Landis Mill Covered Bridge — a covered bridge in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 3.7 km (2.3 mi) SSE of East Petersburg. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Landis Mill Covered Bridge is a covered bridge that spans the Little Conestoga Creek in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. A county-owned and maintained bridge, its official designation is the Little Conestoga #1 Bridge. The bridge, built in 1873 by Elias McMellen, is today surrounded by a development, shopping center, and highways on the boundary of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. At 53 feet (16 m), it is the shortest covered bridge in the county. The bridge has a single span, wooden, double pyramidal-shaped Burr-type trusses and multiple king post truss design with the addition of steel hanger rods. It is the only bridge in the county to use this design. The deck is made from oak planks. It is painted red, the traditional color of Lancaster County covered bridges, on both the inside and outside. Both portals to the bridge are painted in red with white trim.From the Wikipedia article “Landis Mill Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Landis 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) | 7:10 AM | 90° E | 7:18 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:37 AM | 58° ENE | 8:39 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:54 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 121° ESE | 4:44 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 19m |
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 | 4:23 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:34 PM | 9h 38m |
| February | 6:32 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:37 AM | 5:04 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:09 PM | 10h 42m |
| March | 6:51 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:54 AM | 6:37 PM | 7:12 PM | 7:39 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:44 PM | 8:12 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:36 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 5:04 AM | 5:37 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:56 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 00m |
| July | 5:18 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:06 PM | 14h 45m |
| August | 5:49 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:55 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:20 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:23 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 | 6:55 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:04 AM | 3:59 PM | 4:42 PM | 5:12 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 Landis 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 | — | -3° | — |
| February | 5:12 AM – 5:22 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:22 AM – 5:42 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:20 AM – 4:40 AM | 2.3 | 21° | SE → S |
| May | 12:24 AM – 3:54 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:39 PM – 3:29 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:31 PM – 2:01 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:45 PM – 12:05 AM | 2.3 | 21° | S → SW |
| September | 8:48 PM – 9:58 PM | 1.2 | 18° | 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 ≈ 19.11 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
- 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Landis Mill Covered Bridge, closest first.
Scenic Viewpoint
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Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Landis Mill Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Landis Mill Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Landis Mill Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Landis Mill Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Landis Mill Covered Bridge?
How far is Landis Mill Covered Bridge from East Petersburg?
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.