Old Blenheim Bridge — a covered bridge in Schoharie County, New York — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Stamford, about 15.9 km (9.9 mi) away (Old Blenheim Bridge lies ENE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Old Blenheim Bridge was a wooden covered bridge that spanned Schoharie Creek in North Blenheim, New York, United States. With an open span of 210 feet (64 m), it had the second longest span of any surviving single-span covered bridge in the world. The 1862 Bridgeport Covered Bridge in Nevada County, California, currently undergoing repairs due to 1986 flooding (rebuild started in 2019) is longer overall at 233 feet (71 m) but is argued to have a 208 ft (63 m) clear span. The bridge, opened in 1855, was also one of the oldest of its type in the United States. It was destroyed by flooding resulting from Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. Rebuilding of the bridge commenced in 2017 and was completed in 2018.From the Wikipedia article “Old Blenheim Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Old Blenheim 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 304° (WNW) 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) | 7:02 AM | 90° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:21 AM | 57° ENE | 8:39 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:46 AM | 89° E | 6:57 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 122° ESE | 4:28 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 04m |
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 | 6:54 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:09 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:35 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:59 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:32 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:09 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:05 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 4:46 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 17m |
| July | 5:01 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 00m |
| August | 5:35 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:38 AM | 7:15 AM | 6:32 PM | 7:09 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:46 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:19 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:32 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 47m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:41 PM | 4:26 PM | 4:58 PM | 9h 05m |
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 Old Blenheim Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 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 | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:39 AM – 5:29 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:31 AM – 4:31 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:42 AM – 3:32 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:53 PM – 3:03 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:42 PM – 1:42 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 11:39 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:46 PM – 9:36 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: 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 ≈ 21.15 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
- 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 Old Blenheim Bridge, closest first.
State Park
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfall
State ParkWaterfall
WaterfallWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Old Blenheim Bridge?
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Do you need a permit to photograph at Old Blenheim Bridge?
How far is Old Blenheim Bridge from Stamford?
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.