Stand on a Mountaintop

Fort Smith Park provides a great view of St. Joseph. Photo courtesy of St. Joseph Convention & Visitors Bureau

Ok, so “mountain” may be a relative term in eastern Kansas and western Missouri. Yet the river bluffs and Flint Hills that make up the heritage area’s geography still provide some pretty great spots upon which to stand and see for miles.

Try a couple of commanding heights that would have impressed Lewis and Clark’s expedition as they made their way up the Missouri River. As the explorers stood atop a bluff that afforded a view of the river valley below, they noted the site as a “commanding situation for a fort.” That site now holds a sculpture of the expedition’s commanders, Sacagawea and York and offers a great vantage point for surveying Kansas City’s West Bottoms, the river and points beyond.

The new park at St. Joseph’s Civil War fort, Fort Smith, also provides great views of the area in addition to wayside exhibits that share the history of the Civil War in St. Joseph.

If you need some more suggestions, check out our post “Go Climbing!”