Located in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, Willow Hill Covered Bridge is a covered bridge. The nearest town is Strasburg, about 4.8 km (3.0 mi) away (Willow Hill Covered Bridge lies NNW of town).
The Willow Hill Covered Bridge is a covered bridge located off U.S. Route 30 that spans Miller’s Run (which flows into Mill Creek, a tributary of the Conestoga River) in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States. It was built in 1962 by Roy Zimmerman as a reconstruction using parts of the Miller's Farm Covered Bridge, built in 1871 by Elias McMellen, and Good's Fording Covered Bridge, built in 1855. It crosses Miller's Run and is 93 feet (28 m) long and 15 feet (4.6 m) wide. The bridge has a single span, wooden, double Burr arch trusses design with the addition of steel hanger rods. It is painted red, the traditional color of Lancaster County covered bridges, on the outside. The inside is unpainted. Both approaches to the bridge are painted in the traditional white color. The bridge's WGCB Number is 38-36-43. Because it was constructed from two historic covered bridges, it is...From the Wikipedia article “Willow Hill Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Willow Hill 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 27° 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) | 5:37 AM | 58° ENE | 8:38 PM | 302° WNW | 73° | 15h 01m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:53 AM | 89° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 50° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 121° ESE | 4:43 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 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 | 8:07 AM | 4:23 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 55m |
| April | 6:00 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:07 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:11 PM | 13h 16m |
| May | 5:20 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:35 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:44 PM | 14h 23m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:36 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 00m |
| July | 5:17 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:05 PM | 14h 45m |
| August | 5:48 AM | 6:17 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 46m |
| September | 6:19 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:22 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:15 PM | 7:43 PM | 12h 29m |
| October | 6:48 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:52 AM | 5:50 PM | 6:27 PM | 6:54 PM | 11h 11m |
| November | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:31 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:50 PM | 5:19 PM | 9h 59m |
| December | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:12 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 Willow Hill 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 5 (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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.81 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Willow Hill Covered Bridge, closest first.
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Covered BridgeCovered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Willow Hill Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Willow Hill Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Willow Hill Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Willow Hill Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Willow Hill Covered Bridge?
How far is Willow Hill Covered Bridge from Strasburg?
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.