Pisgah Covered Bridge is a covered bridge in Randolph County, North Carolina. The nearest town is Asheboro, about 19.8 km (12.3 mi) away (Pisgah Covered Bridge lies SSW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Pisgah Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge that spans the west fork of the Little River in Randolph County, North Carolina. It is one of two remaining original historic covered bridges in the state, (the other being the Bunker Hill Covered Bridge in Claremont, North Carolina) and is designated as both a local and federal historic landmark.From the Wikipedia article “Pisgah Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Pisgah 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 242° (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) | 7:24 AM | 90° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:05 AM | 60° ENE | 8:39 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:08 AM | 89° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 119° ESE | 5:11 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 45m |
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 | 7:01 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:07 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:30 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 01m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:28 PM | 10h 55m |
| March | 7:06 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:53 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:21 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 05m |
| May | 5:47 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 02m |
| June | 5:34 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:07 PM | 14h 33m |
| July | 5:47 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 20m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 31m |
| September | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:37 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:54 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:11 PM | 6:46 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 18m |
| December | 6:54 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:02 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 46m |
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 Pisgah Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° 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 | 5:08 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:13 AM – 6:03 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:13 AM – 5:13 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:18 AM – 4:28 AM | 4.2 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:26 PM – 4:16 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:21 PM – 2:51 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:44 PM – 12:44 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 8:55 PM – 10:45 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:11 PM – 8:41 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 ≈ 21.18 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 (58%). 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 | 75 | 78 | 85 | 93 | 98 | 107 | 106 | 107 | 100 | 100 | 83 | 77 |
| Low °F | 8 | 5 | 5 | 23 | 37 | 47 | 58 | 54 | 43 | 29 | 20 | 14 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.8 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.6 |
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 Pisgah Covered Bridge, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Canebrake Horse Camp18.1 km (11.2 mi) · reservable
- Badin Lake Group Camp19.1 km (11.9 mi) · reservable
- King'S Mountain Point Picnic Pavilion (Nc)19.3 km (12.0 mi) · reservable
- Arrowhead Campground19.7 km (12.2 mi) · reservable
- Badin Lake Campground19.7 km (12.2 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Pisgah Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Pisgah 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.