Frankenfield Covered Bridge — a covered bridge in Bucks County, Pennsylvania — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 3.1 km (1.9 mi) NNE of Tinicum. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Frankenfield Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge that spans Tinicum Creek in Point Pleasant, Pennsylvania, United States. The bridge is located in Bucks County on Cafferty Road about 0.6 miles (1.0 km) southeast of Headquarters Road, near Vansant Airport, and a similar distance northwest of East Dark Hollow Road, near Palisades School District. Hollow Horn Road branches off from Cafferty Road a short distance from the south end of the span and goes south. It was built in 1872, and is a town truss bridge constructed of oak. The sign on the Frankenfield covered bridge states that the structure is 130 feet (40 m) long with a clearance of 9.42 feet (2.87 m). It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 1, 1980.From the Wikipedia article “Frankenfield Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Frankenfield 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 | 7:13 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) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:21 AM | 121° ESE | 4:38 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 17m |
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 | 7:35 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 25m |
| 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 | 5:43 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:22 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:29 PM | 13h 48m |
| September | 6:15 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 | 5:14 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 Frankenfield 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 ≈ 19.51 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
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Frankenfield Covered Bridge, closest first.
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State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Frankenfield Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Frankenfield Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Frankenfield Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Frankenfield Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Frankenfield Covered Bridge?
How far is Frankenfield Covered Bridge from Tinicum?
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.