Riverdale Road Covered Bridge — a covered bridge in Ashtabula County, Ohio — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 5.2 km (3.2 mi) NW of Roaming Shores.
Riverdale Road Bridge is a covered bridge spanning the Grand River in Morgan Township, Ashtabula County, Ohio, United States. The bridge, one of currently 16 drivable bridges in Ashtabula county, is a single span Town truss design. During its renovation in 1981, the floor was rebuilt and glue-laminated wood girders were added. Previously, center steel bracing had been replaced under the bridge in 1945. In 1987, a new concrete abutment for additional support was added after the road at the east end of the bridge washed out. The bridge’s WGCB number is 35-04-22, and it is located approximately 1.1 mi (1.8 km) north-northwest of Rock Creek.From the Wikipedia article “Riverdale Road Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Riverdale Road Covered Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:28 AM | 90° E | 7:36 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:50 AM | 57° ENE | 9:02 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 12m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:12 AM | 89° E | 7:23 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:48 AM | 121° ESE | 4:57 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 09m |
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 | 7:18 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:49 PM | 9h 29m |
| February | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:18 PM | 5:57 PM | 6:26 PM | 10h 37m |
| March | 7:09 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:58 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:15 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 20m |
| May | 5:33 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 32m |
| June | 5:15 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 11m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:44 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:30 PM | 14h 55m |
| August | 6:03 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:55 PM | 13h 52m |
| September | 6:37 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:58 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:03 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:08 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:06 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:12 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 51m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:26 PM | 9h 10m |
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 Riverdale Road Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 19° 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 | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:53 AM – 5:53 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:54 AM – 4:54 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:52 AM – 4:02 AM | 3.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| June | 11:11 PM – 3:31 AM | 4.3 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:01 PM – 2:11 AM | 3.2 | 19° | S → SW |
| August | 10:11 PM – 12:11 AM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 9:09 PM – 10:09 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.07 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 56% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (85%). 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 | 64 | 68 | 79 | 82 | 96 | 98 | 100 | 99 | 96 | 89 | 76 | 67 |
| Low °F | -11 | -12 | 0 | 17 | 25 | 38 | 46 | 46 | 38 | 27 | 7 | -1 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
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.
- 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 Riverdale Road Covered Bridge, closest first.
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State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Riverdale Road Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Riverdale Road Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Riverdale Road Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Riverdale Road Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Riverdale Road Covered Bridge?
How far is Riverdale Road Covered Bridge from Roaming Shores?
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.