Located in Catawba County, North Carolina, Bunker Hill Covered Bridge is a covered bridge. The nearest town is Claremont, about 2.9 km (1.8 mi) away (Bunker Hill Covered Bridge lies ENE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Bunker Hill Covered Bridge is one of two covered bridges left in North Carolina, (the other being the Pisgah Covered Bridge in Randolph County), and is possibly the last wooden bridge in the United States with Haupt truss construction. It was built in 1895 by Andrew Loretz Ramsour (1817–1906) in Claremont, North Carolina, and crosses Lyle Creek. The bridge was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2001 and is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.From the Wikipedia article “Bunker Hill Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bunker Hill Covered Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:29 AM | 90° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:10 AM | 60° ENE | 8:44 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 35m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:13 AM | 89° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:31 AM | 119° ESE | 5:15 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 44m |
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 | 7:07 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:02 PM | 10h 00m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:33 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:32 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:26 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:24 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:52 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 03m |
| June | 5:39 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 34m |
| July | 5:51 AM | 6:21 AM | 6:58 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 21m |
| August | 6:17 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 6:42 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:59 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:06 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:38 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 18m |
| December | 6:59 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 45m |
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 Bunker Hill Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:12 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:17 AM – 6:07 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:17 AM – 5:17 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:23 AM – 4:33 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:31 PM – 4:11 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:26 PM – 2:46 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 12:49 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:59 PM – 10:49 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:15 PM – 8:45 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| 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 ≈ 20.74 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show November as the clearest month (about 46% average cloud cover) and July as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 74 | 76 | 81 | 90 | 96 | 106 | 105 | 106 | 99 | 100 | 82 | 76 |
| Low °F | 6 | 6 | -1 | 23 | 36 | 46 | 58 | 53 | 40 | 28 | 20 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 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
- 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.
- Overcast days keep contrast low between the dark interior and the bright surroundings.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Bunker Hill Covered Bridge, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bunker Hill Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Bunker Hill Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bunker Hill Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bunker Hill Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bunker Hill Covered Bridge?
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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.