Van Sant Covered Bridge is a covered bridge in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The nearest town is New Hope, about 4.2 km (2.6 mi) away (Van Sant Covered Bridge lies S of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Van Sandt Covered Bridge (Van Sant Covered Bridge), also known as the Beaver Dam Bridge, is a historic covered bridge located in Solebury Township, near New Hope in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Built in 1875, the 86 foot, town truss span crosses the Pidcock Creek near Washington Crossing Historic Park. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 1, 1980. Locals consider this bridge a Crybaby Bridge.From the Wikipedia article “Van Sandt Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Van Sant 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) | 7:04 AM | 90° E | 7:12 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:31 AM | 58° ENE | 8:34 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 03m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:48 AM | 89° E | 6:59 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:20 AM | 121° ESE | 4:37 PM | 240° WSW | 26° | 9h 17m |
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:03 AM | 4:16 PM | 4:58 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 37m |
| February | 6:26 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:36 PM | 6:03 PM | 10h 41m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:48 AM | 6:31 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:34 PM | 11h 54m |
| April | 5:54 AM | 6:22 AM | 6:59 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:39 PM | 8:07 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:14 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:31 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:40 PM | 14h 25m |
| June | 4:57 AM | 5:30 AM | 6:11 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:05 PM | 15h 02m |
| July | 5:11 AM | 5:43 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 46m |
| August | 5:42 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:22 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 47m |
| September | 6:14 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:17 AM | 6:35 PM | 7:11 PM | 7:38 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 5:45 PM | 6:21 PM | 6:49 PM | 11h 10m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:27 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:44 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 58m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:00 AM | 3:52 PM | 4:35 PM | 5:06 PM | 9h 19m |
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 Van Sant 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 | 5:17 AM – 5:17 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:28 AM – 5:38 AM | 1.2 | 17° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:26 AM – 4:36 AM | 2.2 | 20° | SE → S |
| May | 12:21 AM – 3:51 AM | 3.5 | 21° | SE → S |
| June | 10:36 PM – 3:26 AM | 4.8 | 21° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:28 PM – 1:58 AM | 3.5 | 21° | S → SW |
| August | 9:41 PM – 12:01 AM | 2.3 | 20° | S → SW |
| September | 8:43 PM – 9:53 PM | 1.2 | 17° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:52 PM – 8:02 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 ≈ 19.32 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 51% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 67 | 71 | 73 | 91 | 88 | 96 | 102 | 101 | 96 | 92 | 75 | 71 |
| Low °F | -2 | -3 | 0 | 24 | 33 | 44 | 52 | 53 | 43 | 28 | 14 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 4.4 |
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
- 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.
- 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 Van Sant Covered Bridge, closest first.
Botanical Garden
State Park
State Park
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
Covered Bridge
State Park
State Park
Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Van Sant Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Van Sant Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Van Sant Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Van Sant Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Van Sant Covered Bridge?
How far is Van Sant Covered Bridge from New Hope?
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.