Neal Lane Bridge is a covered bridge in Douglas County, Oregon. It sits roughly 1.6 km (1.0 mi) ESE of Myrtle Creek.
Neal Lane Bridge is a covered bridge in Douglas County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Built by Douglas County for $1,000 in 1939, it is the only covered bridge in Oregon that uses a kingpost truss. At 42 feet (13 m), it is also one of the shortest covered bridges in the state. Other notable features include plank flooring, arched portals, and narrow window openings, as well as a metal roof. The structure has a five-ton weight limit. The bridge carries Neal Lane over South Myrtle Creek near the city of Myrtle Creek. At the time of the bridge construction in 1939, Floyd C. Frear was the county engineer; Homer Gallop was the bridge foreman. The date of construction, according to the Oregon Department of Transportation, has been challenged by an individual who says he worked on the bridge in 1929. The 1929 date is cited in Oregon's Covered Bridges, but the 1939 date is cited in Historic...From the Wikipedia article “Neal Lane Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Neal Lane 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 | 5:35 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 | 7:17 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 | 7:06 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 Neal Lane 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 ≈ 20.43 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.
- 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 Neal Lane Bridge, closest first.
Campgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Neal Lane Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Neal Lane Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Neal Lane Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Neal Lane Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Neal Lane Bridge?
How far is Neal Lane 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.