Located in Lane County, Oregon, Dorena Bridge is a covered bridge. The nearest town is Culp Creek, about 4.8 km (3.0 mi) away (Dorena Bridge lies NW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Dorena Bridge is a covered bridge near Dorena in Lane County, Oregon in the United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 105-foot (32 m) structure crosses the Row River near the upper end of Dorena Reservoir.From the Wikipedia article “Dorena Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Dorena Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 56° NE | 8:58 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 27m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:43 AM | 123° ESE | 4:38 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 55m |
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 | 7:11 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 17m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:14 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 43m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 26m |
| July | 5:09 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 08m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 41m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:26 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:09 PM | 8h 56m |
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 Dorena Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:04 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:00 AM – 4:40 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:04 AM – 3:34 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:19 PM – 2:59 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:06 PM – 1:46 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:09 PM – 11:39 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 9:42 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.51 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 25% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 64 | 64 | 70 | 78 | 87 | 94 | 103 | 99 | 96 | 86 | 74 | 58 |
| Low °F | 1 | -1 | 5 | 11 | 24 | 31 | 36 | 37 | 31 | 21 | 0 | -1 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.6 | 5.3 | 5.9 | 4.4 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 3.6 | 6.7 | 8.5 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Dorena Bridge, closest first.
Waterfall
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Schwarz Park8.6 km (5.4 mi) · reservable
- Sharps Creek Recreation Site10.1 km (6.3 mi) · reservable
- Rujada Campground11.9 km (7.4 mi) · reservable
- Rujada Day Use Picnic Area12.0 km (7.4 mi) · reservable
- Pine Meadows Campground14.3 km (8.9 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Dorena Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Dorena Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Dorena Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Dorena Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Dorena Bridge?
How far is Dorena Bridge from Culp Creek?
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.