Located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Erwinna Covered Bridge is a covered bridge. The nearest town is Frenchtown, about 2.9 km (1.8 mi) away (Erwinna Covered Bridge lies SSW of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Erwinna Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge that spans Swamp Creek in Erwinna, Pennsylvania, United States. The bridge was constructed using a lattice-type design. The National Register of Historic Places lists the date built as 1871, while county records say 1832. The Erwinna Covered Bridge is Bucks County's shortest covered bridge, at only 56 feet (17 m) long and 15 feet (4.6 m) wide. The bridge's WGCB Number is 39-09-04. During the winter the bridge has been decorated by the Church Of Tinicum on Geigel Hill Road, with lighted pineroping and wreaths at each side of the bridge. In September 2012 a 13' box truck took out the infrastructure of the bridge, causing PennDOT to estimate the bridge will be closed for 4–6 months. It was repaired just 3 months after the accident. In the early morning hours of Sunday, May 12, 2013, vandals sprayed graffiti on all of the bridge's...From the Wikipedia article “Erwinna Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Erwinna 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) | 7:05 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 58° ENE | 8:35 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 04m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 121° ESE | 4:37 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 | 6:52 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:04 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 36m |
| February | 6:27 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:33 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:04 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 6:46 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:49 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:23 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:08 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:14 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:41 PM | 14h 26m |
| June | 4:57 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 03m |
| July | 5:11 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:03 PM | 14h 47m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:18 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:39 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:22 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:18 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:28 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 57m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:01 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 18m |
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 Erwinna 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 21° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:17 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:28 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:27 AM – 4:37 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:22 AM – 3:42 AM | 3.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:38 PM – 3:18 AM | 4.7 | 21° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:29 PM – 1:59 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:42 PM – 11:52 PM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 9:54 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:52 PM – 7:52 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.71 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 52% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (68%). 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 | 76 | 90 | 89 | 95 | 104 | 101 | 97 | 94 | 78 | 71 |
| Low °F | -7 | -11 | -8 | 21 | 28 | 41 | 49 | 50 | 38 | 24 | 10 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 3.5 | 3.9 |
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
- 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 Erwinna Covered Bridge, closest first.
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Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Erwinna Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Erwinna Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Erwinna Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Erwinna Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Erwinna Covered Bridge?
How far is Erwinna Covered Bridge from Frenchtown?
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.