Located in Douglas County, Oregon, Horse Creek Bridge is a covered bridge. It dates from 1930.
The Horse Creek Bridge was a covered bridge near the unincorporated community of McKenzie Bridge in Lane County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Built in 1930, the structure, 105 feet (32 m) long, carried Horse Creek Road over Horse Creek. The creek is a tributary of the McKenzie River. Bypassed by a concrete bridge in 1968, Horse Creek Bridge was not dismantled until 1987. During the intervening years, it served as a pedestrian bridge. Its timbers were donated to the City of Cottage Grove, which used some of them to build a small covered bridge in a park. The remaining timbers were given to the City of Myrtle Creek in 1990 for a covered bridge over Myrtle Creek. The bridge connects a parking area to the city's Mill Site Park. The creek is a tributary of the South Umpqua River. The 1930 bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and removed after 1987. Features...From the Wikipedia article “Horse Creek Bridge (McKenzie Bridge, Oregon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Horse Creek Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (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 70° in summer but only 24° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:17 AM | 90° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:35 AM | 56° ENE | 8:57 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 22m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 122° ESE | 4:42 PM | 238° WSW | 24° | 9h 00m |
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 | 7:42 AM | 8:27 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 22m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:04 AM | 6:42 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:02 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:18 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 39m |
| June | 4:59 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 21m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:48 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:25 PM | 15h 03m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:25 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:31 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:59 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:32 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 44m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:25 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 01m |
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 Horse 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:54 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:58 AM – 4:38 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:00 AM – 3:40 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:13 PM – 3:13 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:00 PM – 1:50 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:06 PM – 11:46 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 9:52 PM | 0.8 | 14° | 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.42 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 31% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (79%). 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 | 65 | 70 | 75 | 85 | 92 | 98 | 101 | 104 | 98 | 90 | 74 | 61 |
| Low °F | 18 | 20 | 25 | 26 | 32 | 40 | 43 | 46 | 39 | 26 | 22 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 7.3 | 6.1 | 6.2 | 4.3 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 1.7 | 3.8 | 7.4 | 9.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Horse Creek Bridge, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Horse Creek Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Horse Creek Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Horse Creek Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Horse Creek Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Horse Creek Bridge?
How far is Horse Creek Bridge from Myrtle 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.