Contoocook Railroad Bridge is a covered bridge in Merrimack County, New Hampshire. It dates from 1849. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Contoocook Railroad Bridge is a covered bridge on the former Contoocook Valley (first Concord & Claremont, later Boston & Maine) Railroad line spanning the Contoocook River in the center of the village of Contoocook, New Hampshire, United States. It is referred to in the National Register of Historic Places as the Hopkinton Railroad Covered Bridge, for the town of Hopkinton, New Hampshire, in which the village of Contoocook is located. Built in the 19th century, it is the oldest extant covered railroad bridge in the United States and served rail traffic until 1960. It was used as a warehouse until 1989, then became public property, and has been preserved by the state, donations, and volunteers, in association with the nearby historic railroad depot.From the Wikipedia article “Contoocook Railroad Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Contoocook Railroad Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) 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 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 | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 56° NE | 8:31 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 23m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:35 AM | 89° E | 6:46 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 122° ESE | 4:15 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 59m |
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 | 6:45 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:09 PM | 9h 20m |
| February | 6:17 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 32m |
| March | 6:32 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:53 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:36 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:51 PM | 7:29 PM | 7:59 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 4:51 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 40m |
| June | 4:32 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:51 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 22m |
| July | 4:47 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:00 PM | 15h 05m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:12 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 58m |
| September | 5:58 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:05 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:59 PM | 7:28 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:32 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:06 PM | 6:34 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:23 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:55 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:27 PM | 4:13 PM | 4:45 PM | 9h 00m |
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 Contoocook Railroad Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 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 | 4:29 AM – 5:19 AM | 0.8 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:33 AM – 4:13 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:36 AM – 3:16 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:49 PM – 2:39 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:37 PM – 1:27 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 11:21 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 9:16 PM | 0.7 | 14° | 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 ≈ 20.29 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 | 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
- 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.
- 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 Contoocook Railroad Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
State Park
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
State Park
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Contoocook Railroad Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Contoocook Railroad Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Contoocook Railroad Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Contoocook Railroad Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Contoocook Railroad Bridge?
How far is Contoocook Railroad Bridge from Contoocook?
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.