Located in Douglas County, Oregon, Milo Academy Bridge is a covered bridge. The nearest town is Canyonville, about 19.9 km (12.4 mi) away (Milo Academy Bridge lies E of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Milo Academy Bridge is a covered bridge located in the town of Milo, in the southern region of Douglas County, Oregon. The original bridge at this location was a wooden covered bridge constructed in 1920, before being replaced by a steel truss bridge in 1962, spanning the South Umpqua River allowing access to Milo Adventist Academy. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places November 29, 1979.From the Wikipedia article “Milo Academy Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Milo Academy 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) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 56° ENE | 8:55 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 21m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:41 AM | 122° ESE | 4:41 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 | 7:10 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:35 PM | 9h 22m |
| February | 6:41 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 33m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:01 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 24m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:29 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 39m |
| June | 4:58 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:17 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:29 PM | 15h 20m |
| July | 5:13 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 03m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 57m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 31m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:05 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 05m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:08 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 45m |
| December | 7:05 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:23 AM | 3:53 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:12 PM | 9h 02m |
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 Milo Academy 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| March | 4:53 AM – 5:43 AM | 0.8 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:57 AM – 4:37 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:59 AM – 3:39 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:12 PM – 3:12 AM | 4.0 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:59 PM – 1:49 AM | 2.8 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:05 PM – 11:45 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 9:51 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: 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 ≈ 21.78 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.
- 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 Milo Academy Bridge, closest first.
Fire Lookout
Waterfall
Covered Bridge
Covered BridgeWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Three C Rock Campground12.5 km (7.8 mi) · reservable
- Pickett Butte Lookout14.9 km (9.2 mi) · reservable
- Threehorn Campground20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Whisky Camp Guard Station25 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Ash Flat Campground28 km (17 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Milo Academy Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Milo Academy Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Milo Academy Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Milo Academy Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Milo Academy Bridge?
How far is Milo Academy Bridge from Canyonville?
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.