View from the bluff at John A. Latsch State Park over Highway 61 and the wide Mississippi River below wooded bluffs

John A. Latsch State Park

Facts checked against official sources on November 11, 2026

Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

At a glance

Location
About 12 miles northwest of Winona on U.S. Highway 61
Main hike
Riverview Trail, 0.5 miles one way, almost all stairs
Camping
None; day use only
Park hours
8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Vehicle permit
Not required at the Highway 61 parking lot
Drinking water
None anywhere in the park
In this guide
  1. The park in brief
  2. The Riverview Trail up Charity Bluff
  3. When to go
  4. Permits and fees
  5. Where to camp instead
  6. Getting there
  7. Before you go

Short answer: John A. Latsch State Park is a small, day-use-only park on U.S. Highway 61, about 12 miles northwest of Winona in Minnesota's bluff country. People stop for one thing: the Riverview Trail, a steep half mile of stairs up Charity Bluff to a long view of the Mississippi River Valley. There is no camping, no drinking water and no staffed office, and state law exempts the parking lot at John Latsch Road and Highway 61 from the state park vehicle permit.

This guide is for drivers on Highway 61 between Red Wing and La Crosse who want to know whether the climb is worth an hour, and for hikers adding a short, hard workout to a Whitewater or Winona trip. It covers the trail, the permit question, what the park does not have, and where to camp instead. Facts come from the Minnesota DNR park record and park map unless a source is named; sources are listed at the end.

The park in brief

The park is named for John A. Latsch, a Winona businessman. According to the DNR park page, Latsch bought bluffland here and persuaded a neighboring landowner to join him in donating about 350 acres to the state for a park in 1925. Two years later he gave another 200 acres to nearby Whitewater State Park. The 2018 DNR park map calls him a "philanthropic Winona grocer" and notes the park was once classified as a state scenic wayside.

Steamboat captains used three rocky-headed bluffs here, named Faith, Hope and Charity, to navigate the Mississippi. The DNR says the bluffs tower more than 500 feet above the river. In the 1850s a steamboat landing and logging town sat below them, supplying cut timber to the sawmills of Winona.

SizeThe DNR lists 1,605 acres in its park record; the park's landscape narrative describes "its 450 acres"
Park hours8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, open year-round
StaffNone on site; "a self-service, unstaffed park that is managed by Whitewater State Park"
ContactWhitewater State Park, 507-312-2300, whitewater.statepark@state.mn.us
Picnic areaOne, with tables, fire rings and a grill
ToiletsPrimitive toilets, year-round
Drinking waterNone anywhere in the park

The two acreage figures both come from the DNR and do not match; the park map does not give a size.

The Riverview Trail up Charity Bluff

The park has one hiking trail. The Civilian Conservation Corps built it in 1933, climbing a half mile up a steep ravine to the overlook on Mount Charity.

DetailWhat the DNR says
Length0.5 miles one way (park map)
TerrainSteep terrain, packed dirt, stairs
Stairs"300+ stairs" on the 2018 park map; "586 steps" in the DNR's current seasonal update
Difficulty"Strenuous"; the DNR notes "the trail is all stairs"
At the topViews of the Mississippi River Valley, the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife Refuge and Lock and Dam No. 5

The two stair counts come from different DNR documents, and the 586 figure is the more recent. Either way, plan on a sustained climb. The map's visitor tips say steep slopes and tall cliffs make sturdy footwear essential, and suggest bringing a camera and binoculars for the top. In an emergency, call 911; the non-emergency sheriff's number on the map is 507-457-6368.

Birds and wildlife

The DNR describes the park's natural communities as bluffs, prairie, floodplain forest and oak forest, and suggests watching for bald eagles over the river. Many bird species pass through on migration, and the DNR lists coyotes, fox, opossum, timber rattlesnakes and white-tailed deer. A bird checklist is linked from the park page. The park sits in the Blufflands Landscape Region, the "driftless" area.

For more hikes in the region, see the Minnesota hikes and waterfalls guides.

Wooden stairs climbing through green forest beside the Riverview Trail sign at John A. Latsch State Park
Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

When to go

The park is open year-round for day use, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. The map suggests returning in fall for color and watching for migrating birds in spring and fall. In winter the DNR allows snowshoeing anywhere in the park, and primitive toilets stay open all year. There is no naturalist on staff; the map points to naturalist programs and a visitor center at Whitewater State Park.

If you collect state park passport stamps and this park's stamp is missing, the DNR says you can get your passport stamped at Whitewater or Frontenac state parks.

Permits and fees

Most Minnesota state parks require a vehicle permit, $7 a day or $35 a year, per the DNR vehicle permit page. John A. Latsch is a named exception. Minnesota Statutes section 85.054, subdivision 15 says a state park permit "is not required and a fee may not be charged for motor vehicle entry or parking at the parking lot located adjacent to John Latsch Road and Trunk Highway 61 at John A. Latsch State Park." The 2018 park map says, "A permit is not required at this park."

The exemption the statute writes into law covers that parking lot, not the whole park by name. The DNR's current park record does not mention permits either way, and the DNR's general permit page does not list this exception (it says the only vehicles not required to have a permit are state-owned vehicles). If you park anywhere other than the John Latsch Road lot, check with Whitewater State Park at 507-312-2300.

ItemCost
Parking at the John Latsch Road / Highway 61 lotNo permit, no fee (state law)
One-day vehicle permit elsewhere$7
Year-round vehicle permit$35
CampingNot available at this park

If you are combining the stop with a night at a park that does charge, a $35 year-round permit covers every Minnesota state park and recreation area for a year from the month of purchase.

Where to camp instead

John A. Latsch has no campsites, camper cabins or lodging, and the DNR says no overnight stays are permitted. The park map's tip is to "see nearby Whitewater State Park for camping." Other bluff country parks with campgrounds are covered in their own guides:

ParkWhere, per the DNRCamping note (DNR, November 2026)
Whitewater State Park3 miles south of Elba on Highway 74Manages Latsch; camping available year-round
Great River Bluffs State ParkAbout 20 miles southeast of Winona, at U.S. 61 and Interstate 9031 sites in a single loop; campground listed as open
Frontenac State ParkAbout 10 miles southeast of Red Wing on Highway 61Park and campground open year-round

State park campsites are booked on ReserveMN up to 120 days ahead, with booking for a newly opened date starting at 8 a.m. Central, per the DNR reservation FAQ. The Minnesota state park reservation guide walks through the system.

Getting there

From Winona, go about 12 miles northwest on U.S. Highway 61, the DNR says. The parking lot sits beside Highway 61 at John Latsch Road. The DNR map describes the park as a favorite stopping point for people traveling between La Crosse, Wisconsin, and Red Wing, Minnesota.

The park's mailing address is in care of Whitewater State Park, 19041 Highway 74, Altura, MN 55910. Call Whitewater at 507-312-2300 with questions, since no one staffs Latsch. For more parks along the river and in the southeast corner of the state, see all bluff country guides or search the park finder.

Before you go

  1. Bring water. There is none anywhere in the park.
  2. Wear sturdy shoes and budget time and breath for the stairs; the climb is short but steep.
  3. Park at the John Latsch Road and Highway 61 lot, where state law says no permit or fee applies.
  4. Plan to camp elsewhere; Whitewater State Park is the DNR's suggestion.
  5. Bring binoculars for eagles and migrating birds, especially in spring and fall.
  6. Use approved firewood only if you use the picnic area fire rings; gathering firewood in state parks is not allowed.

Related guides: Whitewater State Park · Great River Bluffs State Park · Frontenac State Park · All bluff country guides

Sources

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