Hildreth Covered Bridge — a covered bridge in Washington County, Ohio — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Reno, about 6.7 km (4.2 mi) away (Hildreth Covered Bridge lies NNE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Hildreth Covered Bridge, also known as the "Hills Covered Bridge" or "Lafaber's Mill Bridge," is a historic covered bridge in Washington County, Ohio, United States. Located off State Route 26 in Newport Township, about 5 miles (8.0 km) east of the city of Marietta, the bridge historically carried Hills Bridge Road over the Little Muskingum River. Construction of the Hildreth Bridge was a long process: the most significant amount of work was done on the bridge in 1878, but the entire construction process occurred between 1871 and 1881. The identity of its builder is unknown.From the Wikipedia article “Hildreth Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hildreth 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) | 7:30 AM | 90° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:59 AM | 58° ENE | 8:57 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:14 AM | 89° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:43 AM | 120° ESE | 5:06 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 | 7:15 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:26 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:56 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:30 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 7:11 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:57 PM | 7:33 PM | 7:59 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:21 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:42 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:26 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:27 PM | 14h 56m |
| July | 5:40 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 41m |
| August | 6:10 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:40 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:43 AM | 7:00 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:03 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:09 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:12 AM | 6:12 PM | 6:48 PM | 7:15 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:12 PM | 5:41 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:34 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 Hildreth 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:32 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:42 AM – 6:02 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:39 AM – 5:09 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:42 AM – 4:12 AM | 3.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:56 PM – 3:56 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:48 PM – 2:28 AM | 3.7 | 22° | S → SW |
| August | 10:03 PM – 12:23 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 10:27 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:17 PM – 8:27 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: 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 ≈ 21.02 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
- 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.
- Shoot from the stream bank to show the bridge, the water and its reflection together.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Hildreth Covered Bridge, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Hildreth Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Hildreth Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hildreth Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hildreth Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hildreth Covered Bridge?
How far is Hildreth Covered Bridge from Reno?
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.