Brown Covered Bridge — a covered bridge in Rutland County, Vermont — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Rutland, about 6.5 km (4.0 mi) away (Brown Covered Bridge lies SE of town). It dates from 1880. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Brown Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge in Shrewsbury, Vermont. Located in the northwestern part of the town, it carries Upper Cold River Road over the Cold River. It was closed to vehicular traffic in 2011 due to damage from Hurricane Irene and reopened on July 5, 2016. Built in 1880 by noted Vermont bridgewright Nichols M. Powers, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2014, cited as one of the finest and least-altered examples of a Town lattice truss covered bridge in the United States.From the Wikipedia article “Brown Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Brown Covered Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 304° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 70° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:56 AM | 90° E | 7:04 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:11 AM | 56° NE | 8:37 PM | 304° NW | 70° | 15h 26m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:40 AM | 89° E | 6:51 PM | 271° W | 47° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 123° ESE | 4:19 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 56m |
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 | 7:23 AM | 8:08 AM | 3:56 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:13 PM | 9h 18m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:42 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:52 PM | 10h 31m |
| March | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:20 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:40 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:48 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:35 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 25m |
| May | 4:55 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:09 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:10 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 42m |
| June | 4:35 AM | 5:11 AM | 5:54 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 25m |
| July | 4:50 AM | 5:25 AM | 6:07 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:32 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 07m |
| August | 5:26 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 14h 00m |
| September | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:10 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 32m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:10 PM | 6:39 PM | 11h 04m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:29 AM | 3:45 PM | 4:28 PM | 4:59 PM | 9h 42m |
| December | 6:46 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:06 AM | 3:30 PM | 4:17 PM | 4:49 PM | 8h 58m |
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 Brown Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 18° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| March | 4:44 AM – 5:24 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:39 AM – 4:19 AM | 1.7 | 17° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:42 AM – 3:22 AM | 2.7 | 18° | SSE → S |
| June | 10:56 PM – 2:46 AM | 3.8 | 18° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:44 PM – 1:24 AM | 2.7 | 18° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:48 PM – 11:28 PM | 1.7 | 17° | S → SSW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 9:22 PM | 0.7 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| 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 ≈ 20.85 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.0+ 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 (74%). 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 | 59 | 68 | 72 | 82 | 84 | 96 | 96 | 92 | 89 | 78 | 69 | 65 |
| Low °F | -30 | -23 | -21 | 8 | 24 | 34 | 44 | 42 | 30 | 18 | 1 | -15 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 3.8 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 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
- 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 Brown Covered Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Waterfall
Mountain Peak
Mountain Peak
Mountain PassWaterfall
State Park
Rock Formation
Covered BridgeCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Brown Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Brown Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Brown Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Brown Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Brown Covered Bridge?
How far is Brown Covered Bridge from Rutland?
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.