Devou Park in Covington, Kentucky, is an easy place to visit when you want a wide Cincinnati skyline view without traveling far from downtown. It works especially well for photographers, couples, families, or anyone looking for a quiet outdoor stop between other Cincinnati activities.
We visited primarily for the Memorial Overlook and spent about an hour taking photos and enjoying the view. However, Devou Park covers more than 700 acres, so you could turn it into a much longer visit if you want to walk, bike, picnic, play golf, or visit the museum.
If you are building a full day around downtown Cincinnati, Over-the-Rhine, and Covington, my One Day in Cincinnati Itinerary for First Time Visitors will help you put the stops in a practical order.
Devou Park is located in Covington, Kentucky, directly across the Ohio River from Cincinnati.
It was only about a 15-minute drive from Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, making it easy to add to a day already spent exploring the city. You do not need to plan an entire day around the park if you only want to see the overlook.
A car is the easiest way to reach the park. Travelers flying into the area can compare options through Skyscanner, and Discover Cars is useful for checking rental car prices.
The park has been part of the Covington community for more than 100 years. The property was originally the family farm of William P. Devou Sr. and Sarah Ogden Devou before the Devou family donated the land for public use.
The Memorial Overlook is the main reason many visitors come to Devou Park.
From the overlook, you get a wide view of Covington, the Ohio River, and the downtown Cincinnati skyline. The elevation allows you to see much more of the city than you can from street level, including the surrounding hills and buildings along both sides of the river.
There are several good places around the overlook to stop for photos or sit and enjoy the scenery. You could also bring a picnic and spend more time here without needing to explore the rest of the park.
We parked in the lower lot closest to the city view and took tons of pictures from that area. It gave us convenient access to some of the best angles without requiring a long walk.
If photography is one of your priorities, Cincinnati also has an impressive collection of public art throughout the city. My Best Cincinnati Murals You Should Not Miss guide covers more photo stops you can add to the same trip.
Parking at Devou Park was extremely easy during our visit.
We used the lower parking lot near the city overlook, and there were plenty of open spaces. We did not have to circle the lot or wait for anyone to leave.
Both parking and admission to the park were free.
That makes Devou Park especially convenient when you want to add a quick scenic stop to a Cincinnati itinerary without paying for another attraction or dealing with downtown parking.
We spent about an hour at Devou Park. That was enough time to enjoy the overlook, walk around the immediate area, and take plenty of photos.
For a quick visit focused only on the Cincinnati skyline view, I would allow approximately 45 minutes to an hour. You could spend less time, but an hour gives you room to move around and enjoy the view rather than taking one photo and immediately leaving.
You could easily stay for several hours if you want to explore more of the park. Devou Park has paved walking paths, nature trails, more than eight miles of mountain biking trails, picnic shelters, playgrounds, a fishing lake, an amphitheater, a disc golf course, and an 18-hole golf course.
A Phone and Wallet Crossbody Strap is useful if you want to walk around without carrying a larger bag. For longer trail time, the Small Osprey Backpack gives you space for water, sunscreen, and a few essentials.
Devou Park was not crowded at all during our visit. We had plenty of space to walk around, enjoy the view, and take photos without waiting for other people to move.
Crowd levels will likely depend on the time, day, weather, and whether an event is taking place nearby. Drees Pavilion, located near the overlook, is used for weddings and private events, so it is worth keeping that in mind when planning a weekend visit.
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We visited during the day and still came away with plenty of good photos.
For softer lighting, I would visit early in the morning or closer to sunset. Midday sunlight can be harsher, but the view is wide enough that you can still get clear skyline photos from several positions.
We did not visit Devou Park at sunset, but I think the view would be beautiful later in the day as the light changes and the Cincinnati buildings begin to light up.
I would expect sunset to be one of the busiest times at the overlook. Arriving a little early would probably make parking easier and give you time to choose a photo spot before the best light begins.
