Mound
Mound sits at 844 feet along the Grand Rounds Scenic Byway, facing 60 degrees toward the northeast. The terrain drops 89 feet within 600 meters of the overlook. Several named features lie within a mile or so: Elwell Park to the northeast at 0.7 miles, Dinkytown Knoll to the east at 1.0 mile, and East River Flats to the east-southeast, also at 1.0 mile. Northrop Mall is visible east-southeast at 0.9 miles, while Van Cleve Park and its Recreation Center sit east-northeast at 1.2 miles. Minneapolis is 0.6 miles to the west, with Saint Paul 8.1 miles east-southeast and Bloomington 10.6 miles south-southwest. The overlook's orientation puts it roughly 30 degrees off a direct line to sunrise. On the June solstice, sunrise occurs at 05:27 and sunset at 21:04; on the December solstice, sunrise is at 07:49 and sunset at 16:35. The equinox sunrise and sunset times fall close to 07:00–07:17 and 19:12–19:26. The previous stop on the byway is the Drs. Dorothy & Irving Bernstein Scenic Rest Area, and the next is the Horace W. S. Cleveland Overlook.
What you’re looking at
Named terrain inside the view from this overlook, nearest first.
- Elwell Park831 ftnortheast · 0.7 mi
- Northrop Mall853 fteast-southeast · 0.9 mi
- Dinkytown Knoll835 fteast · 1.0 mi
- East River Flats814 fteast-southeast · 1.0 mi
- Van Cleve Park Recreation Center843 fteast-northeast · 1.2 mi
- Van Cleve Park845 fteast-northeast · 1.2 mi
Light
This overlook faces sunrise — 30° off square to it.
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Golden hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:17 | 19:26 | 18:47 |
| June solstice | 05:27 | 21:04 | 20:19 |
| September equinox | 07:01 | 19:12 | 18:34 |
| December solstice | 07:49 | 16:35 | 15:46 |
Local time (America/Chicago). Computed for this exact position.
Where it is
- Minneapolis0.6 mi west
- Saint Paul8.1 mi east-southeast
- Bloomington10.6 mi south-southwest
Take the scenic way to Mound.
Byway plans around your taste, verified places, real weather and opening hours — then opens every leg in Google Maps with one tap.
How high is Mound?
Mound sits at about 844 feet (257 m).
What can you see from Mound?
From Mound: Elwell Park (NE, 0.7 mi); Northrop Mall (ESE, 0.9 mi); Dinkytown Knoll (E, 1.0 mi); East River Flats (ESE, 1.0 mi).
Is Mound better at sunrise or sunset?
Sunrise. The land falls away from Mound toward the sunrise, so at sunset the light is behind you. Exact times shift through the year; the page shows the current window.
What is the nearest town to Mound?
Minneapolis, 0.6 miles W of Mound.
What is the next lookout after Mound?
Horace W. S. Cleveland Overlook is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Mound.
Drive to Mound with Byway
Byway plans the scenic way there — real places along Grand Rounds Scenic Byway, real weather, zero hallucinations — and hands the turns to the navigation you already use.
Byways with this lookout
Day trips start here
- Minneapolis · 1 mi
- Minneapolis/Southeast · 1 mi
- Twin Cities · 3 mi
Locals make it Verified.
Mound — confirmed, rated, and photographed by people who actually pulled over. A local confirmation is what upgrades a lookout from Discovered to Verified. Zero hallucinations.
Confirmed by locals
No local confirmations yet. Stood here? Yours is the one that upgrades this lookout to Verified.
Ratings
No ratings yet. Stood at this lookout? Be the first to rate it.
No written reviews yet.
Field notes
No field notes yet. Know the gate hours or the best pull-in? Leave the note you wish you'd had.
Photos
No photos yet.
Sign in to confirm this lookout, rate it, add photos, and leave field notes.