Van Tran Flat Bridge. — a covered bridge in Sullivan County, New York — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 1.6 km (1.0 mi) N of Livingston Manor.
The Van Tran Flat Bridge (also known as the Motts Flats Bridge, the Livingston Manor Covered Bridge, or the Van Tran Bridge) is a wooden, single span covered bridge that crosses Willowemoc Creek in the town of Rockland, in Sullivan County, New York. The bridge was built in 1860 by John Davidson and features a town lattice truss and a laminated arch system. This makes the Van Tran Flat Bridge the oldest surviving covered bridge in Sullivan County. The bridge was closed and abandoned in 1972, but restoration began in 1984 and reopened the next year. The Van Tran Flat Bridge is a disputed 117 feet (36 m) in length, and leads to Livingston Manor Covered Bridge County Park.From the Wikipedia article “Van Tran Flat Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Van Tran Flat 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) | 7:04 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 | 72° | 15h 14m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:47 AM | 89° E | 6:58 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 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 | 7:25 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 | 4:54 PM | 5:33 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 20m |
| 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 | 6:07 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 13m |
| July | 5:05 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:19 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 56m |
| August | 5:38 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:23 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:31 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 | 7:31 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 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 Van Tran Flat 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 ≈ 20.88 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Van Tran Flat Bridge., closest first.
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Mountain Peak
Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Van Tran Flat Bridge.?
What time is golden hour at Van Tran Flat Bridge.?
Where does the sun rise and set at Van Tran Flat Bridge.?
Can you see the Milky Way from Van Tran Flat Bridge.?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Van Tran Flat Bridge.?
How far is Van Tran Flat 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.