Gladstone is a very small town located on the Illinois side of the river just north of Burlington, Iowa. The Lock & Dam is located several miles from Gladstone. The route to the facility travels over farm roads, and then several thousand feet over the earthen embankment on the east side of the river. The Lock & Dam is more or less in the middle of the river, with long embankments on each side connecting the main structure to the river banks.

The main dam structure consists of 3 of the more modern roller gates and 14 of the older style Tainter gates. The lock is the standard size for the upper Mississippi River, 600 feet long by 110 feet wide. That means that they typical tow has to break into two parts to pass through the lock. There is also an uncompleted auxiliary lock.

This area is a popular place for bald eagles to spend the winter. As a result, bird watchers congregate at this location during the winter months to watch and photograph the majestic birds. One observer counted 400 eagles in view during one January afternoon.