Grays River Covered Bridge is a covered bridge in Wahkiakum County, Washington. The nearest town is Astoria, about 27 km (17 mi) away (Grays River Covered Bridge lies NE of town). It dates from 1905. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Grays River Covered Bridge is a one-lane covered bridge over the Grays River in western Wahkiakum County, Washington. It is the only covered bridge still in use as a public highway in Washington State. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.From the Wikipedia article “Grays River Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Grays River Covered Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (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) | 7:18 AM | 89° E | 7:27 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:23 AM | 54° NE | 9:11 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 48m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:02 AM | 89° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 124° SE | 4:31 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 35m |
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 | 8:42 AM | 4:06 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:28 PM | 9h 01m |
| February | 6:48 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:40 PM | 6:11 PM | 10h 22m |
| March | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:40 PM | 7:20 PM | 7:50 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:57 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:02 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 34m |
| May | 5:06 AM | 5:42 AM | 6:26 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 59m |
| June | 4:43 AM | 5:22 AM | 6:09 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 47m |
| July | 5:00 AM | 5:38 AM | 6:23 AM | 8:19 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 27m |
| August | 5:41 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:44 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 11m |
| September | 6:23 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:33 AM | 6:48 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:02 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:13 AM | 5:48 PM | 6:29 PM | 7:00 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 6:44 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:03 AM | 3:57 PM | 4:43 PM | 5:16 PM | 9h 26m |
| December | 7:17 AM | 7:52 AM | 8:42 AM | 3:38 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:04 PM | 8h 37m |
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 Grays River Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° 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 | 3:32 AM – 4:32 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:26 AM – 3:16 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:53 PM – 2:33 AM | 2.7 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:33 PM – 1:23 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:24 PM – 11:14 PM | 0.8 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 9:20 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.59 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 Grays River Covered Bridge, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
National Wildlife Refuge
Waterfall
LighthouseLighthouse
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Grays River Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Grays River Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Grays River Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Grays River Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Grays River Covered Bridge?
How far is Grays River Covered Bridge from Astoria?
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.