Meems Bottom Covered Bridge — a covered bridge in Shenandoah County, Virginia — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Mount Jackson, about 3.0 km (1.9 mi) away (Meems Bottom Covered Bridge lies SSW of town). It dates from 1894. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Meems Bottom Covered Bridge (also Meem's Bottom Covered Bridge) is in Shenandoah County, Virginia, United States. The bridge, at 204 feet (62 m), is the longest covered bridge in Virginia and one of the last that supports regular traffic. Near the town of Mount Jackson, the Meems Bottom Covered Bridge features a 200-foot single-span wooden Burr arch structure. Built in 1892 by Franklin Hiser Wissler, the wooden bridge over the North Fork of the Shenandoah River provided access to his apple orchards at Strathmore Farms. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on June 10, 1975.From the Wikipedia article “Meems Bottom Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Meems Bottom Covered Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 59° (ENE) at the June solstice and 120° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 302° (WNW) in June to 240° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 75° in summer but only 28° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:19 AM | 90° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:51 AM | 59° ENE | 8:44 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:03 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:30 AM | 120° ESE | 4:57 PM | 240° WSW | 28° | 9h 27m |
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 | 7:03 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:12 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:46 PM | 9h 45m |
| February | 6:39 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:44 AM | 5:16 PM | 5:53 PM | 6:20 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:00 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:02 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:22 PM | 7:48 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:12 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:51 PM | 8:19 PM | 13h 12m |
| May | 5:34 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:20 PM | 8:50 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:30 AM | 8:02 PM | 8:42 PM | 9:14 PM | 14h 52m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:11 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 6:01 AM | 6:29 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:34 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:39 PM | 13h 41m |
| September | 6:30 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:50 PM | 7:25 PM | 7:51 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 6:58 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:00 AM | 6:02 PM | 6:38 PM | 7:05 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:29 AM | 6:58 AM | 7:37 AM | 4:23 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:31 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 6:57 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:08 AM | 4:13 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:25 PM | 9h 29m |
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 Meems Bottom Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.2 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 22° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:22 AM – 5:32 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:31 AM – 5:51 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:27 AM – 4:57 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 4:08 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:40 PM – 3:50 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:33 PM – 2:23 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:50 PM – 12:20 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 8:55 PM – 10:15 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:07 PM – 8:27 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.38 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.5+ 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 52% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (64%). 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 | 72 | 73 | 78 | 87 | 93 | 96 | 101 | 98 | 97 | 95 | 80 | 77 |
| Low °F | -3 | -3 | -6 | 22 | 27 | 39 | 50 | 49 | 36 | 23 | 13 | 6 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 3.7 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
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.
- Inside the bridge, the timber trusses make strong symmetrical compositions — use a tripod for long exposures.
- 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 Meems Bottom Covered Bridge, closest first.
Cave
Mountain Pass
Mountain Peak
Cave
Cave
Waterfall
Scenic ViewpointCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Camp Roosevelt12.1 km (7.5 mi) · reservable
- Wolf Gap23 km (14 mi) · reservable
- Little Fort24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Trout Pond Recreation Area27 km (17 mi) · reservable
- Big Meadows Campground - Shenandoah (Va)28 km (18 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Meems Bottom Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Meems Bottom Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Meems Bottom Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Meems Bottom Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Meems Bottom Covered Bridge?
How far is Meems Bottom Covered Bridge from Mount Jackson?
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.