Buena Vista Overlook

Buena Vista Park sits on a limestone bluff 500 feet above the town of Alma, reached by a short drive up County Road E from WI-35 and a brief walk from the parking area to a rock outcropping at the edge. From that natural perch, the view opens north across Pool 4 and into Lake Pepin, and south through the wide bottomland floodplain — Lock & Dam No. 4 sits directly below, where you can watch barges working through the lock alongside pleasure boats. The Wisconsin Great River Road's own site describes it as a natural limestone bluff balcony, and the Alma Chamber of Commerce notes that Better Homes & Gardens called it "one of the river valley's finest natural balconies."

The park is a genuine no-detour stop: County Road E branches off WI-35 in Alma, and the whole turnoff adds only a few minutes to anyone already running the byway. On-site amenities include picnic tables, grills, a shelter, restrooms, and a small playground, and the parking area is handicap accessible. Eagles are a regular sight riding the thermals along the bluff line, and on a clear day you can trace the river's channel through the sand islands and backwater sloughs far below. No camping is permitted, and the park is open daily from dawn to 11 p.m.