Lookout Park

Lookout Park – or the Cold Spring Roadside Parking Area, as it was known by the highway department - was built in 1936, two years after Highway 23 was first paved through Cold Spring. The 14.5 acre site was chosen for its remarkable scenic qualities and for its ability to showcase important local assets including the Sauk River and its rocky bluffs, the city’s abundant natural springs, and the area’s important granite industry. Constructed with the help of 25 unemployed local men hired under the federally-funded Works Progress Administration (WPA), a Great Depression relief program. Over the summer of 1936, workers aided in the construction of the walking trails, granite overlooks, and other features of the site, in addition to planting 225 trees and 2,800 shrubs. Closed off in the 1980's and underutilized as a state highway wayside rest, the expansion of Highway 23 to four lanes in 2004 lead to the rehabilitation of some of the park’s features, while several others were destroyed to make way for the highway expansion. In 2008, the Minnesota Department of Transportation conveyed Lookout Park to the City of Cold Spring. Over the decades, Lookout Park became overgrown and fell into disrepair. In 2023, the ROCORI FFA Chapter received approval from the Cold Spring City Council to complete a rehabilitation of Lookout Park, as a service project. Together, with key partners and local volunteers to complete the project, the ROCORI FFA Chapter has; - Implemented a Buckthorn management and control program - Cleared graffiti off of the Council Ring and the Lookout Hill Overlook - Restored the function of the small spring-fed pond - Uncovered the small dam with a stepping stone trail crossing - Reconstructed the trail system through the northern side of the park - Reestablished the trail crossing over the large dam - Removed over 700 pounds of garbage - Established an ecological restoration following the Buckthorn removal The rehabilitation of Lookout Park is set to be completed in the Spring of 2026, ninety years after the park's original construction.