was built in 1869, and is the region's only surviving example of a 19th-century Queenspost truss bridge. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.From the Wikipedia article “Carleton Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Carleton Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (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) | 6:53 AM | 90° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 56° ENE | 8:32 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 89° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 122° ESE | 4:18 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 01m |
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 | 8:02 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 22m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:34 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:39 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:46 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:31 PM | 8:01 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:27 AM | 6:08 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:38 PM | 14h 38m |
| June | 4:36 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:54 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 19m |
| July | 4:51 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:27 PM | 9:01 PM | 15h 02m |
| August | 5:25 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:01 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:07 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:29 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:08 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:11 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:24 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:27 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 45m |
| December | 6:41 AM | 7:14 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:16 PM | 4:49 PM | 9h 03m |
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 Carleton 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:30 AM – 5:20 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:33 AM – 4:23 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:34 AM – 3:24 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:46 PM – 2:46 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:35 PM – 1:25 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 11:31 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 9:27 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.84 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Carleton Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
State Park
Waterfall
State Park
Mountain Peak
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Otter Brook Lake Recreation Area13.2 km (8.2 mi) · reservable
- Surry Mountain Lake Campground16.7 km (10.4 mi)
- Surry Mountain Lake Beach16.9 km (10.5 mi) · reservable
- Tully Lake Recreation Area (Ma)24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Edward Macdowell Lake Day Use Facilities24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Carleton Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Carleton Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Carleton Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Carleton Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Carleton Bridge?
How far is Carleton Bridge from Swanzey?
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.