Lynchburg Covered Bridge — a covered bridge in Highland County, Ohio — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Lynchburg Covered Bridge is a historic wooden covered bridge that spans the east fork of the Little Miami River in Lynchburg, Ohio. It also has the distinction, following a recent repair and restoration project, of being the only such covered bridge in North America to have been converted to a pseudo-suspension infrastructure. The bridge was built in 1870 as a Long truss.From the Wikipedia article “Lynchburg Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lynchburg 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 | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:10 AM | 58° ENE | 9:06 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 56m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:34 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:52 AM | 120° ESE | 5:16 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 24m |
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 | 7:24 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:35 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:06 PM | 9h 43m |
| February | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:40 PM | 10h 44m |
| 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 | 8:40 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:53 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:04 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 19m |
| June | 5:37 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:36 PM | 14h 55m |
| July | 5:50 AM | 6:22 AM | 7:01 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:33 PM | 14h 40m |
| August | 6:20 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:26 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:01 PM | 13h 43m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:12 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:18 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:22 AM | 6:22 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:51 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:51 PM | 10h 03m |
| December | 7:18 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:31 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 25m |
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 Lynchburg 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:42 AM – 5:52 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:51 AM – 6:11 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:48 AM – 5:18 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:50 AM – 4:30 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 11:04 PM – 4:04 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:56 PM – 2:36 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:12 PM – 12:42 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 9:16 PM – 10:36 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: 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 ≈ 21.11 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.
- 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 Lynchburg Covered Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
State Park
Covered Bridge
State Park
Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lynchburg Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Lynchburg Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lynchburg Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lynchburg Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lynchburg Covered Bridge?
How far is Lynchburg Covered Bridge from Lynchburg?
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.