Fisher Covered Railroad Bridge is a covered bridge in Lamoille County, Vermont. It sits roughly 5.6 km (3.5 mi) WNW of Hardwick. It dates from 1908. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Fisher Covered Railroad Bridge is a covered bridge in Wolcott, Vermont. Built in 1908, it originally carried the St. Johnsbury and Lamoille County Railroad line over the Lamoille River. Now closed, it was the last covered bridge in Vermont to carry railroad traffic, and is a rare surviving example in the state of a double Town lattice truss. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The bridge is currently part of the Lamoille County Rail Trail.From the Wikipedia article “Fisher Covered Railroad Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Fisher Covered Railroad 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) | 6:54 AM | 90° E | 7:02 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:06 AM | 55° NE | 8:39 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 33m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:37 AM | 89° E | 6:49 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:24 AM | 123° ESE | 4:13 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 | 6:51 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:10 AM | 3:50 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 12m |
| February | 6:21 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 28m |
| March | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:42 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:56 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:36 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:46 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:05 PM | 13h 28m |
| May | 4:49 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 48m |
| June | 4:28 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:37 PM | 9:14 PM | 15h 32m |
| July | 4:44 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:08 PM | 15h 14m |
| August | 5:22 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:33 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 04m |
| September | 6:00 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:08 AM | 6:24 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:32 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:36 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:36 PM | 11h 02m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:31 AM | 3:40 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:55 PM | 9h 37m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:08 AM | 3:23 PM | 4:11 PM | 4:45 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 Fisher Covered Railroad 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 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 4:43 AM – 5:23 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:41 AM – 4:11 AM | 1.5 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:47 AM – 3:07 AM | 2.3 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:05 PM – 2:35 AM | 3.5 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:51 PM – 1:11 AM | 2.3 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 11:11 PM | 1.3 | 16° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 9:12 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.71 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
- 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 Fisher Covered Railroad Bridge, closest first.
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State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Fisher Covered Railroad Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Fisher Covered Railroad Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Fisher Covered Railroad Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Fisher Covered Railroad Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Fisher Covered Railroad Bridge?
How far is Fisher Covered Railroad Bridge from Hardwick?
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.