Parvin Bridge is a covered bridge in Lane County, Oregon. It sits roughly 3.6 km (2.2 mi) SW of Lowell. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Parvin Bridge is a covered bridge located in Lane County, Oregon, U.S. near Dexter. It was built in 1921 as a single-lane 75-foot (23 m) bridge across Lost Creek, a tributary of the Middle Fork Willamette River. The bridge was a replacement for a 66-foot (20 m) Howe truss design which failed a 1917 inspection by bridge inspector J. W. McArthur. He wrote, "An old bridge. Chords badly worm eaten. Downstream chord has been reinforced in middle by a timber bolted on. Wood is but little better than a powder from worm action. All signs indicate a new bridge in from 2 to 4 years." George W. Breeding constructed the present bridge at the same site in 1921 for $3,617, equivalent to $65,300 today. It is also a Howe truss and includes a 62-foot (19 m) eastern approach and a 17-foot (5.2 m) western approach. Roadwork in the mid-1970s realigned the road to bypass the bridge, being...From the Wikipedia article “Parvin Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Parvin 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) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:30 AM | 56° NE | 8:58 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 28m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:43 AM | 123° ESE | 4:37 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 54m |
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 | 7:43 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:14 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 16m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 6:56 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:25 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:13 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:04 PM | 14h 44m |
| June | 4:53 AM | 5:29 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 27m |
| July | 5:08 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:26 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:27 PM | 15h 09m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:37 PM | 8:17 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 01m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:52 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 40m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:27 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:08 PM | 8h 55m |
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 Parvin 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 | 1:05 AM – 3:35 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:21 PM – 3:01 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:07 PM – 1:37 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:09 PM – 11:39 PM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 9:32 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: 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 ≈ 21.25 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 25% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 64 | 64 | 70 | 78 | 87 | 94 | 103 | 99 | 96 | 86 | 74 | 58 |
| Low °F | 1 | -1 | 5 | 11 | 24 | 31 | 36 | 37 | 31 | 21 | 0 | -1 |
| Precip. (in) | 6.6 | 5.3 | 5.9 | 4.4 | 2.9 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.7 | 3.6 | 6.7 | 8.5 |
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
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Parvin Bridge, closest first.
State Park
State Park
State Park
Covered Bridge
Scenic Viewpoint
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
State ParkScenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Ivan Oakes Campground12.2 km (7.6 mi) · reservable
- Cascara Campground14.8 km (9.2 mi)
- Schwarz Park17.1 km (10.6 mi) · reservable
- Dolly Varden17.9 km (11.1 mi) · reservable
- Broken Bowl18.3 km (11.4 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Parvin Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Parvin Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Parvin Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Parvin Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Parvin Bridge?
How far is Parvin Bridge from Lowell?
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.