Hillsgrove Covered Bridge — a covered bridge in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 25 km (15 mi) N of Hughesville. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Hillsgrove Covered Bridge is a Burr arch truss covered bridge over Loyalsock Creek in Hillsgrove Township, Sullivan County, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It was built around 1850 and is 186 feet (56.7 m) long. In 1973, it became the first covered bridge in the county to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The bridge is named for the township and nearby unincorporated village of Hillsgrove, and is also known as Rinkers Covered Bridge for an adjoining farm. Pennsylvania had the first covered bridge in the United States, and has had the most such bridges since the 19th century. They were a transition between stone and metal bridges, with the roof and sides protecting the wooden structure from the weather. The Hillsgrove bridge has load-bearing Burr arches sandwiching multiple vertical king posts on each side, for strength and rigidity. It was built by...From the Wikipedia article “Hillsgrove Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Hillsgrove Covered Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 57° (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 72° in summer but only 25° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:11 AM | 90° E | 7:19 PM | 271° W | 48° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 57° ENE | 8:45 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 11m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:55 AM | 89° E | 7:06 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:30 AM | 121° ESE | 4:41 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 10m |
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 | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:32 PM | 9h 31m |
| February | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:42 AM | 5:02 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 38m |
| March | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:13 PM | 7:41 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:16 PM | 13h 19m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:40 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:51 PM | 14h 31m |
| June | 4:59 AM | 5:33 AM | 6:15 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:43 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 10m |
| July | 5:14 AM | 5:47 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 53m |
| August | 5:47 AM | 6:16 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:08 PM | 8:38 PM | 13h 51m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:24 AM | 6:41 PM | 7:18 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:51 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:55 PM | 11h 08m |
| November | 6:26 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:48 PM | 5:18 PM | 9h 52m |
| December | 6:55 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:11 AM | 3:54 PM | 4:39 PM | 5:10 PM | 9h 12m |
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 Hillsgrove Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.5 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 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| March | 4:36 AM – 5:36 AM | 1.0 | 16° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:37 AM – 4:37 AM | 2.0 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:35 AM – 3:45 AM | 3.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:53 PM – 3:23 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:43 PM – 1:53 AM | 3.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:54 PM – 11:54 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:53 PM – 9:53 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:00 PM – 8:00 PM | 0.0 | 10° | 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.35 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 6.0+ 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 56% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 62 | 69 | 73 | 84 | 95 | 90 | 103 | 98 | 94 | 85 | 73 | 66 |
| Low °F | -15 | -15 | -12 | 17 | 25 | 37 | 44 | 45 | 34 | 22 | 1 | -1 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.6 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.7 | 4.1 | 3.0 | 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
- 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 Hillsgrove Covered Bridge, closest first.
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When is the best time to photograph Hillsgrove Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Hillsgrove Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Hillsgrove Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Hillsgrove Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Hillsgrove Covered Bridge?
How far is Hillsgrove Covered Bridge from Hughesville?
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.