Larwood Bridge — a covered bridge in Linn County, Oregon — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 16.8 km (10.4 mi) NE of Lebanon. It dates from 1939. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Larwood Bridge is a covered bridge near Lacomb in Linn County in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The bridge crosses Crabtree Creek at Larwood Wayside Park, where the Roaring River empties into the creek, about 3 miles (5 km) north of Lacomb. The 105-foot (32 m) bridge carries Fish Hatchery Road over the creek. Built in 1939, the bridge was repaired in 2002. It was named after William Larwood, who settled here in 1888, built a store and blacksmith shop, and operated a post office. The bridge had two predecessors, one over the creek and another over the river, adjacent to one another. Both no longer exist.From the Wikipedia article “Larwood Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Larwood 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) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:26 AM | 55° NE | 9:01 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 34m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:46 AM | 123° ESE | 4:34 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 49m |
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 | 7:13 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:31 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 12m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:59 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 5:10 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 49m |
| June | 4:49 AM | 5:26 AM | 6:11 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:36 PM | 15h 33m |
| July | 5:05 AM | 5:41 AM | 6:24 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:55 PM | 9:30 PM | 15h 14m |
| August | 5:43 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:07 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:53 AM | 4:00 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 36m |
| December | 7:08 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:30 AM | 3:44 PM | 4:32 PM | 5:06 PM | 8h 50m |
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 Larwood Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.3 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), 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 | 5:15 AM – 5:35 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:13 AM – 4:33 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:11 AM – 3:31 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:30 PM – 2:50 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:14 PM – 1:34 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:13 PM – 11:33 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:04 PM – 9:34 PM | 0.5 | 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.22 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 28% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 68 | 68 | 73 | 86 | 97 | 98 | 106 | 103 | 98 | 87 | 78 | 61 |
| Low °F | 9 | 7 | 17 | 22 | 28 | 36 | 42 | 40 | 35 | 25 | 10 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.1 | 6.3 | 7.2 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 4.9 | 8.4 | 9.9 |
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.
- 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 Larwood Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Fishermens Bend23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Elkhorn Valley Recreation Site29 km (18 mi) · reservable
- Yellowbottom Recreation Site29 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Larwood Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Larwood Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Larwood Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Larwood Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Larwood Bridge?
How far is Larwood Bridge from Lebanon?
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.