Bell Covered Bridge — a covered bridge in Washington County, Ohio — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 13.3 km (8.3 mi) SSW of Beverly. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Bell Covered Bridge is a historic wooden covered bridge in rural Washington County, Ohio, United States. One of several such bridges in the region built by the same man, it remained open to traffic with the exception of periodic repairs, until it was permanently closed on September 12, 2022, and it has been named a historic site.From the Wikipedia article “Bell Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bell 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) | 7:31 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:01 AM | 58° ENE | 8:58 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:44 AM | 120° ESE | 5:07 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 23m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:47 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:57 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:31 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 7:12 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:15 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:44 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:28 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:40 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:28 PM | 14h 56m |
| July | 5:41 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:25 PM | 14h 41m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:53 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:49 PM | 7:16 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:42 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 7:10 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 24m |
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 Bell Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:34 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:44 AM – 6:04 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:41 AM – 5:11 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:44 AM – 4:14 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:58 PM – 3:58 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:50 PM – 2:30 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 10:05 PM – 12:25 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 9:09 PM – 10:29 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:19 PM – 8:29 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.35 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 50% 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 | 70 | 72 | 80 | 84 | 92 | 100 | 106 | 101 | 100 | 95 | 77 | 69 |
| Low °F | -7 | -3 | -1 | 22 | 26 | 39 | 49 | 48 | 39 | 26 | 13 | 3 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 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
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bell Covered Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Natural Arch
State Park
National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bell Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Bell Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bell Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bell Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bell Covered Bridge?
How far is Bell Covered Bridge from Beverly?
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.