McColly Covered Bridge is a covered bridge in Logan County, Ohio. It sits roughly 8.3 km (5.2 mi) SSW of Russells Point. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The McColly Covered Bridge is a historic wooden covered bridge in western Logan County, Ohio, United States. Located in Washington Township near the community of Bloom Center, it is one of two remaining covered bridges in Logan County. It carries County Road 13 (formerly called the "Covered Bridge Pike") over the Great Miami River, approximately 5 miles (8.0 km) south of its source at Indian Lake. The bridge was built in 1876 by the Anderson Green Company of Sidney, Ohio at a cost of $3,103 and named for nearby landowner Nicholas McColly. Although Anderson Green built many other bridges statewide, including another bridge in southwestern Logan County, it is the only remaining bridge built by the company in any location. It is approximately 142 feet (43 m) long, with a clearance of 16 feet (4.9 m) and a total width of 20 feet (6.1 m).From the Wikipedia article “McColly Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At McColly Covered Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:40 AM | 90° E | 7:48 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:06 AM | 58° ENE | 9:10 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:24 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:56 AM | 121° ESE | 5:13 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 17m |
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 | 7:27 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:39 AM | 4:52 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:04 PM | 9h 36m |
| February | 7:02 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:08 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:11 PM | 6:39 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 7:21 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:24 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:10 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:30 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:43 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:49 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:16 PM | 14h 25m |
| June | 5:33 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:08 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 02m |
| July | 5:47 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:26 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:38 PM | 14h 47m |
| August | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:25 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:04 PM | 13h 47m |
| September | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:46 PM | 8:14 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:20 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:24 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:53 AM | 7:23 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:39 PM | 5:20 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 57m |
| December | 7:22 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:36 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:11 PM | 5:42 PM | 9h 18m |
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 McColly Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 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 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 | 5:53 AM – 5:53 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 5:04 AM – 6:14 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 3:03 AM – 5:13 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:58 AM – 4:18 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 11:14 PM – 3:54 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:05 PM – 2:35 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:18 PM – 12:28 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:20 PM – 10:30 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:28 PM – 8:28 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.16 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.5+ 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 46% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 63 | 71 | 80 | 81 | 89 | 99 | 101 | 97 | 95 | 90 | 78 | 69 |
| Low °F | -14 | -8 | 2 | 19 | 25 | 39 | 48 | 47 | 38 | 27 | 10 | -12 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.6 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 McColly Covered Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Mountain Peak
State Park
CaveFAQ
When is the best time to photograph McColly Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at McColly Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at McColly Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from McColly Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at McColly Covered Bridge?
How far is McColly Covered Bridge from Russells Point?
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.