Centre Covered Bridge is a covered bridge in Caledonia County, Vermont. The nearest town is Lyndonville, about 1.2 km (0.7 mi) away (Centre Covered Bridge lies N of town). It dates from 1867. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Centre Covered Bridge, also known as the Sanborn Covered Bridge, is a historic covered bridge, spanning the Passumpsic River next to U.S. Route 5 (US 5) north of the village of Lyndonville, Vermont. Built in 1872, it was moved to its present location and taken out of service in 1960. The bridge was located on Center Street between Lyndonville and Lyndon Center. It is one of three surviving Paddleford truss bridges in Vermont. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. An amended National Register of Historic Places registration form was accepted by the National Park Service in 2024. The amendment fully documents the history and significance of the Centre Covered Bridge and lists it at the national level of significance.From the Wikipedia article “Centre Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Centre Covered Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 22° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:52 AM | 90° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:04 AM | 55° NE | 8:37 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 33m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:36 AM | 89° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:22 AM | 123° ESE | 4:11 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 49m |
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 | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:08 AM | 3:48 PM | 4:34 PM | 5:07 PM | 9h 12m |
| February | 6:19 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:30 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:47 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:32 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:16 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:34 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:33 PM | 8:03 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 4:47 AM | 5:21 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:27 PM | 8:09 PM | 8:43 PM | 14h 48m |
| June | 4:26 AM | 5:03 AM | 5:48 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:12 PM | 15h 32m |
| July | 4:42 AM | 5:18 AM | 6:01 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:31 PM | 9:07 PM | 15h 14m |
| August | 5:20 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 5:58 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:22 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:34 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:43 AM | 5:26 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:35 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:14 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:29 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:22 PM | 4:53 PM | 9h 37m |
| December | 6:45 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:07 AM | 3:21 PM | 4:09 PM | 4:43 PM | 8h 51m |
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 Centre Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.5 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | 7° | — |
| March | 4:41 AM – 5:21 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:39 AM – 4:09 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:45 AM – 3:05 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:03 PM – 2:33 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:49 PM – 1:09 AM | 2.3 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:49 PM – 11:09 PM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:40 PM – 9:10 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
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 ≈ 20.54 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 57% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (81%). 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 | 55 | 65 | 72 | 79 | 84 | 88 | 102 | 87 | 89 | 76 | 66 | 62 |
| Low °F | -31 | -31 | -23 | 9 | 24 | 33 | 43 | 41 | 28 | 20 | -1 | -24 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.4 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 5.3 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 3.6 | 4.7 | 3.4 | 3.6 |
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 Centre Covered Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Mountain Peak
LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Centre Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Centre Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Centre Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Centre Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Centre Covered Bridge?
How far is Centre Covered Bridge from Lyndonville?
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.