Located in Franklin County, Vermont, West Hill Covered Bridge is a covered bridge. The nearest town is Montgomery, about 4.0 km (2.5 mi) away (West Hill Covered Bridge lies S of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The West Hill Covered Bridge, also known as the Crystal Springs Covered Bridge is a wooden covered bridge that crosses West Hill Brook on Creamery Bridge Road in Montgomery, Vermont. It is one of six surviving 19th-century bridges built in Montgomery by the brothers Sheldon & Savannah Jewett. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.From the Wikipedia article “West Hill Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At West Hill 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) | 6:55 AM | 90° E | 7:03 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:05 AM | 55° NE | 8:41 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 36m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:38 AM | 89° E | 6:50 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:26 AM | 123° ESE | 4:13 PM | 237° WSW | 22° | 8h 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 | 6:53 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:12 AM | 3:49 PM | 4:36 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 10m |
| February | 6:22 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:34 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:49 PM | 10h 27m |
| March | 6:35 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:43 AM | 6:18 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:26 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:36 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:46 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:36 PM | 8:06 PM | 13h 29m |
| May | 4:49 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:05 AM | 7:30 PM | 8:13 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 50m |
| June | 4:27 AM | 5:05 AM | 5:50 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:39 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 35m |
| July | 4:43 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:03 AM | 7:51 PM | 8:35 PM | 9:11 PM | 15h 16m |
| August | 5:21 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:34 AM | 7:18 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:31 PM | 14h 05m |
| September | 6:01 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:09 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:33 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:46 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:07 PM | 6:37 PM | 11h 01m |
| November | 6:17 AM | 6:49 AM | 7:33 AM | 3:39 PM | 4:24 PM | 4:55 PM | 9h 35m |
| December | 6:49 AM | 7:22 AM | 8:11 AM | 3:22 PM | 4:11 PM | 4:45 PM | 8h 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 West Hill Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° 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 | 4:55 AM – 5:25 AM | 0.5 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:53 AM – 4:13 AM | 1.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:50 AM – 3:10 AM | 2.3 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:09 PM – 2:29 AM | 3.3 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:54 PM – 1:14 AM | 2.3 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:53 PM – 11:13 PM | 1.3 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:44 PM – 9:14 PM | 0.5 | 12° | 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 ≈ 21.83 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 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
- 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.
- Shoot from the stream bank to show the bridge, the water and its reflection together.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 West Hill Covered Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Covered Bridge
Mountain Peak
Mountain Pass
Mountain PeakFAQ
When is the best time to photograph West Hill Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at West Hill Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at West Hill Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from West Hill Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at West Hill Covered Bridge?
How far is West Hill Covered Bridge from Montgomery?
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.