Simpson Creek Covered Bridge is a covered bridge in Harrison County, West Virginia. It sits roughly 3.2 km (2.0 mi) NE of Despard. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Simpson Creek Covered Bridge is located in Bridgeport, West Virginia, crossing Simpson Creek off Meadowbrook Road near the entrance to the Meadowbrook Mall. The 14.25-foot-wide (4.34 m), 75-foot-long (23 m) multiple-kingpost truss bridge was built in 1881 by Asa Hugill. The current location of the bridge is not the original location. It was washed out by a flood in July 1889 and later relocated to its current location a half-mile upstream from its original spot. The Simpson Creek and Fletcher Covered Bridges, are the only two remaining covered bridges in Harrison County, are examples of this truss design.From the Wikipedia article “Simpson Creek Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Simpson Creek Covered Bridge the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 58° (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 74° in summer but only 27° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:26 AM | 90° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:55 AM | 58° ENE | 8:52 PM | 302° WNW | 74° | 14h 56m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:09 AM | 89° E | 7:20 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 11m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 120° ESE | 5:02 PM | 240° WSW | 27° | 9h 24m |
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 | 7:11 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:52 PM | 9h 42m |
| February | 6:47 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:51 AM | 5:21 PM | 5:58 PM | 6:26 PM | 10h 44m |
| March | 7:07 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:09 AM | 6:53 PM | 7:28 PM | 7:55 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:17 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 7:23 PM | 7:59 PM | 8:26 PM | 13h 14m |
| May | 5:38 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:58 PM | 14h 20m |
| June | 5:22 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:10 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 55m |
| July | 5:36 AM | 6:07 AM | 6:47 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 40m |
| August | 6:06 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:12 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:47 PM | 13h 44m |
| September | 6:36 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:38 AM | 6:56 PM | 7:31 PM | 7:58 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:04 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:08 AM | 6:07 PM | 6:44 PM | 7:11 PM | 11h 12m |
| November | 6:37 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:08 PM | 5:36 PM | 10h 02m |
| December | 7:04 AM | 7:35 AM | 8:17 AM | 4:17 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:30 PM | 9h 25m |
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 Simpson Creek Covered Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.0 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 5 (suburban sky), so expect visible sky glow; drive away from towns for better results.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:28 AM – 5:38 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:37 AM – 5:57 AM | 1.3 | 18° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:34 AM – 5:04 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:36 AM – 4:16 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:50 PM – 3:50 AM | 5.0 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:42 PM – 2:22 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:58 PM – 12:28 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 9:02 PM – 10:22 PM | 1.3 | 18° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:13 PM – 8:23 PM | 0.2 | 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: 5 Bortle 5 — Suburban sky. The Milky Way is weak near the horizon and washed out overhead; long exposures pick up a sky glow. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 19.89 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 7.0+ 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 52% average cloud cover) and January as the cloudiest (78%). 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 | 70 | 72 | 79 | 83 | 97 | 98 | 103 | 100 | 99 | 94 | 77 | 69 |
| Low °F | -7 | -3 | 0 | 21 | 25 | 38 | 49 | 47 | 38 | 25 | 12 | 5 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.3 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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 Simpson Creek Covered Bridge, closest first.
Covered Bridge
State Park
State Park
State Park
Covered BridgeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Simpson Creek Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Simpson Creek Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Simpson Creek Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Simpson Creek Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Simpson Creek Covered Bridge?
How far is Simpson Creek Covered Bridge from Despard?
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.