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Ford Dam Scenic Overlook

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Looking south from Ford Dam Scenic Overlook. Terrain and imagery at true elevation.

Ford Dam Scenic Overlook sits at 804 feet along the Great River Road, facing south across terrain that drops 96 feet within 600 meters of the viewpoint. Several named features lie within a few miles to the south: Yardville Right of Way at 0.6 mile, Mní Ówe Sní (Coldwater Spring) at 1.0 mile, Coldwater Spring at 1.1 miles, Morris Park to the southwest at 1.2 miles, the Leonard H. Neiman Sports Complex at 1.7 miles, and Pilot Knob Preservation Site at 2.8 miles to the south-southeast, the highest of the listed points at 919 feet. Minneapolis is 5.4 miles to the northwest, Saint Paul is 5.7 miles east-northeast, and Bloomington is 8.2 miles southwest. Daylight hours vary by season, with sunrise and sunset ranging from a 05:27 sunrise and 21:04 sunset at the June solstice to a 07:48 sunrise and 16:35 sunset at the December solstice. This overlook follows Carver's Cave Overlook and precedes Minnehaha Falls View Area on the byway route.

Access
0.4 mi detour
Elevation
804 ft
View
South · 180°
Relief
96 ft drop
In view
6 named features
Ford Dam Scenic Overlook
Gabriel Vanslette · CC BY 3.0 · source
Towboat Patrick Ganmaway taking a load of sand and gravel through the lock at Lock Number 1 on the Mississippi River at St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
Ken Gardner, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · Public domain · source
Intercity Bridge crossing the Mississippi River between Minneapolis and St Paul, Minnesota, USA. Viewed from Lock & Dam No. 1.
McGhiever · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source
Intercity Bridge connecting Minneapolis and Saint Paul Minnesota at 46th Street and Ford Parkway. Seen from downstream on the Mississippi River.
User:Hun9ryjoe · CC BY-SA 1.0 · source
Mississippi River Bridge
Gabriel Vanslette · CC BY 3.0 · source
Hidden Falls - St Paul, MN
Gabriel Vanslette · CC BY 3.0 · source

What you’re looking at

Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.

  • Yardville Right of Way822 ftsouth-southwest · 0.6 mi
  • Mní Ówe Sní (Coldwater Spring)813 ftsouth · 1.0 mi
  • Coldwater Spring816 ftsouth · 1.1 mi
  • Morris Park839 ftsouthwest · 1.2 mi
  • Leonard H. Neiman Sports Complex812 ftsouth · 1.7 mi
  • Pilot Knob Preservation Site919 ftsouth-southeast · 2.8 mi

Light

DateSunriseSunsetGolden hour
March equinox07:1719:2518:47
June solstice05:2721:0420:18
September equinox07:0119:1218:34
December solstice07:4816:3515:46

Local time (America/Chicago). Computed for this exact position.

Where it is

  • Minneapolis5.4 mi northwest
  • Saint Paul5.7 mi east-northeast
  • Bloomington8.2 mi southwest
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How high is Ford Dam Scenic Overlook?

Ford Dam Scenic Overlook sits at about 804 feet (245 m).

What can you see from Ford Dam Scenic Overlook?

From Ford Dam Scenic Overlook: Yardville Right of Way (SSW, 0.6 mi); Mní Ówe Sní (Coldwater Spring) (S, 1.0 mi); Coldwater Spring (S, 1.1 mi); Morris Park (SW, 1.2 mi).

What is the nearest town to Ford Dam Scenic Overlook?

Minneapolis, 5.4 miles NW of Ford Dam Scenic Overlook.

What is the next lookout after Ford Dam Scenic Overlook?

Minnehaha Falls View Area is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Ford Dam Scenic Overlook.

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Locals make it Verified.

Ford Dam Scenic Overlook — confirmed, rated, and photographed by people who actually pulled over. A local confirmation is what upgrades a lookout from Discovered to Verified. Zero hallucinations.

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