Located in Preble County, Ohio, Warnke Covered Bridge is a covered bridge. The nearest town is Lewisburg, about 3.7 km (2.3 mi) away (Warnke Covered Bridge lies NE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Warnke Covered Bridge, also known as Warnke Bridge, is a historic covered bridge crossing Swamp Creek in Harrison Township, Preble County, Ohio, northeast of Lewisburg. Built from 1895 to 1896 by Everett S. Sherman, it has a span of 51 feet. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. In 1895, a flood damaged the steel truss bridge that had been built at the same location. Sherman built a new "Childs Truss covered Bridge." He purchased the stone for the abutments from the Lewisburg quarry. The bridge was named for a family who lived nearby. The Warnke Bridge was the last bridge built by Sherman. After the bridge was completed, Sherman moved to Richmond, Indiana, and died shortly thereafter. The original cost of the bridge was $459. Rehabilitation work undertaken in 2008 cost $240,924.25. At one time, Preble County had 50 covered bridges. Seven of...From the Wikipedia article “Warnke Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Warnke 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 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) | 7:42 AM | 90° E | 7:50 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:11 AM | 58° ENE | 9:11 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 15h 00m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:26 AM | 89° E | 7:37 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:57 AM | 121° ESE | 5:17 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 20m |
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 | 7:29 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:40 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:07 PM | 9h 39m |
| February | 7:04 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:42 PM | 10h 43m |
| March | 7:24 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:26 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:12 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:33 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:53 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 22m |
| June | 5:37 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:50 AM | 8:28 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:42 PM | 14h 59m |
| July | 5:51 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:02 AM | 8:27 PM | 9:06 PM | 9:38 PM | 14h 44m |
| August | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:05 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:53 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:55 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:16 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:22 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:25 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:55 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:23 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 00m |
| December | 7:23 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:36 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 22m |
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 Warnke Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:45 AM – 5:55 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:55 AM – 6:15 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:52 AM – 5:22 AM | 2.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:56 AM – 4:26 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 11:10 PM – 4:00 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 11:02 PM – 2:42 AM | 3.7 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 10:17 PM – 12:37 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 9:20 PM – 10:40 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:30 PM – 8:40 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 ≈ 20.64 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 (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 | 67 | 73 | 81 | 83 | 87 | 98 | 102 | 100 | 98 | 94 | 79 | 70 |
| Low °F | -12 | -8 | 5 | 22 | 26 | 41 | 49 | 49 | 37 | 25 | 10 | -10 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
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.
- Autumn foliage peaks are the most popular time — visit on weekdays to avoid crowds.
- 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 Warnke Covered Bridge, closest first.
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Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Warnke Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Warnke Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Warnke Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Warnke Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Warnke Covered Bridge?
How far is Warnke Covered Bridge from Lewisburg?
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.