Jay Street Bridge is a covered bridge in Clinton County, Pennsylvania.
The Jay Street Bridge crosses the West Branch Susquehanna River between Lock Haven on the south bank and Lockport on the north. The original structure, completed for the Lock Haven Bridge Company by the E. Kirkbride Company in 1852, was a covered bridge about 800 feet (240 m) long. A two-story toll house, 48 feet (15 m) long and 18 feet (5.5 m) wide was later added at the foot of the bridge on the Lock Haven side. Travelers using the bridge passed through an archway in the center of the toll house. The bridge included a covered pedestrian walkway on the downstream side. After the wooden bridge was destroyed by fire in 1919, it was replaced by an iron bridge, and a steel girder bridge replaced the iron bridge in 1986. State Route 664, the southern terminus of which is in Lock Haven, crosses the river over the steel bridge.From the Wikipedia article “Jay Street Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Jay Street 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) | 7:14 AM | 90° E | 7:22 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:38 AM | 57° ENE | 8:47 PM | 303° WNW | 72° | 15h 09m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:58 AM | 89° E | 7:09 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:32 AM | 121° ESE | 4:45 PM | 239° WSW | 25° | 9h 12m |
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 | 7:03 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:16 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:36 PM | 9h 32m |
| February | 6:37 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:06 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 39m |
| March | 6:55 AM | 7:23 AM | 7:59 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:17 PM | 7:44 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:03 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:18 PM | 13h 18m |
| May | 5:21 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:21 PM | 8:53 PM | 14h 29m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:19 AM | 8:03 PM | 8:45 PM | 9:18 PM | 15h 07m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 51m |
| August | 5:50 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:40 PM | 13h 50m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 6:45 PM | 7:21 PM | 7:49 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 6:54 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:59 AM | 5:53 PM | 6:31 PM | 6:58 PM | 11h 09m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:39 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 54m |
| December | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:13 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 14m |
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 Jay Street 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 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 | 5:27 AM – 5:27 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:39 AM – 5:49 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:39 AM – 4:49 AM | 2.2 | 19° | SE → S |
| May | 12:36 AM – 3:56 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:54 PM – 3:24 AM | 4.5 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:44 PM – 2:04 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 9:55 PM – 11:55 PM | 2.0 | 19° | S → SW |
| September | 8:55 PM – 9:55 PM | 1.0 | 16° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:02 PM – 8:02 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: 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 ≈ 19.9 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 57% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (79%). 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 | 61 | 68 | 74 | 82 | 95 | 91 | 100 | 96 | 94 | 86 | 72 | 66 |
| Low °F | -11 | -14 | -5 | 16 | 24 | 36 | 45 | 44 | 34 | 21 | 0 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 3.2 |
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.
- Inside the bridge, the timber trusses make strong symmetrical compositions — use a tripod for long exposures.
- 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 Jay Street Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
State Park
State Park
State Park
Scenic ViewpointFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Jay Street Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Jay Street Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Jay Street Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Jay Street Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Jay Street Bridge?
How far is Jay Street Bridge from Lock Haven?
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.