Located in Lincoln County, Oregon, Fisher School Bridge is a covered bridge. The nearest town is Waldport, about 24 km (15 mi) away (Fisher School Bridge lies SE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Fisher School Bridge is a covered bridge in Lincoln County in the U.S. state of Oregon. The 72-foot (22 m) Howe truss structure crosses a stream called Five Rivers near the rural community of Fisher in the Central Oregon Coast Range. Previously closed to vehicles, the bridge was renovated on a new foundation adjacent to the original position. The bridge takes its name from Fisher Elementary School, now a private property just across Crab Creek Road. Alternatively, the bridge is sometimes called Five Rivers Bridge. It is the only remaining covered bridge in the Five Rivers basin. Former covered bridges within 2 miles (3 km) of Fisher were the Buck Creek Bridge (1924) and the Cascade Creek Bridge (1927), both 36 feet (11 m) long. Conflicting county records give the date of construction as either 1919 or 1927, but the county's official date is 1919. Features include semi-elliptical...From the Wikipedia article “Fisher School Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fisher School 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 | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 55° NE | 9:04 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:03 AM | 89° E | 7:15 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:49 AM | 123° ESE | 4:40 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 51m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:34 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 14m |
| February | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:02 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 47m |
| June | 4:55 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:16 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 30m |
| July | 5:11 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:29 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 12m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:20 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:02 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:33 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:11 PM | 8h 53m |
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 Fisher School Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:08 AM – 5:48 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:05 AM – 4:35 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:11 AM – 3:41 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:28 PM – 2:58 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:13 PM – 1:43 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:14 PM – 11:44 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:06 PM – 9:36 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.7 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 Fisher School Bridge, closest first.
Waterfall
National Forest
Covered BridgeWaterfall
Wilderness Area
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Wilderness Area
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Blackberry8.9 km (5.5 mi) · reservable
- River Edge11.6 km (7.2 mi) · reservable
- Canal Creek13.1 km (8.1 mi) · reservable
- Cape Perpetua21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Tillicum22 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fisher School Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Fisher School Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fisher School Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fisher School Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fisher School Bridge?
How far is Fisher School Bridge from Waldport?
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.