Campbell's Covered Bridge is a covered bridge in Greenville County, South Carolina. It sits roughly 9.7 km (6.0 mi) ENE of Tigerville. It dates from 1909. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Campbell's Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge in northeastern Greenville County, South Carolina, near the small town of Gowensville, and crosses Beaverdam Creek off Pleasant Hill Road. Campbell's Covered Bridge is the last remaining covered bridge in South Carolina. It is owned by Greenville County, which closed it to motorized traffic in the early 1980s. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 1, 2009.From the Wikipedia article “Campbell's Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Campbell's Covered Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 60° (ENE) at the June solstice and 119° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 78° in summer but only 31° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:34 AM | 90° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:16 AM | 60° ENE | 8:47 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 31m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:18 AM | 89° E | 7:28 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:34 AM | 119° ESE | 5:22 PM | 242° WSW | 31° | 9h 47m |
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 | 7:10 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:03 PM | 5:41 PM | 6:08 PM | 10h 03m |
| February | 6:50 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:37 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:38 PM | 10h 56m |
| March | 7:15 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:14 AM | 7:03 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:02 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:32 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:32 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:28 PM | 13h 04m |
| May | 5:58 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:26 PM | 8:54 PM | 14h 00m |
| June | 5:45 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:15 PM | 14h 30m |
| July | 5:58 AM | 6:27 AM | 7:03 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:44 PM | 9:13 PM | 14h 18m |
| August | 6:23 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:24 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:19 PM | 8:46 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 6:47 AM | 7:13 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:04 PM | 7:38 PM | 8:03 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:36 AM | 8:10 AM | 6:21 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:38 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:41 AM | 4:48 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 20m |
| December | 7:03 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:10 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 49m |
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 Campbell's Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 5:07 AM – 5:47 AM | 0.7 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:21 AM – 6:11 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:21 AM – 5:21 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:25 AM – 4:45 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:32 PM – 4:22 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:27 PM – 2:57 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:52 PM – 1:02 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 9:03 PM – 10:53 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:20 PM – 9:00 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.0 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 47% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (60%). 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 | 70 | 72 | 79 | 81 | 88 | 101 | 100 | 98 | 94 | 92 | 80 | 72 |
| Low °F | -2 | -3 | 5 | 21 | 32 | 42 | 49 | 47 | 35 | 24 | 9 | 5 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.8 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 5.3 | 4.7 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 4.1 | 4.8 |
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.
- Autumn foliage peaks are the most popular time — visit on weekdays to avoid crowds.
- 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 Campbell's Covered Bridge, closest first.
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Botanical GardenFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Campbell's Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Campbell's Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Campbell's Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Campbell's Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Campbell's Covered Bridge?
How far is Campbell's Covered Bridge from Tigerville?
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.