Located in Lane County, Oregon, Mosby Creek Bridge is a covered bridge. It sits roughly 4.9 km (3.0 mi) ESE of Cottage Grove. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Mosby Creek Bridge, also called the Layng Bridge, is a historic Howe truss covered bridge located near Cottage Grove, Oregon, United States. The bridge crosses Mosby Creek and was constructed in 1920, making it the oldest covered bridge in Lane County. The Mosby Creek Bridge was built in 1920 for a cost of $4125 (US$66,295 in 2025) by Walter and Miller Sorensen. The bridge was named after the pioneer David Mosby. He settled east of present-day Cottage Grove near the current site of the bridge on a 1,600 acres (650 ha) land claim. Unique design elements of the Mosby Creek Bridge include semi-circular portal arches (the entrances to the bridge), ribbon openings at the roofline, and board-and-batten siding, as well as modifications to the basic Howe truss design. In 1990, the bridge underwent a major restoration. In 2002, the corrugated metal roof that capped the bridge's gable roof...From the Wikipedia article “Mosby Creek Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Mosby 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 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:16 AM | 90° E | 7:25 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 56° NE | 8:58 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:00 AM | 89° E | 7:11 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:44 AM | 123° ESE | 4:38 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 55m |
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 | 7:12 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:29 AM | 4:15 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:33 PM | 9h 17m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:42 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:47 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:14 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 4:54 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:14 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 26m |
| July | 5:10 AM | 5:44 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 08m |
| August | 5:46 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 6:46 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:30 PM | 6:59 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:27 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:09 PM | 8h 56m |
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 Mosby 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 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:04 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:00 AM – 4:40 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:04 AM – 3:34 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:19 PM – 2:59 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:06 PM – 1:46 AM | 2.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:09 PM – 11:39 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 9:42 PM | 0.7 | 14° | 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: 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 ≈ 20.63 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 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.
- 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 Mosby Creek Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Ghost Town
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Schwarz Park3.2 km (2.0 mi) · reservable
- Pine Meadows Campground9.5 km (5.9 mi) · reservable
- Sharps Creek Recreation Site20 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Rujada Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Rujada Day Use Picnic Area23 km (14 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Mosby Creek Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Mosby Creek Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Mosby Creek Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Mosby Creek Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Mosby Creek Bridge?
How far is Mosby Creek Bridge from Cottage Grove?
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.