Observation Deck
The Observation Deck sits at 430 feet along the Great River Road, with terrain dropping only 10 feet over the next 600 meters. From this point, Batchtown State Fish and Waterfowl Management Area is visible to the north at 2.7 miles, Titus Hollow Public Access Area lies north-northeast at 3.3 miles, and Jim Crow Island is north-northwest at 4.1 miles, each at elevations within a few feet of the deck itself. O'Fallon is 14.7 miles to the south, with Saint Charles at 18.8 miles southeast and Saint Louis 37.5 miles southeast. Sunrise and sunset times vary across the year, from a 05:38 sunrise and 20:33 sunset at the June solstice to a 07:19 sunrise and 16:44 sunset at the December solstice. Mark Twain Scenic Overlook precedes this stop on the route, and Mark Decker Platform follows it.
What you’re looking at
Named terrain around this overlook, nearest first. No view direction is recorded, so every bearing is listed.
- Batchtown State Fish and Waterfowl Management Area437 ftnorth · 2.7 mi
- Titus Hollow Public Access Area439 ftnorth-northeast · 3.3 mi
- Jim Crow Island436 ftnorth-northwest · 4.1 mi
Light
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset | Golden hour |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:07 | 19:15 | 18:40 |
| June solstice | 05:38 | 20:33 | 19:53 |
| September equinox | 06:51 | 19:02 | 18:26 |
| December solstice | 07:19 | 16:44 | 16:02 |
Local time (America/Chicago). Computed for this exact position.
Where it is
- O’Fallon14.7 mi south
- Saint Charles18.8 mi southeast
- Saint Louis37.5 mi southeast
Take the scenic way to Observation Deck.
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How high is Observation Deck?
Observation Deck sits at about 430 feet (131 m).
What can you see from Observation Deck?
From Observation Deck: Batchtown State Fish and Waterfowl Management Area (N, 2.7 mi); Titus Hollow Public Access Area (NNE, 3.3 mi); Jim Crow Island (NNW, 4.1 mi).
What is the nearest town to Observation Deck?
O’Fallon, 15 miles S of Observation Deck.
What is the next lookout after Observation Deck?
Mark Decker Platform is the next surfaced lookout along the same route after Observation Deck.
Drive to Observation Deck with Byway
Byway plans the scenic way there — real places along Great River Road, real weather, zero hallucinations — and hands the turns to the navigation you already use.
Byways with this lookout
Day trips start here
- St. Charles · 18 mi
- Ferguson · 27 mi
- St. Louis County · 28 mi
- Alton · 29 mi
Locals make it Verified.
Observation Deck — 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
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Field notes
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More lookouts on Great River Road
Named places near this lookout
- Sandy Island Bald Eagle Sanctuary Nature reserve · 0.29 mi
- Cave Spring Spring · 1.47 mi
- Sandy Island Nature reserve · 1.99 mi
- Jim Crow Island Picnic site · 4.09 mi
- Large Stag Island Picnic site · 5.59 mi
- Cuivre Island Picnic site · 5.73 mi
- Goat Cliff Cliff · 8.01 mi
- Mark Twain National Wildlife Refuge Park · 8.49 mi