Located in Adams County, Ohio, Harshaville Covered Bridge is a covered bridge. It sits roughly 9.9 km (6.2 mi) ESE of Winchester. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Harshaville Covered Bridge is a historic covered bridge spanning the Cherry Fork Creek at Harshaville, Adams County, Ohio, United States. Built in 1855, it is a Burr truss bridge with a 110-foot span. It has sheet metal siding, a metal roof and stone abutments. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The Ohio Historic Places Dictionary has described it as "an outstanding example" of a Burr truss bridge. The name reflects the community, which was named for the Harsha family that built a mill there. In the summer of 1863, in a campaign known as Morgan's Raid, raiders from the Confederate States Army led by John Hunt Morgan ransacked the Harshaville general store and burned many bridges, but spared the Harshaville Covered Bridge.From the Wikipedia article “Harshaville Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Harshaville Covered Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (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 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:39 AM | 90° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:10 AM | 59° ENE | 9:04 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 54m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:50 AM | 120° ESE | 5:16 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 26m |
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 | 7:23 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:33 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:06 PM | 9h 44m |
| February | 6:59 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:04 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:39 PM | 10h 45m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:22 AM | 7:06 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:08 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:53 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 18m |
| June | 5:37 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:34 PM | 14h 53m |
| July | 5:50 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:31 PM | 14h 38m |
| August | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:31 PM | 8:59 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:11 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:17 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:20 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:49 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:50 PM | 10h 04m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 27m |
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 Harshaville 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:41 AM – 5:51 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:50 AM – 6:10 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:46 AM – 5:16 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:48 AM – 4:28 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 11:01 PM – 4:01 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:54 PM – 2:44 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:10 PM – 12:40 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 9:15 PM – 10:35 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:26 PM – 8:36 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 ≈ 21.43 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 47% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 73 | 82 | 86 | 97 | 103 | 109 | 103 | 102 | 96 | 82 | 71 |
| Low °F | -4 | -6 | 8 | 21 | 28 | 41 | 52 | 50 | 39 | 26 | 11 | 4 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 4.5 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 3.7 |
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
- 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.
- Shoot from the stream bank to show the bridge, the water and its reflection together.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Harshaville Covered Bridge, closest first.
State Park
Covered Bridge
Mountain Peak
Waterfall
Covered Bridge
Canyon
Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Harshaville Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Harshaville Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Harshaville Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Harshaville Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Harshaville Covered Bridge?
How far is Harshaville Covered Bridge from Winchester?
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.