Check the sunset time before leaving Cincinnati so you are not trying to find the overlook after the sun has already started going down.
You can photograph the Cincinnati skyline, the Ohio River, Covington, and the surrounding hills from this general area. It is worth moving around a little because the view changes quite a bit depending on where you stand.
Some angles place more emphasis on the skyline, while others include more of the river or the hillside in the foreground. Walking even a short distance can noticeably change the composition.
An iPhone Tripod can help with couple photos, group pictures, or steadier sunset shots when fewer people are around to take a photo for you.
The overlook may be the most recognizable part of Devou Park, but the property is large enough to support a much longer visit.
Devou Park has both paved paths and nature trails. The trail system includes more than eight miles of mountain biking trails spread through different parts of the park.
This gives you the option to take a short walk near the overlook or plan a more active visit. Trail conditions and difficulty can vary, so check the park information before heading onto an unfamiliar route.
Bring water if you plan to stay beyond the overlook. A Brita Water Bottle is useful for longer sightseeing days when you want to refill throughout the day.
The park has several playgrounds, picnic shelters, grills, and open green spaces. These areas make Devou Park practical for families or groups that want more than a quick photo stop.
You can reserve some of the park’s shelters and green spaces for private gatherings. Drees Pavilion near the Memorial Overlook is also used for weddings and other events.
Devou Park has an 18-hole golf course and a Golf & Event Center. The course is located only a few minutes from downtown Covington, so it could work for visitors who want to play golf without traveling far outside the Cincinnati area.
The event center also includes gathering space and outdoor seating. Check current restaurant hours and golf availability directly before planning your visit, since operating details can change.
The Behringer-Crawford Museum is located inside Devou Park and focuses on the natural, cultural, and regional history of Northern Kentucky and the Ohio Valley.
The museum gives you an indoor activity to pair with the overlook, particularly if you want to learn more about the area or need an option during very hot, cold, or rainy weather.
Current posted hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Sunday from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. It is closed on Mondays and national holidays, but confirm the schedule before visiting.
Yes, Devou Park has restrooms near some of its main recreation areas.
I did not use them, but facilities were available elsewhere in the park during our visit. One important detail is that the restrooms inside Drees Pavilion are not open to general overlook visitors. The nearest public restroom facilities for people using the overlook are at Volpenhein Pavilion.
Yes. Devou Park is only about 15 minutes from Over-the-Rhine, so it was easy to add without rearranging the rest of our day. A car is the simplest way to get there, and once you arrive, the overlook is close to the parking area.
The park is especially good for skyline photos, a quiet picnic, or a short break from downtown sightseeing. Families can stay longer for the playgrounds, while other visitors can explore the trails, museum, or golf course.
Devou Park gave us one of the best Cincinnati skyline views of the trip, and I would return closer to sunset when the buildings begin to light up.
We paired the park with several food stops around Cincinnati. My Secret Food Tours Cincinnati Review What to Expect explains how the tour worked, while Best Places to Eat in Cincinnati From Breakfast to Dessert covers more restaurants and local foods to add before or after your visit.
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Compare Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky hotel options through Booking.com or Hotels.com.
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Bring comfortable walking shoes, water, and sunscreen if you plan to explore beyond the overlook. A small crossbody strap or backpack is useful for carrying your phone and essentials while keeping your hands free for photos.
Read my Ghost Baby Cincinnati Review: Is This Underground Cocktail Lounge Worth Visiting? if you want to add a distinctive evening stop after the park.
See my Boca Cincinnati Review A Memorable Date Night Restaurant for a special-occasion dinner option in downtown Cincinnati.
Use The Best Day Trips from Columbus, Ohio if you are visiting Cincinnati from Columbus and want help comparing it with other Ohio day-trip options.
13 creek crossings, a canyon that keeps closing in around you, and a hike I’d genuinely put back on my itinerary, West Fork Trail was the one.
