Experience The Beauty Of Kansas' Alcove Springs, A Tiny Waterfall Along The Old Oregon Trail
By Clarisa|Published August 12, 2020
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Clarisa
Author
Born and raised Kansan, Clarisa has lived in both tiny towns and cities during their time here in the Sunflower State. As a busy mother of one crazy kid, two cats, and two geckos, they write whenever there is spare time.
This important chunk of history is something we’ll always want to visit, whether there was a big rain recently or not. This tiny waterfall on a tiny Kansas trail is sure to be a great addition to any road trip you have in the area. Have you ever visited this cold water spring in person before?
Welcome to Alcove Springs, a park and waterfall that serves as an important and beautiful piece of history. Visiting this location is visiting a resting stop from the 1840s.
Alcove Spring sits along the Oregon Trail, where settlers came through to water their horses, and before settlers, it was used by Native Americans for the same purpose.
Today, this beautiful cold water spring is a great little hike to take if you love waterfalls big and small. The hike is also full of local wildflowers as a sort of prequel to the main event.
Rocks in the area are engraved, and though it's hard to read outright, local informational displays have clearer pictures of what was engraved here. It's wild to think that everyone traveling on the Oregon trail to reach their American Dream had to endure so many hardships.
Pioneers on these trails faced lack of water often, and the Donnar and Reed wagon train that camped here in 1846 suffered its first death here at the spring. This was a nice spot to not only relax from the hard trail and water your wagon pullers, but also to bury the dead.
Beautiful year round, Alcove Spring remains a historic location as well as an aesthetic one. Enjoy the waterfall the most shortly after rain, as long as the half-mile trail isn't too muddy.
Dogs are allowed on the trail, though they must be leashed. It's mostly used for hiking, but is an easy out-and-back that shouldn't take long to traverse for most people.
You can learn more about Marysville and Alcove Spring Park at the Visit Marysville website. We hope you have a fun hike out here! Make sure to wear those shoes you don’t mind getting muddy.
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