• Mississippi National River and Recreation Area

    Mississippi

    National River & Recreation Area Minnesota

Vento View Overlook

Saint Paul Parks and Recreation
Located at the intersections of Sibley Memorial Highway, Cherokee Heights Boulevard, and Annapolis Street West in St. Paul.
 
directions
Get Directions
 
From high on a bluff, one can see views of the Mississippi River and wooded shorelines.

Overview
Bruce Vento held Minnesota’s 4th Congressional District seat in the House of Representatives for over 23 years before his death from lung cancer in 2000. The Vento View Overlook and the Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary commemorate his dedication to the environment.

The overlook is located in Cherokee Regional Park on a forested bluff overlooking the Mississippi River. There is a rather informal but relatively flat trail that leads to the overlook. For the more adventurous a hiking trail leads steeply downhill from the overlook into the Lilydale Regional Park. This trail skirts along the edges of several mine pits and past the ruins of a brick kiln once used by the Twin City Brick Company (an area known as The Brickyards).

Activities: Hiking; views of the Mississippi River valley, Pickerel Lake, and surrounding area. Birdwatching is a favorite activity here.

Hours: Sunrise to 11:00 p.m., unless otherwise posted.

Contact Information: Call Saint Paul Parks and Recreation at (651) 632-5111.

 
 

Related Activities: Birds & Wildlife, Natural History, Hiking & Walks

 
Sites Nearby: Lillydale/Harriet Island Regional Park, The Brickyards of St. Paul, Fort Snelling State Park, Mississippi River Visitor Center
 
arrow left

Places to Go

Did You Know?

The wide Mississippi River

At Lake Onalaska, near LaCrosse WI, the Mississippi River is about 4 miles wide. The combination of water held behind Lock and Dam #7 and water held by damming the Black River form this broad reach of the Mississippi River.