Cascade River Overlook was built between 1934 and 1935 by 200 men of the Civilian Conservation Corps from the Spruce Creek Camp as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal. Part of the 118-acre Cascade River Wayside, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and stands as an important example of partnership between the Minnesota Highway Department, now the Minnesota Department of Transportation, and the National Park Service. Designed in the National Park Service Rustic Style to harmonize with its natural surroundings, the wall used native gabbro stone and natural outcroppings to create a scenic overlook along Highway 61, the North Shore Scenic Drive. Its design was a collaboration between Arthur R. Nichols, consulting landscape architect for the Minnesota Highway Department, and the National Park Service. In the decades since its creation, it has enhanced public access to natural areas, provided outstanding views, and offered a place of rest for travelers, drawing thousands of visitors in every season.