A hike down the Lewis & Clark Trail of Discovery within the Big Muddy Fish & Wildlife Refuge, by way of Arrow Rock State Historic Site, and the Sante Fe National Trail.
The Saturday after Thanksgiving promised to be one of the last good days of the year, with temperatures near or above 15 °C. It was as good as any excuse to hit the road, find and discover the sort of tranquility only found hiking in late fall.
After reviewing a map of potential locations within a couple of hours of Kansas City, my traveling companion and I decided upon Arrow Rock State Historic Site. It promised a little history, some unique architecture, and the potential for a quiet and thoughtful walk in the woods.
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| Missouri Department of Natural Resources Map of Arrow Rock State Historic Site |
We did not do much research beyond location and general interests, as is our habit, preferring to take it all in as if having only discovered the place by accident. It was a pleasant surprise to find our choice to be that of a landmark dating back to the pre-history of Missouri, as well as a bit of a crossroads in American history.
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| Displays of Native American limestone tools and other artifacts at Arrow Rock State Historic Site Visitor Center |
As the first inhabitants of the area, Native Americans living along the banks of the Missouri River leveraged the limestone bluffs for tools and weapons in their everyday lives. French trappers passing through the area first noted this, calling it out on their maps as “Pierre á Flèches,” or the “Stone of Arrows.”
After acquisition of the territory through the Louisiana Purchase, population in the area began to increase significantly. Farmers found the bottomland soils highly productive, and salt mining at nearby Boone’s Lick provided a steady supply of the ingredient essential to pioneer life and travel.
Moving goods, people, and wagons across the river remained a task though. The small gap in the bluff offered the perfect spot for a ferry landing and once established, a small community quickly took root.
Originally named New Philadelphia (renamed to its namesake in 1833) it was only a pit stop for most. There was no better place in the area to cross the Missouri River. Freight was already moving along the route, salt was plentiful, and a natural spring on the bluff combined to make it a perfect fit along what would become the Sante Fe Trail.
As settlers passed through with increasing frequency, the little town quickly became one of the busiest steamboat landings in the area by 1830. When the river was free of ice, steamboat traffic moved stock, goods, and people almost constantly. Indeed, a local judge at the time, William B. Napton reported nothing less than “a great throng of emigrants through Saline County to California on the river road in 1849 and 1850. By the early spring of that year, the covered wagons of these emigrants were hardly ever out of sight at Arrow Rock.”
The Civil War came along and changed everything for Arrow Rock. Steam locomotives moved people and freight across the land more efficiently than ever before, dominating transportation. The little town of Arrow Rock, high on a bluff, suffered the fate of many other towns bypassed by the railroad, and population dwindled over the years from more than a thousand residents, to only about 50 remaining today.
Over the years, the town made significant contributions to the westward movement in the United States during its time though. It nurtured a few Governors for the State of Missouri. It was home to a Dr. John Sappington, responsible for revolutionizing treatment of malaria, and home to one of the most easily recognized American frontier artists, George Caleb Bingham.
We stopped to talk with one of the Park Rangers about the trails, before we left the Visitor Center. It was a good thing we did too. She suggested a trail that was not part of the Park; rather part of the adjacent Big Muddy National Fish & Wildlife Refuge. It seems that at this time of year, that path offers the best view of the bluffs, and the trail leads right down to the banks of the river.
Appreciating the information, we slowly made our way across the little town towards the trailhead, pausing and musing over various points of interest. It was a hard to believe that on such a beautiful sunny afternoon, all was rather quiet and empty. A small strip of shops stood open and ready for business, across from the historic tavern, purported to be the oldest west of the Mississippi River. A few folks wandered about, but it was obvious this was a fair weather town.
We found the entrance to Big Muddy easy enough, just past the historic Lyceum Theater. The gravel service road descends through the infamous gap in the bluff, gently sloping down to the bottoms, eventually opening up to the original Arrow Rock Ferry Landing site.
A sign and an old wagon mark the spot where perhaps tens of thousands of folks headed west disembarked and made their way up the hill and to points beyond. The road ends abruptly with a chain across it, restricting vehicular access, but not pedestrian, and a sign indicates arrival at the trailhead of the Lewis & Clark Trail of Discovery.
The trail continues along an old levee, wide, straight and level through the bottom land forest of the refuge. There is not a significant amount of scenery here, excepting the trees. The bluffs can be seen between the trees at this time of year, but are very likely completely obscured any other time.
We were tempted to try and get a close-up look at the formations, but decided the path through the marshy area was probably easier said than done. One can never be too sure what lies in wait, and it is usually best to leave the natural areas to themselves anyway. There is no sense in disrupting the state of things. Plenty of signs along the way discuss the various aspects of the wildlife and other natural resources in the area.
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| Missouri River, looking North from end of Lewis & Clark Trail of Discovery at the Jameson Island Unit of Big Muddy Fish & Wildlife Refuge |
The trail opens up, as promised, with a fantastic view of a wild and muddy Missouri River. The wide, sandy and crumbling banks are packed well-enough to walk around and explore the nearby alternate channels and creeks, to some extent. It is enough for us to just sit on the edge and watch the river roll along, while listening to the sounds of the surrounding wilderness.
It is easy to see why early travelers chose this spot to cross. Aside from the fact that the banks are relatively flat and mostly sandy, the river is not very wide here. I seem to remember reading it was only a couple hundred meters wide back then, and relatively shallow.
After relaxing for a while, we made our way back along the same path. We noticed a footbridge half way along, crossing back towards town, and decided to explore that route. It turned out to be the much shorter River Landing Trail associated with the State Park, an alternate path to access the trail we had taken, returning us easily to the southeast corner of town.
The day was getting late, so we did not linger much longer than that. We paused for a few photos on the way back to our vehicle, and while musing over one of the subjects, the calaboose (an old jailhouse), we noticed a little clearing and a lone structure at the edge of the trees.
It seemed nothing more than a small park gazebo, but turned out to be one the many unique little projects in the region built during the 1930s by the Works Progress Administration. Much more humble in its duty than most other projects associated with President Roosevelt’s New Deal agency, it simply covers the graves of a couple of early settlers in the area, Jacob and Mary Shroyer.
Aside from being a State Park, a National Fish & Wildlife Refuge, being one of many stops on a National Historic Trail, it is also listed on listed on the US National Register of Historic Places, and a US National Historic Landmark District.
There is quite a bit to see and do at this site, and we are definitely looking forward to making a return trip in the near future. Another trail wanders out on the bluff, a 4-acre stocked lake provides fishing access for all, and an adjacent campground offers visitors a chance to stay just walking distance from the town and trails.
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Further Reading
US Fish & Wildlife Service
