Perrine's Bridge is a covered bridge in Ulster County, New York. It sits roughly 1.6 km (1.0 mi) SE of Tillson. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Perrine's Bridge is the second-oldest covered bridge in the State of New York, after the Hyde Hall Bridge in East Springfield. Once located in the hamlet called Perrines Bridge between 1850 and 1861. It is located in the modern day town of Esopus-Rosendale, New York just a few hundred feet to the east of Interstate 87 crossing of the Wallkill River in Ulster County, New York. Originally built to aid in the movement of trade between the towns of Rifton and Rosendale, the bridge is about 90 miles north of New York City between mile markers 81 and 82 on the New York State Thruway (Interstate 87). In May 1834 the State of New York authorized and provided money ($700) to Ulster county, NY (which invested $1500), to build the bridge. In 1835, the bridge was built by Benjamin Wood (b. 1780 d. 1838), the one-lane wooden covered bridge has been closed to vehicular traffic since 1930. The...From the Wikipedia article “Perrine's Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Perrine's 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 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:01 AM | 90° E | 7:08 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:22 AM | 57° ENE | 8:35 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 13m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:44 AM | 89° E | 6:55 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 122° ESE | 4:29 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 08m |
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:05 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 28m |
| February | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:46 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:31 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:48 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:05 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:42 PM | 14h 32m |
| June | 4:47 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:04 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 12m |
| July | 5:02 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 56m |
| August | 5:35 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 53m |
| September | 6:09 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:14 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:08 PM | 7:36 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:41 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:47 AM | 5:39 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:44 PM | 11h 07m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:28 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:37 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:27 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 09m |
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 Perrine's 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:26 AM – 5:26 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:27 AM – 4:27 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:35 AM – 3:35 AM | 3.0 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:44 PM – 3:04 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:34 PM – 1:44 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 11:44 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 9:42 PM | 1.0 | 16° | 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.16 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
- 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.
- Shoot from the stream bank to show the bridge, the water and its reflection together.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Perrine's Bridge, closest first.
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Ghost TownFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Perrine's Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Perrine's Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Perrine's Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Perrine's Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Perrine's Bridge?
How far is Perrine's Bridge from Tillson?
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.