Located in Lewis County, Washington, Doty Bridge is a covered bridge. The nearest town is Chehalis, about 24 km (15 mi) away (Doty Bridge lies W of town). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Doty Bridge was a covered bridge located in Doty, Washington, United States. A replacement for an earlier bridge, it was previously listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1982. The Doty Bridge was removed eight years later in 1990 after the structure was reported by the state as having been destroyed. The 150 foot (46 metres) truss bridge was constructed beginning in 1924 and completed by January 1926. The timber built, covered crossing, which spanned the Chehalis River, protected a railroad track used by several rail companies in the region. By the late 1960s, the bridge was disconnected from rail use and eventually fell into disrepair by the mid-1970s. Several attempts were made to either dismantle or save the bridge. Neither option commenced and the span continued to deteriorate. The Doty Bridge was considered the last covered railroad bridge in the state.From the Wikipedia article “Doty Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Doty Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:17 AM | 89° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:20 AM | 54° NE | 9:11 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 125° SE | 4:29 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 33m |
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 | 7:20 AM | 7:54 AM | 8:43 AM | 4:04 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:26 PM | 8h 59m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:38 PM | 6:10 PM | 10h 21m |
| March | 6:57 AM | 7:27 AM | 8:07 AM | 6:39 PM | 7:19 PM | 7:49 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:55 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:20 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 5:04 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:17 PM | 15h 01m |
| June | 4:41 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:07 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 49m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:35 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:42 PM | 15h 29m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 13m |
| September | 6:21 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:32 AM | 6:47 PM | 7:27 PM | 7:57 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:01 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:46 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:58 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 25m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:43 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:27 PM | 5:02 PM | 8h 35m |
Local time (America/Los Angeles), 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 Doty Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:30 AM – 5:40 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:33 AM – 4:23 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:39 AM – 3:09 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:01 AM – 2:21 AM | 2.3 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:38 PM – 1:18 AM | 1.7 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:26 PM – 11:16 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:11 PM – 9:11 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.46 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 5.5+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show July as the clearest month (about 48% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (81%). August is the warmest month and December 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 | 57 | 60 | 67 | 79 | 81 | 87 | 87 | 88 | 94 | 80 | 63 | 57 |
| Low °F | 19 | 21 | 26 | 28 | 33 | 41 | 45 | 45 | 36 | 26 | 21 | 15 |
| Precip. (in) | 10.8 | 6.9 | 8.4 | 5.5 | 3.2 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 7.1 | 11.5 | 10.9 |
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 Doty Bridge, closest first.
WaterfallState Park
Covered Bridge
WaterfallWaterfall
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Doty Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Doty Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Doty Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Doty Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Doty Bridge?
How far is Doty Bridge from Chehalis?
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.