Keller's Mill Covered Bridge — a covered bridge in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 2.1 km (1.3 mi) NE of Rothsville. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Keller's Mill Covered Bridge is a covered bridge that spans Cocalico Creek in Ephrata Township, Lancaster County in the US state of Pennsylvania. A county-owned and maintained bridge, its official designation is the Cocalico No. 5 Bridge. It is also sometimes known as the Guy Bard Covered Bridge (after a local jurist) and Rettew's Covered Bridge (after the person for whom Rettew's Road is named). Due to heavy road traffic on the aging one-lane bridge, construction on a new steel and concrete bridge to bypass the covered bridge took place in the summer of 2006. According to Ephrata Township supervisor Clark Stauffer, the bridge has been disassembled and will be reassembled a few miles downstream to replace an existing one-lane Middle Creek Road bridge. It was located at 40°10′11.4″N 76°12′16.8″W (40.16983, −76.20467) before being disassembled.From the Wikipedia article “Keller's Mill Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Keller's Mill 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 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (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) | 7:09 AM | 90° E | 7:17 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:36 AM | 58° ENE | 8:38 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 02m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 121° ESE | 4:43 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 18m |
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 | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 38m |
| February | 6:31 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 6:50 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:53 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:59 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:19 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 24m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 01m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 45m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 47m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:49 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:53 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 58m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:11 PM | 9h 20m |
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 Keller's Mill Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.8 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 6 (bright 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 | 5:22 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:33 AM – 5:43 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:31 AM – 4:41 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:26 AM – 3:56 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:41 PM – 3:31 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 2:03 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:46 PM – 12:06 AM | 2.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 9:58 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:57 PM – 8:07 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 6 Bortle 6 — Bright suburban sky. The Milky Way is only visible near the zenith; the sky glows grey-orange in photos. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.38 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 (71%). 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 | 64 | 73 | 77 | 88 | 91 | 95 | 103 | 101 | 96 | 93 | 78 | 71 |
| Low °F | -9 | -12 | -8 | 21 | 28 | 41 | 49 | 49 | 38 | 24 | 11 | 1 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.9 | 4.4 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
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.
- Many covered bridges still carry traffic; stay off the roadway and watch for vehicles.
- 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 Keller's Mill Covered Bridge, closest first.
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Scenic Viewpoint
Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Keller's Mill Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Keller's Mill Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Keller's Mill Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Keller's Mill Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Keller's Mill Covered Bridge?
How far is Keller's Mill Covered Bridge from Rothsville?
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.