Staats Mill Covered Bridge is a covered bridge in Jackson County, West Virginia. It sits roughly 3.4 km (2.1 mi) SE of Ripley. It dates from 1888. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Staats Mill Covered Bridge, also known as Tug Fork Covered Bridge, is a historic wooden covered bridge near Ripley in Jackson County, West Virginia, United States. Built in 1887, the Staats Mill Covered Bridge originally crossed the Tug Fork of Big Mill Creek and was named for Enoch Staats' water-powered mill. The Staats family were early settlers to the area, arriving around 1780. The bridge was built adjacent to Enoch Staats' mill and store and played an important role in the history and development of Jackson County. Construction of the bridge was handled by the Jackson County Court, which paid a total of $1,788.35 to local craftspeople for completion of the structure.From the Wikipedia article “Staats Mill Covered Bridge”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Staats Mill 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) | 7:31 AM | 90° E | 7:39 PM | 271° W | 51° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:03 AM | 59° ENE | 8:56 PM | 302° WNW | 75° | 14h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:15 AM | 89° E | 7:26 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:42 AM | 120° ESE | 5:09 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 | 7:15 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:49 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:58 PM | 9h 45m |
| February | 6:52 AM | 7:19 AM | 7:56 AM | 5:28 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:32 PM | 10h 46m |
| March | 7:13 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:59 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:01 PM | 11h 55m |
| April | 6:24 AM | 6:51 AM | 7:27 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:04 PM | 8:31 PM | 13h 13m |
| May | 5:46 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:53 AM | 7:55 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:02 PM | 14h 17m |
| June | 5:30 AM | 6:02 AM | 6:42 AM | 8:14 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:26 PM | 14h 52m |
| July | 5:44 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:54 AM | 8:13 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:23 PM | 14h 37m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:41 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:51 PM | 13h 42m |
| September | 6:42 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:37 PM | 8:04 PM | 12h 28m |
| October | 7:10 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:13 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:50 PM | 7:17 PM | 11h 13m |
| November | 6:42 AM | 7:10 AM | 7:49 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:43 PM | 10h 05m |
| December | 7:09 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:21 AM | 4:25 PM | 5:07 PM | 5:37 PM | 9h 28m |
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 Staats Mill 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| February | 5:34 AM – 5:44 AM | 0.2 | 12° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:43 AM – 6:03 AM | 1.3 | 19° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:39 AM – 5:09 AM | 2.5 | 22° | SE → S |
| May | 12:40 AM – 4:20 AM | 3.7 | 22° | SE → S |
| June | 10:52 PM – 4:02 AM | 5.2 | 22° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:45 PM – 2:35 AM | 3.8 | 22° | SSE → SW |
| August | 10:02 PM – 12:32 AM | 2.5 | 22° | S → SW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 10:27 PM | 1.3 | 19° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:19 PM – 8:39 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.84 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 January as the cloudiest (77%). 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 | 74 | 85 | 84 | 98 | 99 | 103 | 100 | 98 | 95 | 80 | 75 |
| Low °F | -3 | -2 | -2 | 21 | 28 | 40 | 51 | 48 | 38 | 26 | 13 | 2 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.7 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Staats Mill Covered Bridge, closest first.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Staats Mill Covered Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Staats Mill Covered Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Staats Mill Covered Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Staats Mill Covered Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Staats Mill Covered Bridge?
How far is Staats Mill Covered Bridge from Ripley?
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.