Wendling Bridge — a covered bridge in Lane County, Oregon — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Coburg, about 22 km (14 mi) away (Wendling Bridge lies ENE of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Wendling Bridge is a covered bridge in Lane County in the U.S. state of Oregon. The 60-foot (18 m) Howe truss structure carries Wendling Road over Mill Creek in the unincorporated community of Wendling. Built in 1938, the bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Lane County built four covered bridges, including the Wendling Bridge, in 1938. The others are the Pengra, Goodpasture Bridge, and Earnest bridges. A. C. Striker was then the county bridge superintendent. Notable features of the bridge include semi-elliptical portal arches and ribbon openings at the eaves. The structure was named for the town, which had been named after George X. Wendling, a San Francisco millionaire who provided the largest investment into Booth-Kelly's expansion in the Mohawk valley in 1899.From the Wikipedia article “Wendling Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wendling 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 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) | 7:15 AM | 90° E | 7:24 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:28 AM | 56° NE | 8:59 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:59 AM | 89° E | 7:10 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:44 AM | 123° ESE | 4:36 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 52m |
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 | 7:44 AM | 8:30 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 15m |
| February | 6:42 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:00 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 29m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:03 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:46 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:58 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 27m |
| May | 5:12 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 46m |
| June | 4:51 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:12 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:57 PM | 9:34 PM | 15h 29m |
| July | 5:07 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:25 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:28 PM | 15h 11m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:29 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:23 PM | 7:53 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:57 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:06 AM | 5:49 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:36 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:51 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:46 PM | 5:17 PM | 9h 38m |
| December | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:28 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:07 PM | 8h 53m |
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 Wendling Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:04 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:01 AM – 4:31 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:07 AM – 3:37 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:24 PM – 2:54 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:09 PM – 1:39 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:10 PM – 11:40 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 | — | -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 ≈ 21.24 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 28% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 68 | 68 | 73 | 86 | 97 | 98 | 106 | 103 | 98 | 87 | 78 | 61 |
| Low °F | 9 | 7 | 17 | 22 | 28 | 36 | 42 | 40 | 35 | 25 | 10 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 8.1 | 6.3 | 7.2 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 2.3 | 4.9 | 8.4 | 9.9 |
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
- 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.
- Autumn foliage peaks are the most popular time — visit on weekdays to avoid crowds.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Wendling Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Scenic Viewpoint
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Shotgun Creek Recreation Site5.6 km (3.5 mi) · reservable
- Whispering Pines Horse Camp22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Graham Corral Horse Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- South Twin Lake Campground22 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Cascara Campground27 km (17 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wendling Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Wendling Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wendling Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wendling Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wendling Bridge?
How far is Wendling Bridge from Coburg?
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.