Antelope Creek Bridge is a covered bridge in Jackson County, Oregon. It dates from 1922. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Antelope Creek Bridge is a wooden covered bridge, 58 feet (18 m) long, spanning Little Butte Creek in Eagle Point in the U.S. state of Oregon. Constructed in 1922 by brothers Wes and Lyle Hartman, it originally spanned Antelope Creek, north of Medford. Antelope Creek is a tributary of Little Butte Creek, which it enters about 2 miles (3 km) downstream of Eagle Point. According to Oregon's Covered Bridges, at its original location the bridge carried "the old Medford – Crater Lake Road" over Antelope Creek. After a newer span replaced the bridge at its original location, it was no longer used by vehicles, and it deteriorated. Even so, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1979. In 1987, to save the bridge, volunteers took it down and reassembled it over Little Butte Creek in Eagle Point. Since then it has served as a pedestrian bridge in Covered...From the Wikipedia article “Antelope Creek Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Antelope Creek Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (ENE) at the June solstice and 122° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (WNW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 71° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 57° ENE | 8:53 PM | 304° WNW | 71° | 15h 18m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 122° ESE | 4:42 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 04m |
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 | 7:08 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:23 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 25m |
| February | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 35m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:01 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 22m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:59 PM | 14h 36m |
| June | 4:59 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:26 PM | 15h 17m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 59m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 55m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:56 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 06m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 47m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:20 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 05m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Antelope Creek Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.2 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:52 AM – 5:42 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:45 AM – 4:45 AM | 2.0 | 18° | SE → S |
| May | 12:55 AM – 3:45 AM | 2.8 | 19° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:06 PM – 3:16 AM | 4.2 | 19° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:54 PM – 1:54 AM | 3.0 | 19° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:02 PM – 11:52 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:58 PM – 9:48 PM | 0.8 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.7 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 19% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (73%). July is the warmest month and December 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 | 60 | 61 | 69 | 80 | 92 | 101 | 102 | 104 | 101 | 90 | 76 | 57 |
| Low °F | -2 | 0 | 4 | 20 | 23 | 28 | 37 | 35 | 29 | 23 | 4 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.5 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 4.7 | 6.5 |
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 Antelope Creek Bridge, closest first.
State Park
Mountain Peak
WaterfallWaterfall
Covered Bridge
WaterfallWaterfall
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Antelope Creek Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Antelope Creek Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Antelope Creek Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Antelope Creek Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Antelope Creek Bridge?
How far is Antelope Creek Bridge from Eagle 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.