Weyerhaeuser Pe Ell Bridge — a covered bridge in Lewis County, Washington — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Winlock, about 28 km (18 mi) away (Weyerhaeuser Pe Ell Bridge lies WNW of town). It dates from 1934. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Weyerhaeuser Pe Ell Bridge was a covered bridge built in 1934 and located over the Chehalis River near Pe Ell, Washington. The bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1982 but delisted in 1990 after the state reported that the bridge was destroyed. The bridge, however, remained though it had suffered deterioration and some loss of use. The historic structure was eventually destroyed due to rushing waters during flooding caused by the Great Coastal Gale of 2007. The crossing, mostly for use as a footpath and as a means to house a water line to the town, was replaced in the following years. The new bridge, continuing to house the water main, is given the moniker, the Tin Bridge. The Weyerhaeuser Pe Ell Bridge was a timber, truss bridge that spanned 63 feet (19.2 m) in length. It was considered utilitarian in appearance, covered in locally purchased...From the Wikipedia article “Weyerhaeuser Pe Ell Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Weyerhaeuser Pe Ell 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 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) | 5:21 AM | 54° NE | 9:11 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 50m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:01 AM | 89° E | 7:13 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:55 AM | 124° SE | 4:29 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 34m |
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 | 4:04 PM | 4:53 PM | 5:27 PM | 8h 59m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:18 AM | 8:01 AM | 4:56 PM | 5:39 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 | 6:27 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:20 PM | 8:01 PM | 8:33 PM | 13h 34m |
| May | 5:04 AM | 5:40 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 01m |
| June | 4:41 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:07 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:09 PM | 9:48 PM | 15h 48m |
| July | 4:58 AM | 5:36 AM | 6:21 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:41 PM | 15h 28m |
| August | 5:39 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:43 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 12m |
| September | 6:22 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 | 5:47 PM | 6:28 PM | 6:58 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 6:43 AM | 7:16 AM | 8:02 AM | 3:55 PM | 4:41 PM | 5:14 PM | 9h 25m |
| December | 7:16 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:42 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:27 PM | 5:02 PM | 8h 36m |
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 Weyerhaeuser Pe Ell Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.5 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 | 1:27 AM – 3:17 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:57 PM – 2:27 AM | 2.5 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:35 PM – 1:15 AM | 1.7 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:24 PM – 11:14 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:10 PM – 9:10 PM | 0.0 | 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 ≈ 21.51 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
- 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.
- Many covered bridges still carry traffic; stay off the roadway and watch for vehicles.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Weyerhaeuser Pe Ell Bridge, closest first.
Waterfall
Covered Bridge
State ParkWaterfallWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Weyerhaeuser Pe Ell Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Weyerhaeuser Pe Ell Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Weyerhaeuser Pe Ell Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Weyerhaeuser Pe Ell Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Weyerhaeuser Pe Ell Bridge?
How far is Weyerhaeuser Pe Ell Bridge from Winlock?
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.