We got to Call of the Canyon at 7:15am and the lot was barely a quarter full. By 12:30 it was 85% full, so if there’s one tip that matters most, it’s this: go early.
The maintained trail is 6.6 miles round trip, mostly flat, mostly shaded, but I kept my regular tennis shoes dry the whole way by hopping across the rocks at each crossing. It’s rated moderate, and honestly that’s about the distance, not the terrain.
Here’s what nobody tells you though ✨ the maintained trail isn’t the end. We changed into water shoes at the official endpoint and kept going another mile straight through the creek, canyon walls narrowing around us the whole time. That extra mile ended up being my favorite part of the entire hike.
5/5 for me. I’d bring the water shoes again in a heartbeat.
Link in bio for the full guide parking, timing, what to pack, and everything I wish I knew before I went 🥾
Two hours, zero regrets. The Pink Jeep Broken Arrow Tour is hands down one of the most fun things we did in Sedona.
Open-air Jeeps crawling over slickrock, backcountry views you can’t reach on your own, and the famous Road of No Return, steep, thrilling, and somehow completely safe the whole way down.
If you’re picking one paid activity in Sedona, make it this one.
You have to do @pinkjeeptours 🌵🚙 Link in bio for the full review.
Dinner beside Oak Creek at Cress, and yes, it’s a splurge, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat.🤍
Candlelit tables under the trees, the creek running right beside us, a menu that mixes Arizona ingredients with French technique. We ordered a little of everything: the squash and beet salad, milk rolls with three different butters, sweet potato gnocchi that somehow felt light instead of heavy. Then two desserts because we couldn’t decide. The Vanilla Crème Caramel with Manchego cheese completely stole the show, salty and sweet in a way that sounds strange until you taste it.
Plan on $100–250 for two depending on what you order, and this isn’t the spot for a quick casual dinner, it’s slow, intentional, and worth every minute. Book ahead and ask for a creekside table if you can.
If you’re looking for one unforgettable meal in Sedona, this is it. Link in bio for the full review 🍽️
Sky Ranch Lodge, Sedona. Booked it for the location, stayed for the sunsets.
This is not a five-star resort with ten restaurants and a spa menu the length of a novel. It’s a family-owned boutique hotel on Airport Mesa that knows exactly what it’s good at: red rock views from basically everywhere and one of the best sunset spots in town, private, with maybe four other couples instead of a crowd.
We booked a Premier Rim Room and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. Watched the sunset from our own patio one night and it’s still one of my favorite moments of the whole trip.
✨ Six acres of botanical gardens to wander morning and evening
✨ Pool + hot tub that hit exactly right after a day of hiking
✨ On-site food truck for easy breakfasts and lazy room service nights
✨ Complimentary shuttle so you’re not fighting Sedona parking
✨ Robes, slippers, and a staff that felt genuinely happy to help
Two stays in and I’d book it again without a second thought. This is where to stay in Sedona if you want it to actually feel like Sedona.
Thank you to @skyranchlodge for having us, link in bio for the full review 🌵
Four hours on a train through a canyon you can’t reach by car — such a fun experience! We picked the indoor seats with unlimited access to the open-air viewing car, which honestly felt like the only right call. You’re not stuck in an assigned seat the whole time we bounced between the two, snacks in hand, chasing the best light.
The scenery is the whole point. Red rock cliffs, the Verde River, a 734-foot tunnel, historic trestle bridges views most people visiting Sedona never see, because you literally can’t drive to them.
The charcuterie box that comes with your ticket is shockingly filling ✨ so skip lunch at the Copper Spike Café beforehand, save your appetite for dinner back in Sedona.
Four hours with no stops did start to feel long by the end, but the trade-off for scenery like this? Worth it.
Would I ride it again? Yes. Would I buy lunch first again? No.
Link in bio for the full review cost breakdown, what to pack, and exactly how early to arrive 🚂
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