Pavement Ends: 10 excellent places to view the Mississippi River

"I started out thinking of America as highways and state lines. As I got to know it better, I began to think of it as rivers."

~ Charles Kuralt

We don't have snow-capped mountains or ocean beaches in the Midwest, but this part of the country does have something special: easy access to the greatest river in North America.

Sure, the Mississippi River can be frustrating when it requires driving out of the way to reach the nearest bridge. It can be really frustrating when it overflows its banks during yet another flood.

Nevertheless, we have a tendency to take for granted the pivotal role played by the river in regional history, commerce and transportation.

What follows is a selection of 10 regional places, from north to south, offering panoramic views of the river. It's always fun to stand on these high points and gaze across into one or even two other states -- although there are a couple weird exceptions, as you'll see, where the state lines don't make much sense anymore.

Magnolia Hollow (Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri)

Situated upriver from Ste. Genevieve, Magnolia Hollow Conservation Area is off the beaten track, but it offers an observation deck with a commanding view into the region of Illinois called the American Bottom. Directly below the overlook is Establishment Creek, reportedly named for a French settlement (or establishment) near the modern town of Bloomsdale.

__Directions:__ Take Interstate 55 to Exit 154 (Route O) and then turn right. At Highway 61, go left (north). Turn right on Route V, then turn left on White Sands Road. Follow this county road for five miles into the conservation area and drive to the very end of the road at the observation deck.

Fort Kaskaskia (Randolph County, Illinois)

Fort Kaskaskia, Illinois

This is a confusing area because the Mississippi River has dramatically shifted course since the original village of Kaskaskia was founded. The village in the lowlands was protected by a fortification on the bluffs above, but now the river has sliced between the townsite and bluffs, leaving Kaskaskia on the "wrong" side of the river. Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site at the top of the bluffs provides the peculiar opportunity to look from Illinois across the river -- to Illinois.

__Directions:__ From Chester, take Highway 3 north. Turn left on Fort Kaskaskia Road and then right at the entrance gate for the park.

Seventy-Six (Perry County, Missouri)

Seventy-Six, Perry County, Missouri

Seventy-Six was once a bustling river landing north of Altenburg and Frohna, but almost all traces have vanished. Founded by John Wilkinson, the origin of the name remains a mystery. The ghost town is now a conservation area offering access to the river. A hiking trail climbs to the top of a ridge offering views into Illinois. In the same manner as Kaskaskia, the river has shifted course here, which means a small portion of Missouri now rests opposite Seventy-Six.

__Directions:__ Take Route C in Perry County to Brazeau. Turn on Route D and follow this road until it ends at the river (it becomes a gravel road just before entering the conservation area).

Fountain Bluff (Jackson County, Illinois)

Fountain Bluff, Jackson County, Illinois

Fountain Bluff is a 4-mile-long "lost hill" north of Grand Tower surrounded by flat ground. The river flows to the west, but the topography implies that it once flowed on the east side. Multiple rock outcrops along Fountain Bluff feature Native American petroglyphs, including the Whetstone Shelter site, which may have served as a solar observatory. A forest service road leads to a high point with a spectacular view of the large bend in the river.

__Directions:__ From Grand Tower, take Highway 3 north and turn left on Happy Hollow Road. This turnoff can be easy to miss; if you reach the junction for Gorham, you've gone too far. Happy Hollow Road eventually turns to gravel and climbs to the top of the ridge and overlook.

Tower Rock (Perry County, Missouri)

This isolated rock monolith has long been a source of wonder for river travelers. It's also been a hazard to navigation. After the Civil War, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers removed other rock pinnacles in the area to improve safety, but to prevent the same thing from happening to Tower Rock, President Grant issued an executive order in 1871 preserving the landmark for "public purposes."

Headline Bold:Tower Rock in Perry County, Missouri

Although most visitors only view the rock from the parking area, a short trail leads up to an observation deck offering a higher perspective of Tower Rock and the town of Grand Tower, Illinois.

__Directions:__ From Altenburg, take Route A east. Turn right on County Road 460 (look for the sign for Tower Rock). Follow this twisty gravel road until it reaches the parking area -- watch out for the tricky railroad crossing.

