Trusal Covered Bridge is a covered bridge in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. The nearest town is Chevy Chase Heights, about 10.9 km (6.8 mi) away (Trusal Covered Bridge lies NNW of town). It dates from 1870. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Trusal Covered Bridge is a historic wooden covered bridge located at Washington Township in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. It is a 35-foot-long (11 m), Town truss bridge, constructed in 1870. It crosses Plum Creek. It is one of four remaining covered bridge in Indiana County. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.From the Wikipedia article “Trusal Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Trusal 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 303° (WNW) in June to 239° (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) | 7:21 AM | 90° E | 7:29 PM | 271° W | 49° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:46 AM | 58° ENE | 8:52 PM | 303° WNW | 73° | 15h 06m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:05 AM | 89° E | 7:16 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 121° ESE | 4:53 PM | 239° WSW | 26° | 9h 15m |
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 | 7:09 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:14 PM | 5:44 PM | 9h 35m |
| February | 6:44 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:50 AM | 5:14 PM | 5:52 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 40m |
| March | 7:02 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:06 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:24 PM | 7:51 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 6:10 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:19 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:24 PM | 13h 17m |
| May | 5:29 AM | 6:01 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 27m |
| June | 5:12 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:27 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:24 PM | 15h 05m |
| July | 5:27 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:07 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:20 PM | 14h 49m |
| August | 5:58 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 49m |
| September | 6:31 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:34 AM | 6:52 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 12h 30m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:05 AM | 6:01 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:35 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:19 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 56m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:18 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:51 PM | 5:22 PM | 9h 16m |
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 Trusal Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 4.7 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 | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:34 AM – 5:34 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:45 AM – 5:55 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:45 AM – 4:55 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:40 AM – 4:00 AM | 3.3 | 20° | SE → S |
| June | 10:57 PM – 3:37 AM | 4.7 | 20° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:48 PM – 2:08 AM | 3.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| August | 10:00 PM – 12:10 AM | 2.2 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 9:01 PM – 10:11 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:09 PM – 8:09 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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 ≈ 21.32 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 53% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (81%). 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 | 71 | 79 | 83 | 93 | 94 | 97 | 97 | 94 | 89 | 76 | 69 |
| Low °F | -10 | -12 | 0 | 20 | 23 | 36 | 45 | 47 | 36 | 23 | 11 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 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
- 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.
- Overcast days keep contrast low between the dark interior and the bright surroundings.
- 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 Trusal Covered Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
State ParkCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Milton Loop Campground19.4 km (12.1 mi)
- Damsite And Spillway Recreation Area27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Crooked Creek Lake Pavilions 28 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Crooked Creek Lake28 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Hancock Bend Boat Launch And Recreation Area28 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Trusal Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Trusal Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Trusal Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Trusal Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Trusal Covered Bridge?
How far is Trusal Covered Bridge from Chevy Chase Heights?
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.