It is situated on a stretch of Route 61 that runs due east/west along the south shore of Lake Pepin, a natural widening of the Mississippi River.

The east and west markers are both flanked by walls with decorative herringbone brickwork and sport wide limestone steps at their feet.

The second is a modern interpretive sign printed on plastic, installed by MnDOT and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources in 1988 and slightly relocated during the 1994 renovations.

The goal of these facilities was to improve highway aesthetics, increase safety, and aid the nascent automobile tourism industry by providing places for motorists to relax, eat, and use restrooms in the years before rest areas and convenience stores became commonplace.

[4] The waysides were generally designed in the National Park Service Rustic style, which emphasized the use of natural materials that would harmonize with the local environment and also endure with minimal maintenance.

[2] Like most of Minnesota's early waysides, the Reads Landing Overlook was designed by landscape architect Arthur R. Nichols in consultation with MHD engineer Harold E. Olson.

His design was adapted to the uniquely narrow site, squeezed at the base of a bluff between the highway and a sharp drop-off to railroad tracks and the lakeshore.

The symmetrical plan and fine brick detailing exemplify the sophisticated formalism with which Nichols frequently imbued his rustic style designs.

NYA labor produced at least 19 highway waysides for the Roadside Development Division in Minnesota, as well as picnic tables installed at many more sites.

[2] The Reads Landing Overlook was one of five wayside rests built by the Roadside Development Division along Route 61 near Lake Pepin, four of which are still extant.

Only three other areas of the state received similar concentrations of waysides in this era: the North Shore, Mille Lacs Lake, and around Stillwater.