East Oriental Covered Bridge is a covered bridge in Juniata County, Pennsylvania. It sits roughly 11.6 km (7.2 mi) NNW of Millersburg. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The East Oriental Covered Bridge, also known as the Sheaffer Covered Bridge, is a historic wooden covered bridge located at Perry Township near Meiserville in Snyder County, Pennsylvania and Susquehanna Township near Oriental in Juniata County, Pennsylvania. It is a 90-foot-long (27 m) Burr Truss bridge. It crosses Mahantango Creek, but is no longer in vehicle use. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.From the Wikipedia article “East Oriental Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At East Oriental Covered Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (ENE) at the June solstice and 121° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 73° in summer but only 26° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:12 AM | 90° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 58° ENE | 8:43 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 05m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:56 AM | 89° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:29 AM | 121° ESE | 4:45 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 16m |
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 | 7:00 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:35 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:41 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:43 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 6:53 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:57 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:42 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:02 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:11 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:52 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:19 AM | 8:00 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 04m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 48m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:19 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:37 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:22 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:25 AM | 6:43 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:52 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:52 PM | 6:29 PM | 6:57 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:36 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:21 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 6:55 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:09 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 17m |
Local time (America/New York), 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 East Oriental Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 20° 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:25 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:36 AM – 5:46 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:36 AM – 4:46 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:31 AM – 3:51 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:48 PM – 3:28 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:39 PM – 1:59 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 12:01 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:52 PM – 10:02 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:00 PM – 8:00 PM | 0.0 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 21.21 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 September as the clearest month (about 54% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (74%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 73 | 78 | 87 | 92 | 95 | 101 | 100 | 96 | 92 | 77 | 72 |
| Low °F | -10 | -14 | -1 | 20 | 27 | 39 | 49 | 48 | 36 | 21 | 5 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 3.4 |
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
- 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.
- Inside the bridge, the timber trusses make strong symmetrical compositions — use a tripod for long exposures.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 East Oriental Covered Bridge, closest first.
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Scenic Viewpoint
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Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph East Oriental Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at East Oriental Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at East Oriental Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from East Oriental Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at East Oriental Covered Bridge?
How far is East Oriental Covered Bridge from Millersburg?
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.