Trail of Tears State Park (Cape Girardeau County, Missouri)

When it comes to the most photographed sites in Southeast Missouri, the main overlook at Trail of Tears State Park would have to rank high on the list. On a clear day, it's easy to spot Bald Knob Cross straight ahead, 9 miles away. With binoculars or a telephoto lens, it's also possible to look upriver and spot the towers of the pipeline suspension bridge at Grand Tower, more than 12 miles distant.

__Directions:__ From either Cape Girardeau or Fruitland, take Highway 177 and look for the signs for the state park. The park has two entrances; the overlook can be reached from either entrance by following the signs.

Headline Bold:Columbus-Belmont Battlefield State Park in Hickman County, Kentucky

Cape Rock (Cape Girardeau, Missouri)

The concept of an "inland cape" doesn't make much sense in modern times, but it wasn't so bizarre to early French explorers. Any conspicuous promontory along the river could be called a cape. Early maps of the Mississippi River reveal several of these names: Cape St. Cosme, Cape St. Antoine, Cape St. Croix and, of course, Cape Girardot.

Cape Rock Park preserves the promontory -- or what's left of it -- that was the basis for the name Cape Girardeau. It's a good place to watch river traffic carefully navigate the sharp bend in the river, historically a source of consternation for riverboat pilots.

__Directions:__ From downtown Cape Girardeau, take Main Street (Highway 177) north past the casino. Veer right on East Cape Rock Drive. At the fork with Country Club Drive, take the right fork to continue on Cape Rock Drive. Continue past the water plant to the circle drive and overlook on the right.

Thebes Courthouse (Alexander County, Illinois)

Thebes, Illinois

Alexander County has had four county seats: America, Unity, Thebes and Cairo. The 1848 courthouse at Thebes -- although not used for very long as the seat of justice -- is still standing, and its portico offers an impressive view. To the left stands Thebes Railroad Bridge, a feat of engineering completed in 1905 that continues to carry a substantial number of trains every day.

__Directions:__ From Cape Girardeau, take Highway 3 south. At Thebes, turn right at the big brown sign for the Thebes Historical Courthouse. Turn left at the first cross street (8th Street). Go one block and turn right on Oak Street. After three blocks, bear left on the driveway to the courthouse.

Fort Jefferson (Ballard County, Kentucky)

Just south of Wickliffe, a roadside park offers a bewildering number of things to see: three states, four massive bridges, the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, a 95-foot Christian cross and multiple historic markers. Nearby, Fort Jefferson was a short-lived fort and settlement made in 1780 by George Rogers Clark to extend American military control westward to the Mississippi River. The Fort Jefferson site and name was resurrected during the Civil War for an important Union supply base.

In addition to the memorial cross (completed in 1999), this city park now boasts a concrete walking trail. Plans are underway to open a visitors center.

__Directions:__ Take Highway 3 south through Cairo, Illinois, and turn left on U.S. 51 to cross the bridge over the Ohio River. (Note: The other bridge over the Mississippi is closed through March 2016 for repairs.) After entering Wickliffe, turn right at the T-junction. Drive through town and continue straight through the only stoplight. At the top of the hill, turn right at the "Scenic Overlook" sign.

Columbus-Belmont Battlefield State Park (Hickman County, Kentucky)

The site of Columbus, Kentucky, had long been recognized as a strategic commercial and military location thanks to the tall bluffs overlooking a convenient river landing. During the Civil War, both sides coveted this location for control of the Mississippi River. Repeated floods, made worse by changes in the river channel, caused the town to start crumbling into the river, forcing an exodus in 1927 to a newly platted version of Columbus on higher ground. Soon after the town's relocation, the site of the Civil War fortifications was made into a state park with grand views.

__Directions:__ From Wickliffe, take Highway 51 south. In the middle of Bardwell, turn right on Highway 123. Continue to Columbus and follow the signs for the state park.

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About James

The webmaster of seMissourian.com and its sister newspapers, James Baughn has lost track of the number of websites he manages. On the side, he maintains even more sites, including Bridgehunter.com, LandmarkHunter.com, TheCapeRock.com and Humorix.