One of my absolute favorite stops! Probably because I heard about it so much during my research. Then again, even the National Park Service Auto Tour Guide mentions that it “has been called the most significant historic site on the Oregon Trail within the State of Kansas.” Somewhere between 165 and 179 miles from Independence (depending on the source), this was probably two weeks from Independence, depending on how fast the train was traveling.
Named by Edwin Bryant, a member of the Donner-Reed party, the camping ground was extremely popular and often referenced in diaries, noted for how beautiful it was, was the renowned waterfall, flowers, and lush grass. Trains had to wait here to cross the Big Blue river, particularly if it was flooded from rainfall, but rarely complained due to the almost luxurious surroundings. The main downside was the plethora of huge mosquitoes.
It still is absolutely gorgeous, and my husband and I spent a fair amount of time exploring the trails when we visited in 2021.
Edwin Bryant, 1846 – “About three-fourths of a mile from our camp we found a large spring of water, as cold and pure as if it had just been melted from ice. It gushed from a ledge rock, which composes the bank of the stream, and falling some ten feet, its waters are received into a basin fifteen feet in length, ten feet in breadth, and three or four feet in depth. A shelving rock projects over this basin, from which falls a beautiful cascade of water, some ten or twelve feet. The whole is buried in a variety of shrubbery of the richest verdure, and surrounded by small mound-shaped inequalities of the prairie. Altogether, it is one of the most romantic spots I’ve ever seen. So charmed were we with its beauties, that several hours unconsciously glided away in the enjoyment of its refreshing waters and seductive attractions. We named this the “Alcove Spring”, and future travelers will find the name graven on the rocks, and on the trunks of the trees surrounding it.”
See below for both partial and full map, and note the tiny orange line indicating how far we traveled! You can also zoom in on the full map for more details (if it works the way it is supposed to anyway…).
Resources:
- “Alcove Spring – Blue Rapids KS, 66411.” Accessed September 17, 2025. https://www.travelks.com/listing/alcove-spring/27266/.
- “Alcove Spring Park Historical Marker,” March 19, 2024. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=79116.
- “Alcove Spring (U.S. National Park Service).” Accessed September 17, 2025. https://www.nps.gov/places/000/alcove-spring.htm.
- Fanselow, Julie. Traveling the Oregon Trail. Falcon Guides, 2001.
- Hill, William E. The California Trail: Yesterday and Today, 2017.
- “Mileposts along the Oregon Trail – Missouri.” Accessed September 17, 2025. http://www.oregonpioneers.com/Milepost1.htm.
- Moeller, Bill, and Jan Moeller. The Oregon Trail: A Photographic Journey, 2001.
- Murphy, Dan. Oregon Trail: Voyage of Discovery, 1991.
- National Trails System, National Park Service, and U.S. Department of the Interior. “National Historic Trails Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide: Western Missouri through Northeastern Kansas.” National Historic Trails Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide: Western Missouri Through Northeastern Kansas. National Park Service, September 2005. https://www.nps.gov/cali/planyourvisit/upload/MO-KS-ATR-Guide-2010-Revision-Small.pdf.
Forest Idylls 