Hancock-Greenfield Bridge — a covered bridge in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 5.2 km (3.2 mi) W of Greenfield. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Hancock–Greenfield Bridge is a historic covered bridge carrying Forest Road over the Contoocook River at the town line between Hancock and Greenfield, New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Department of Transportation covered bridge database refers to it as County Bridge. Built in 1937, it is the first wooden covered bridge in the northeastern United States to use modern engineering techniques (in this case, a Teco–Pratt truss). The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.From the Wikipedia article “Hancock–Greenfield Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hancock-Greenfield 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 70° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:52 AM | 90° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:10 AM | 56° ENE | 8:31 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:36 AM | 89° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:16 AM | 122° ESE | 4:17 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 00m |
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 | 3:54 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 22m |
| February | 6:17 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:26 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:48 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:22 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:37 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:45 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:30 PM | 8:00 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 4:53 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 39m |
| June | 4:34 AM | 5:09 AM | 5:52 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:04 PM | 15h 20m |
| July | 4:49 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:00 PM | 15h 03m |
| August | 5:24 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:22 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:28 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:33 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:40 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:35 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:10 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:23 AM | 3:43 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:56 PM | 9h 45m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:59 AM | 3:29 PM | 4:15 PM | 4:47 PM | 9h 02m |
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 Hancock-Greenfield 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 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 | — | 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 | 12:35 AM – 3:15 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:47 PM – 2:47 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:36 PM – 1:26 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 11:21 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:37 PM – 9:27 PM | 0.8 | 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: 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 ≈ 20.75 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 May 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 | 64 | 65 | 75 | 86 | 89 | 93 | 98 | 100 | 97 | 86 | 72 | 67 |
| Low °F | -12 | -15 | -3 | 18 | 31 | 40 | 50 | 50 | 41 | 22 | 10 | -4 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 4.4 |
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.
- Autumn foliage peaks are the most popular time — visit on weekdays to avoid crowds.
- 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 Hancock-Greenfield Bridge, closest first.
State Park
Mountain Peak
Lake
National Wildlife Refuge
Mountain Peak
LakeState Park
Lake
LakeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Edward Macdowell Lake Day Use Facilities8.1 km (5.0 mi) · reservable
- Otter Brook Lake Recreation Area24 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hancock-Greenfield Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Hancock-Greenfield Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hancock-Greenfield Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hancock-Greenfield Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hancock-Greenfield Bridge?
How far is Hancock-Greenfield Bridge from Greenfield?
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.