Grave Creek Bridge — a covered bridge in Josephine County, Oregon — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Merlin, about 13.6 km (8.5 mi) away (Grave Creek Bridge lies NNE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Grave Creek Bridge is a covered bridge in Josephine County in the U.S. state of Oregon. It carries Sunny Valley Loop Road over Grave Creek about 15 miles (24 km) north of Grants Pass and within sight of Interstate 5 (I-5). Built in 1920, it originally carried U.S. Route 99, the Pacific Highway. The only remaining covered bridge in Josephine County, it is "Oregon's most viewed covered bridge" because of its location near I-5. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It was closed for repairs in the late 1990s and reopened in 2001. The 105-foot (32 m) Howe truss bridge features six Gothic windows on each side as well as rounded portals and a shake roof. The original architects were A. A. Clausen and J. Elmer Nelson.From the Wikipedia article “Grave Creek Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Grave 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° (NW) 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) | 7:18 AM | 90° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 57° ENE | 8:56 PM | 304° NW | 71° | 15h 19m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:41 AM | 122° ESE | 4:44 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 02m |
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 | 7:10 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:26 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 24m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:46 PM | 6:15 PM | 10h 34m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 23m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 37m |
| June | 5:01 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:19 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 18m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:32 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 01m |
| August | 5:51 AM | 6:21 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 56m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:54 PM | 6:33 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:23 PM | 9h 46m |
| December | 7:05 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:23 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 04m |
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 Grave Creek Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:55 AM – 5:45 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:58 AM – 4:48 AM | 1.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:00 AM – 3:50 AM | 2.8 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:11 PM – 3:11 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:59 PM – 1:49 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:06 PM – 11:56 PM | 1.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 9:52 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.68 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 20% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (74%). 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 | 66 | 66 | 74 | 82 | 89 | 101 | 104 | 106 | 103 | 93 | 79 | 58 |
| Low °F | 7 | 19 | 23 | 26 | 30 | 37 | 43 | 45 | 36 | 27 | 20 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.9 | 6.9 | 7.2 | 4.4 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 3.7 | 7.7 | 10.9 |
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 Grave Creek Bridge, closest first.
Ghost Town
Ghost Town
State Park
WaterfallWaterfall
Scenic Viewpoint
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Grave Creek Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Grave Creek Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Grave Creek Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Grave Creek Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Grave Creek Bridge?
How far is Grave Creek Bridge from Merlin?
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.