This delightful spot, near the Independence Crossing of the Big Blue River, was a favorite campsite of the overlanders. Today it is a wonderful little park, maintained by the Alcove Spring Preservation Association in Blue Rapids, Kansas. You can hike a nice 1/2 mile trail from the parking lot, through a shady woods to the site of the actual falls. Several emigrant names are still plainly visible, carved into the rocks, and a member of the doomed Donner-Reed party of 1846 is buried here.

Where's the Water?

If you examine the photo to the right (remember: you can click on the thumbnail to enlarge it), you're probably asking yourself: where's the water? Well, we had the misfortune to visit in the early summer of a relatively dry year, and the creek was barely trickling. But overlanders would have seen water aplenty. For Alcove Spring is about 165 miles along the Oregon Trail, meaning they would have arrived here in May when runoff is still high. In fact, crossing the Big Blue River was often a struggle this time of year, with long waits for the water to recede not uncommon.

Alcove Spring is a quiet and beautiful spot to explore; when we were there, it was full of butterflies of many different types. And the history surrounding this area is staggering.

Be sure to see the fascinating write-up, including original diary transcriptions, at the Oregon and California Trail Association Web site. There's an external link to it below.

Finding Local Information

For more local information, visit the Web pages of the Alcove Spring Preservation Association and the Alcove Spring Historic Trust. (Check out the links below). Finally, when planning a trip here, be sure to note that Alcove Spring is only several miles from Marysville, an important stop on the Pony Express Trail; I love Marysville and have more to say about it in the Pony Express Trail section elsewhere.

• State
  • State of Kansas Travel and Tourism
  
  
• Municipal
  • Town of Blue Rapids
  
  
• Other Interesting Sites
  • Alcove Spring Historic Trust
  • Alcove Spring Preservation Association
  • Oregon and California Trail Association write-up