Located in Pope County, Illinois, Bell Smith Natural Bridge is a natural arch at about 147 m (482 ft) above sea level. The nearest town is Carrier Mills, about 18.6 km (11.6 mi) away (Bell Smith Natural Bridge lies S of town).
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bell Smith Natural 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 301° (WNW) in June to 241° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 76° in summer but only 29° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 6:59 AM | 90° E | 7:07 PM | 271° W | 52° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:34 AM | 59° ENE | 8:20 PM | 301° WNW | 76° | 14h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:43 AM | 89° E | 6:53 PM | 271° W | 53° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:06 AM | 120° ESE | 4:41 PM | 241° WSW | 29° | 9h 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
Arches glow when reflected light bounces off nearby rock — the underside of an arch often turns bright orange just after sunrise or before sunset.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6:40 AM | 7:09 AM | 7:48 AM | 4:21 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:29 PM | 9h 51m |
| February | 6:18 AM | 6:45 AM | 7:21 AM | 4:58 PM | 5:34 PM | 6:01 PM | 10h 49m |
| March | 6:41 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:28 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:28 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 5:53 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:55 AM | 6:55 PM | 7:30 PM | 7:57 PM | 13h 10m |
| May | 5:17 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:23 AM | 7:20 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:27 PM | 14h 11m |
| June | 5:03 AM | 5:34 AM | 6:13 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:49 PM | 14h 44m |
| July | 5:16 AM | 5:46 AM | 6:24 AM | 7:38 PM | 8:16 PM | 8:47 PM | 14h 30m |
| August | 5:44 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:17 PM | 13h 37m |
| September | 6:11 AM | 6:37 AM | 7:12 AM | 6:30 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:30 PM | 12h 27m |
| October | 6:37 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:39 AM | 5:43 PM | 6:19 PM | 6:45 PM | 11h 16m |
| November | 6:07 AM | 6:35 AM | 7:13 AM | 4:07 PM | 4:45 PM | 5:13 PM | 10h 10m |
| December | 6:34 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:44 AM | 3:58 PM | 4:38 PM | 5:08 PM | 9h 35m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Bell Smith Natural Bridge, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 5.3 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 24° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 2 (typical truly dark site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -1° | — |
| February | 4:53 AM – 5:13 AM | 0.3 | 13° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:00 AM – 5:30 AM | 1.5 | 20° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:03 AM – 4:43 AM | 2.7 | 23° | SE → S |
| May | 12:02 AM – 3:52 AM | 3.8 | 24° | SE → S |
| June | 10:12 PM – 3:32 AM | 5.3 | 24° | SE → SSW |
| July | 10:06 PM – 2:06 AM | 4.0 | 24° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:26 PM – 12:06 AM | 2.7 | 23° | S → SW |
| September | 8:33 PM – 10:03 PM | 1.5 | 20° | SSW → SW |
| October | 7:46 PM – 8:06 PM | 0.3 | 13° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 1° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.7 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 8.0+ 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 44% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (67%). 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 | 71 | 72 | 79 | 85 | 90 | 108 | 109 | 105 | 101 | 94 | 81 | 73 |
| Low °F | -5 | -3 | 5 | 23 | 35 | 43 | 53 | 51 | 39 | 26 | 13 | -3 |
| Precip. (in) | 3.0 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 5.3 | 5.0 | 3.9 | 4.2 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.1 |
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 natural arch
- At night, arches make classic Milky Way foregrounds; low-level lighting or blue hour exposures keep the rock detailed.
- Use a wide lens and get close to emphasize the span against the sky.
- Never climb on arches; many are fragile and climbing is prohibited on park lands.
- Midday sun creates hard shadows, but can light the underside through reflection in narrow canyons.
- Frame distant features through the opening of the arch for a natural window.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
Season: Spring and autumn offer mild temperatures in desert arch country; summer heat is extreme at midday.
Suggested gear: Ultra-wide lens, Tripod, Headlamp, Plenty of water. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bell Smith Natural Bridge, closest first.
National Forest
WaterfallWaterfall
Wilderness Area
CanyonWilderness Area
Natural Arch
Fire Lookout
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bell Smith Natural Bridge?
What time is golden hour at Bell Smith Natural Bridge?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bell Smith Natural Bridge?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bell Smith Natural Bridge?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bell Smith Natural Bridge?
How far is Bell Smith Natural Bridge from Carrier Mills?
Sources
Location data: USGS GNIS / GeoNames. 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.