Harrisburg Covered Bridge is a covered bridge in Sevier County, Tennessee. It sits roughly 7.2 km (4.5 mi) E of Sevierville. It dates from 1875. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Harrisburg Covered Bridge (also called Pigeon River Covered Bridge, East Fork Bridge or McNutts Bridge) is a historic covered bridge in Sevier County, Tennessee. It is located east of Sevierville off U.S. Route 411. The bridge is a king post truss design and crosses the East Fork of Little Pigeon River.From the Wikipedia article “Harrisburg Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Harrisburg 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 241° (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) | 7:38 AM | 90° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:19 AM | 60° ENE | 8:54 PM | 300° WNW | 78° | 14h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 54° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:41 AM | 119° ESE | 5:24 PM | 241° WSW | 31° | 9h 43m |
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 | 7:16 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:23 AM | 5:05 PM | 5:44 PM | 6:12 PM | 10h 00m |
| February | 6:56 AM | 7:22 AM | 7:57 AM | 5:41 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:42 PM | 10h 54m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:46 AM | 8:20 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:07 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:35 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:33 PM | 8:07 PM | 8:34 PM | 13h 06m |
| May | 6:01 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:01 PM | 14h 04m |
| June | 5:48 AM | 6:18 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:15 PM | 8:53 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 35m |
| July | 6:00 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:07 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:51 PM | 9:21 PM | 14h 22m |
| August | 6:26 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:28 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:52 PM | 13h 32m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:51 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:43 PM | 8:09 PM | 12h 26m |
| October | 7:15 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:16 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 19m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:11 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:51 PM | 5:28 PM | 5:55 PM | 10h 17m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:38 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 45m |
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 Harrisburg Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 25° 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 | 5:22 AM – 5:52 AM | 0.5 | 15° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:27 AM – 6:17 AM | 1.8 | 22° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:27 AM – 5:27 AM | 3.0 | 25° | SE → S |
| May | 12:33 AM – 4:43 AM | 4.2 | 25° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:41 PM – 4:21 AM | 5.7 | 25° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:36 PM – 2:56 AM | 4.3 | 25° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:59 PM – 12:59 AM | 3.0 | 25° | S → SW |
| September | 9:09 PM – 10:59 PM | 1.8 | 22° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:25 PM – 8:55 PM | 0.5 | 15° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| 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: 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 ≈ 20.82 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (65%). 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 | 68 | 71 | 81 | 80 | 87 | 101 | 99 | 97 | 95 | 92 | 81 | 72 |
| Low °F | -3 | -1 | 10 | 21 | 31 | 42 | 48 | 47 | 36 | 23 | 12 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.4 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 5.3 |
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 Harrisburg Covered Bridge, closest first.
Cave
Fire Lookout
Waterfall
Waterfall
State Park
Fire LookoutWaterfall
Scenic ViewpointWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Greenbrier Picnic Pavilion18.7 km (11.6 mi) · reservable
- Twin Creeks Picnic Pavilion19.5 km (12.1 mi) · reservable
- Elkmont Campground24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Elkmont Group Camp24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Spence Cabin25 km (15 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Harrisburg Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Harrisburg Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Harrisburg Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Harrisburg Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Harrisburg Covered Bridge?
How far is Harrisburg Covered Bridge from Sevierville?
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.