King's Bridge — a covered bridge in Somerset County, Pennsylvania — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Milford, about 14.4 km (8.9 mi) away (King's Bridge lies W of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The King's Bridge is a historic covered bridge in Middlecreek Township, Somerset County, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1802, and is a 127-foot-4-inch-long (38.81 m) Burr truss bridge, with an asbestos covered gable roof. The bridge crosses Laurel Hill Creek. It is one of 10 covered bridges in Somerset County. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.From the Wikipedia article “King's Bridge (Pennsylvania)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At King's 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 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:49 AM | 58° ENE | 8:50 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:36 AM | 121° ESE | 4:56 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 20m |
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 | 7:08 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:19 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:46 PM | 9h 39m |
| February | 6:43 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:49 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:21 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 7:03 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:12 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:23 PM | 13h 15m |
| May | 5:32 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:56 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 5:16 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:29 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 59m |
| July | 5:30 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:06 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 44m |
| August | 6:01 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:15 PM | 8:44 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:39 PM | 7:06 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:43 AM | 4:22 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:31 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 7:02 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:15 AM | 4:11 PM | 4:54 PM | 5:24 PM | 9h 21m |
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 King's 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 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 | 5:24 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:34 AM – 5:54 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:32 AM – 4:52 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:36 AM – 4:06 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:51 PM – 3:41 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:43 PM – 2:13 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:57 PM – 12:17 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 9:00 PM – 10:10 PM | 1.2 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:09 PM – 8:19 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.44 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 (78%). 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 | 66 | 70 | 77 | 85 | 87 | 90 | 97 | 94 | 93 | 89 | 74 | 72 |
| Low °F | -10 | -7 | -8 | 19 | 23 | 36 | 45 | 44 | 34 | 20 | 6 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 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
- 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.
- Overcast days keep contrast low between the dark interior and the bright surroundings.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 King's Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
State Park
State Park
Covered Bridge
State Park
Covered Bridge
State ParkWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Outflow Camping16.8 km (10.5 mi) · reservable
- Youghiogheny Recreation Area 17.6 km (10.9 mi) · reservable
- Somerfield North Recreation Area23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Mill Run Recreation Area27 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph King's Bridge?
What time is golden hour at King's Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at King's Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from King's Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at King's Bridge?
How far is King's Bridge from Milford?
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.