Hyde Hall Bridge is a covered bridge in Otsego County, New York. The nearest town is Springfield, about 5.2 km (3.2 mi) away (Hyde Hall Bridge lies S of town). It dates from 1825. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Hyde Hall Bridge is a wooden covered bridge over Shadow Brook built in 1825, on then-private property of Hyde Hall, a country mansion. Both are now included in Glimmerglass State Park. With the possible exception of the Hassenplug Bridge in Pennsylvania (also built in 1825), it is the oldest documented, existing covered bridge in the United States. The World Guide to Covered Bridges and its entries of both the National Register of Historic Places and the Historic American Engineering Record list it as being constructed in 1825. The Historic American Buildings Survey entry for it shows an 1830 erection date. The bridge consists of a single 53-foot (16 m) span using a Burr Arch Truss and was constructed by master carpenter Cyrenus Clark with assistance from carpenter Andrew Alden and stonemason Lorenzo Bates. Renovations to the bridge were performed by the State of New York in...From the Wikipedia article “Hyde Hall Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hyde Hall 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) | 7:04 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:22 AM | 56° ENE | 8:42 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 20m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:28 AM | 122° ESE | 4:29 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 | 6:57 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 23m |
| February | 6:29 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:31 PM | 6:00 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 6:44 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:50 AM | 6:29 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:49 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:05 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 38m |
| June | 4:46 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 19m |
| July | 5:01 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 02m |
| August | 5:36 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:34 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:40 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:45 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:40 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:47 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:34 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 6:52 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:10 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:27 PM | 4:59 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 Hyde Hall 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 3 (rural sky), 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 | 4:40 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:43 AM – 4:33 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:44 AM – 3:34 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:56 PM – 2:56 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:45 PM – 1:35 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 11:41 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:47 PM – 9:37 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.36 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 53% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 61 | 70 | 72 | 83 | 86 | 88 | 92 | 95 | 91 | 83 | 71 | 66 |
| Low °F | -21 | -17 | -16 | 9 | 26 | 34 | 44 | 44 | 32 | 17 | -3 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 3.2 | 3.8 |
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 Hyde Hall Bridge, closest first.
State Park
Lake
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
LakeWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hyde Hall Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Hyde Hall Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hyde Hall Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hyde Hall Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hyde Hall Bridge?
How far is Hyde Hall Bridge from Springfield?
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.