Beaverkill Bridge — a covered bridge in Sullivan County, New York — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 9.1 km (5.7 mi) N of Livingston Manor. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Beaverkill Bridge, also known as Conklin Bridge, is a wooden covered bridge over the Beaver Kill north of the hamlet of Roscoe in the Town of Rockland, New York, United States, that carries Conklin Road through Beaverkill State Campground. It was erected in 1865, one of the first bridges over the river in what was then still a largely unsettled region of the Catskill Mountains. It uses an unusual modification of the lattice truss design perfected earlier in the 19th century by Ithiel Town. There is some dispute over which of three men claimed as its builder actually did; it is likely that all of them had some role. It is one of the 29 historic covered bridges in New York State. After undergoing some repairs over the course of the late 20th century, in 2007 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the northernmost property listed in Sullivan County and the only one...From the Wikipedia article “Beaverkill Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Beaverkill Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:04 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:25 AM | 57° ENE | 8:39 PM | 303° WNW | 71° | 15h 14m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 122° ESE | 4:32 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 07m |
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 | 6:55 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 28m |
| February | 6:28 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:32 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 36m |
| March | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:51 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 21m |
| May | 5:08 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 33m |
| June | 4:50 AM | 5:24 AM | 6:06 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 13m |
| July | 5:04 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 57m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:20 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:32 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 50m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:06 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:30 PM | 5:01 PM | 9h 08m |
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 Beaverkill Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:39 AM – 5:29 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:31 AM – 4:31 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:40 AM – 3:40 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:49 PM – 3:09 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:39 PM – 1:49 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:48 PM – 11:48 PM | 2.0 | 18° | S → SW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 9:46 PM | 1.0 | 15° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.96 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ 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 52% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (70%). 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 | 70 | 72 | 90 | 88 | 94 | 99 | 101 | 95 | 88 | 76 | 67 |
| Low °F | -14 | -19 | -8 | 18 | 28 | 37 | 47 | 48 | 37 | 21 | 5 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 5.0 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 3.5 | 4.1 |
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 Beaverkill Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
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Covered Bridge
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Covered Bridge
Mountain PeakWaterfall
Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Beaverkill Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Beaverkill Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Beaverkill Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Beaverkill Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Beaverkill Bridge?
How far is Beaverkill Bridge from Livingston Manor?
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.