Drift Creek Bridge is a covered bridge in Lincoln County, Oregon. It sits roughly 2.0 km (1.2 mi) SSW of Rose Lodge. It dates from 1914. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Drift Creek Bridge is a covered bridge in Lincoln County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Built in 1914, the structure originally carried Drift Creek County Road over Drift Creek. The creek flows into Siletz Bay of the Pacific Ocean south of Lincoln City. The original bridge, about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the ocean, once carried the main north–south route along the coast. Newer bridges later carried most of the north–south traffic and, after a concrete bridge bypassed the Drift Creek Bridge in the 1960s, Lincoln County preserved it as a pedestrian crossing and a monument to 19th-century pioneers. In 1988, however, county officials closed the bridge entirely after rot and insect damage made the structure unsafe. The county dismantled the bridge in 1997 and gave the timbers to Laura and Kerry Sweitz, who owned land 8 miles (13 km) north of the Drift Creek site. In 2000, the Sweitz...From the Wikipedia article “Drift Creek Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Drift Creek 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 68° 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) | 5:30 AM | 55° NE | 9:07 PM | 305° NW | 68° | 15h 37m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:03 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:52 AM | 123° ESE | 4:37 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 46m |
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 | 7:51 AM | 8:37 AM | 4:14 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 30m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 51m |
| June | 4:52 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 36m |
| July | 5:08 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:28 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 17m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:24 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:12 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:32 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:59 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:20 PM | 9h 34m |
| December | 7:14 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:37 AM | 3:47 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:09 PM | 8h 48m |
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 Drift Creek Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 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 | 5:20 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:19 AM – 4:39 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:18 AM – 3:28 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:38 PM – 2:48 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:21 PM – 1:31 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:19 PM – 11:29 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:09 PM – 9:29 PM | 0.3 | 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 6.0+ 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.
- 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 Drift Creek Bridge, closest first.
Waterfall
Lake
State Park
State Park
State Park
State ParkWaterfallWaterfall
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Castle Rock Group Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Hebo Lake Campground27 km (17 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Drift Creek Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Drift Creek Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Drift Creek Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Drift Creek Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Drift Creek Bridge?
How far is Drift Creek Bridge from Rose Lodge?
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.