Lake Creek Bridge — a covered bridge in Lane County, Oregon — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 26 km (16 mi) WNW of Veneta. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Lake Creek Bridge also known as the Nelson Mountain Bridge, is a covered bridge near Greenleaf, in the U.S. state of Oregon, that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 105-foot (32 m) covered bridge, built in 1928, carries Nelson Mountain Road over Lake Creek in Lane County. Notable features of the bridge include upper and lower truss chords made of one-piece old-growth timbers, narrow ribbon windows at the eaves, and portals that are truncated rectangular arches. A renovation in 1984 added new reinforced concrete abutments, new flooring, and other alterations to increase the bridge's load capacity.From the Wikipedia article “Lake Creek Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Lake Creek 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 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 | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:32 AM | 56° NE | 9:02 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:03 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:47 AM | 123° ESE | 4:40 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 52m |
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 | 7:15 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:33 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 15m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:14 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:59 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:02 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:16 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:08 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 4:55 AM | 5:32 AM | 6:16 AM | 8:16 PM | 9:00 PM | 9:37 PM | 15h 29m |
| July | 5:11 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:29 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:31 PM | 15h 10m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:52 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:49 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:09 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:32 PM | 7:01 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:55 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 39m |
| December | 7:11 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:31 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:11 PM | 8h 54m |
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 Lake Creek 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 | 5:08 AM – 5:48 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:04 AM – 4:44 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:09 AM – 3:39 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:25 PM – 3:05 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:11 PM – 1:41 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:13 PM – 11:43 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 | — | -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 ≈ 21.64 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
- 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 Lake Creek Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
Covered Bridge
State ParkWaterfallWaterfallWaterfall
Mountain Pass
Ghost TownCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Whittaker Creek Recreation Site13.3 km (8.2 mi) · reservable
- Archie Knowles Campground13.9 km (8.6 mi)
- North Fork Siuslaw Campground21 km (13 mi)
- Clay Creek Recreation Site24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Richardson Campground28 km (18 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Lake Creek Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Lake Creek Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Lake Creek Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Lake Creek Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Lake Creek Bridge?
How far is Lake Creek Bridge from Veneta?
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.