Alcove Springs Park, Protected natural area in Marshall County, United States.
The park features a natural spring emerging from limestone cliffs, flowing into a basin with waterfalls along the Big Blue River.
The Donner-Reed Party carved their names into the limestone rocks during their 1846 stopover while waiting to cross the Independence Crossing.
The site preserves visible wagon tracks from the Oregon Trail, offering direct evidence of nineteenth-century westward migration through Kansas Territory.
Visitors can explore 5 miles of marked hiking trails through varied terrain, with interpretive exhibits explaining the location's natural and historical elements.
The engraved inscription 'Alcove Springs' from 1846 remains visible on the limestone cliff, marking the exact spot where travelers named this location.
Location: Marshall County
Address: 1834 E River Rd, Blue Rapids, KS 66411, USA 66411 Blue Rapids 66411 Blue Rapids
Phone: +17853637991
Website: https://visitmarysvilleks.org/attraction/alcove-spring
GPS coordinates: 39.74917,-96.67583
Latest update: March 6, 2025 15:19
Kansas offers a land where ancient geological formations, historical sites, and cultural institutions come together. This collection features locations that testify to several million years of natural history and two centuries of human presence. Visitors can explore sandstone formations shaped by erosion at Mushroom Rock State Park, discover underground galleries of Strataca in an active salt mine in Hutchinson, or see the chalk cliffs of Monument Rocks rising 21 meters high in Gove County. The route also includes testimonies of the region's artistic and religious heritage. The Plains Guardian, a 13-meter steel sculpture, marks the confluence of the Arkansas and Little Arkansas rivers in Wichita. The Victoria Stone Church showcases architecture from 1911 with its twin 43-meter towers. Eden Garden in Lucas features more than 150 concrete sculptures created between 1907 and 1928. The Cosmosphere houses the second-largest collection of space artifacts in the United States. These sites provide insight into the geological, historical, and cultural features of Kansas.
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