Stewart Bridge — a covered bridge in Lane County, Oregon — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Cottage Grove, about 6.3 km (3.9 mi) away (Stewart Bridge lies ESE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Stewart Bridge is a Howe truss covered bridge built in 1930 near Walden, Oregon, United States, in Lane County. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. It is 60 feet (18 m) long and crosses Mosby Creek, a tributary of the Row River.From the Wikipedia article “Stewart Bridge (Walden, Oregon)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Stewart 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 | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 56° NE | 8:58 PM | 305° NW | 70° | 15h 27m |
| 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 | 7:11 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 | 8:12 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:32 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 Stewart 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 ≈ 20.96 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
- 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 Stewart Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Ghost Town
Waterfall
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Schwarz Park3.2 km (2.0 mi) · reservable
- Pine Meadows Campground8.7 km (5.4 mi) · reservable
- Sharps Creek Recreation Site18.7 km (11.6 mi) · reservable
- Rujada Campground21 km (13 mi) · reservable
- Rujada Day Use Picnic Area21 km (13 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Stewart Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Stewart Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Stewart Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Stewart Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Stewart Bridge?
How far is Stewart 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.