Ballard Road Covered Bridge is a covered bridge in Greene County, Ohio. It lies in or next to Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument, so park hours, fees and rules apply. The nearest town is Shawnee Hills, about 3.7 km (2.3 mi) away (Ballard Road Covered Bridge lies NW of town). It dates from 1883. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Ballard Road Covered Bridge is a historic wooden covered bridge in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. Built in the late nineteenth century and since bypassed, the bridge has been named a historic site. Following a design by H.E. Hebble, James E. Brown built the bridge across Caesar's Creek in 1883. He chose to name it for a nearby industrialist, Lyman Ballard, who had constructed a water-powered mill on the creek to grind grain approximately thirty years before. Brown chose a seven-panel Howe truss design for the bridge, which measures 80 feet (24 m) in length. Built of wood with iron elements on abutments of limestone and covered with a metal roof, the single-span bridge is covered with vertical siding and retains the original square shape of its portals. Much of Greene County is underlain by high-quality limestone (the McDonald Farm near Xenia supplied...From the Wikipedia article “Ballard Road Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ballard Road Covered Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:40 AM | 90° E | 7:47 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:08 AM | 58° ENE | 9:07 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 59m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:24 AM | 89° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:53 AM | 120° ESE | 5:15 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 21m |
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 | 7:26 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:36 AM | 4:54 PM | 5:35 PM | 6:05 PM | 9h 40m |
| February | 7:01 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:34 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:40 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:23 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:09 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:31 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:41 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:51 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 21m |
| June | 5:35 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:25 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:38 PM | 14h 58m |
| July | 5:49 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:35 PM | 14h 43m |
| August | 6:19 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:02 PM | 13h 45m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:13 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:19 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:22 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:52 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:00 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 01m |
| December | 7:20 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:33 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:43 PM | 9h 23m |
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 Ballard Road Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 21° 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 | 5:42 AM – 5:52 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:52 AM – 6:12 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:49 AM – 5:19 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:53 AM – 4:23 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 11:07 PM – 3:57 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:59 PM – 2:39 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:14 PM – 12:34 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 9:17 PM – 10:37 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:27 PM – 8:37 PM | 0.2 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.44 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 45% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 67 | 72 | 80 | 82 | 87 | 95 | 100 | 98 | 96 | 93 | 79 | 68 |
| Low °F | -12 | -9 | 5 | 20 | 26 | 40 | 49 | 48 | 37 | 25 | 10 | -11 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.1 |
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
- 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.
- Autumn foliage peaks are the most popular time — visit on weekdays to avoid crowds.
- 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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Ballard Road Covered Bridge, closest first.
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State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ballard Road Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Ballard Road Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ballard Road Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ballard Road Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ballard Road Covered Bridge?
How far is Ballard Road Covered Bridge from Shawnee Hills?
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.