Ritner Creek Bridge is a covered bridge in Benton County, Oregon. It sits roughly 21 km (13 mi) SW of Monmouth. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Ritner Creek Bridge was the last covered bridge on a state highway in Oregon. It carried Oregon Route 223 (OR 223) over Ritner Creek between Pedee and Kings Valley, about 15 miles (24 km) south of Dallas, or 10 miles (16 km) north of the junction with U.S. Route 20 (US 20) in Wren. Built in 1927, in 1976 the bridge was lifted from its foundation and relocated just downstream of its original site and replaced by a concrete bridge. The bridge was constructed in 1927 by Hamer and Curry Contractors to Oregon State Highway Commission plans. The initial construction cost was $6,964. The original portal design was rounded at the edges but was changed to a square design in the early 1960s to accommodate larger loads to pass.From the Wikipedia article “Ritner Creek Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Ritner Creek 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) | 7:18 AM | 90° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:29 AM | 55° NE | 9:04 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 35m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:49 AM | 123° ESE | 4:37 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 48m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:48 AM | 8:34 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 11m |
| February | 6:45 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:01 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 5:12 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:10 PM | 14h 49m |
| June | 4:51 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:13 AM | 8:17 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:39 PM | 15h 34m |
| July | 5:07 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:33 PM | 15h 15m |
| August | 5:45 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:41 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 6:24 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:26 PM | 7:56 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:00 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:10 AM | 5:51 PM | 6:31 PM | 7:00 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:40 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:56 AM | 4:03 PM | 4:47 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 35m |
| December | 7:12 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:33 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:08 PM | 8h 49m |
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 Ritner Creek 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 | 5:18 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:16 AM – 4:36 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:14 AM – 3:34 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:33 PM – 2:53 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:17 PM – 1:37 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:16 PM – 11:36 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 9:37 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 ≈ 21.19 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 34% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (80%). 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 | 61 | 64 | 71 | 79 | 86 | 89 | 87 | 89 | 94 | 80 | 66 | 61 |
| Low °F | 19 | 23 | 24 | 30 | 34 | 41 | 45 | 46 | 40 | 25 | 24 | 13 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.6 | 6.3 | 6.9 | 4.8 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 4.8 | 8.6 | 10.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Ritner Creek Bridge, closest first.
Waterfall
Covered Bridge
State Park
Botanical Garden
State Park
Mountain Pass
Ghost Town
Covered Bridge
Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Ritner Creek Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Ritner Creek Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Ritner Creek Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Ritner Creek Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Ritner Creek Bridge?
How far is Ritner Creek Bridge from Monmouth?
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.