Located in Carroll County, New Hampshire, Whittier Bridge is a covered bridge. It sits roughly 5.9 km (3.7 mi) SE of Tamworth. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Whittier Bridge is a historic wooden covered bridge in Ossipee, New Hampshire. The bridge carried an old alignment of New Hampshire Route 25 (now Nudd Road and Old Covered Bridge Road) over the Bearcamp River. Built in 1870, it is one of New Hampshire's few surviving 19th-century covered bridges, and a rare example of a Paddleford truss. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. It was closed to vehicular traffic in 1989, and was removed from its footings for restoration in 2008. As of September 2019, the bridge is resting on Nudd Road adjacent to the crossing point. It was placed back on its abutments in the late fall of 2022.From the Wikipedia article “Whittier Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Whittier 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) | 6:49 AM | 90° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:03 AM | 56° NE | 8:31 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:33 AM | 89° E | 6:44 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:17 AM | 123° ESE | 4:11 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 | 6:45 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 17m |
| February | 6:15 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:25 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:45 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:36 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:20 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:33 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:41 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:58 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 4:47 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:37 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 4:27 AM | 5:03 AM | 5:47 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 27m |
| July | 4:42 AM | 5:17 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:26 PM | 9:01 PM | 15h 09m |
| August | 5:19 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:22 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 5:56 AM | 6:25 AM | 7:03 AM | 6:19 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:26 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:31 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:24 PM | 6:03 PM | 6:32 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:09 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:23 AM | 3:37 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 6:40 AM | 7:13 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:09 PM | 4:42 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 Whittier 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 | 4:37 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:33 AM – 4:13 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:37 AM – 3:07 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:52 PM – 2:32 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:39 PM – 1:19 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 11:12 PM | 1.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:36 PM – 9:16 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 ≈ 21.23 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
- 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.
- 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 Whittier Bridge, closest first.
Lake
Lake
Mountain Peak
Covered Bridge
Mountain Peak
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Mountain Peak
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- White Ledge Campground14.7 km (9.1 mi) · reservable
- Covered Bridge20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Russell-Colbath Barn22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Radeke Cabin23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Waterville Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Whittier Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Whittier Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Whittier Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Whittier Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Whittier Bridge?
How far is Whittier Bridge from Tamworth?
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.