Chitwood Bridge — a covered bridge in Lincoln County, Oregon — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Toledo, about 10.2 km (6.3 mi) away (Chitwood Bridge lies ENE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Chitwood Bridge is a covered bridge in Lincoln County in the U.S. state of Oregon. The bridge carries Chitwood Road, off U.S. Route 20, over the Yaquina River at Chitwood. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Historically, Chitwood was a station on the railway line between Corvallis and Toledo. It was named for Joshua Chitwood, who lived nearby during construction of the railway, 1881–1885. Trains still use the railway, but they no longer stop in Chitwood. Lincoln County built the covered bridge in 1926. Scheduled for demolition, it was instead improved in 1984 through a federally funded restoration project. The Howe truss bridge is 96 feet (29 m) long.From the Wikipedia article “Chitwood Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Chitwood Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:19 AM | 90° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 55° NE | 9:05 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:03 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:50 AM | 123° ESE | 4:38 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 48m |
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 | 7:17 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:36 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 12m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:58 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:59 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:14 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 49m |
| June | 4:53 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:03 PM | 9:40 PM | 15h 33m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:28 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 14m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:11 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:32 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:57 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:49 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 36m |
| December | 7:13 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:35 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:10 PM | 8h 50m |
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 Chitwood Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:19 AM – 5:39 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:17 AM – 4:37 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:15 AM – 3:35 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:34 PM – 2:54 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:18 PM – 1:38 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:17 PM – 11:37 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:08 PM – 9:38 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.46 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 July as the clearest month (about 34% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). August 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 | 61 | 64 | 71 | 79 | 86 | 89 | 87 | 89 | 94 | 80 | 66 | 61 |
| Low °F | 19 | 23 | 24 | 30 | 34 | 41 | 45 | 46 | 40 | 25 | 24 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.6 | 6.3 | 6.9 | 4.8 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 4.8 | 8.6 | 10.3 |
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 Chitwood Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Mountain Pass
State Park
WaterfallWaterfall
State Park
State Park
State Park
LighthouseCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Chitwood Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Chitwood Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Chitwood Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Chitwood Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Chitwood Bridge?
How far is Chitwood Bridge from Toledo?
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.