Our goal for the month is to find some nice autumnal walks, in locations we haven’t yet had the chance to enjoy. Despite a lifetime of St. Louis excursions, there’s still a good list to work from, so check back each Wednesday for new installments.
Longtime St. Louisans, well, we’re a funny lot. Live here long enough, and you think that you’ve seen it all. Surprises pop up less than you’d like, and day-trips tend to fall into certain, locked patterns. The good news is that whether you’re pulling from local guidebooks or simply keeping your ear to the ground, you can find some interesting, new locations, if you’re willing to look. Take this week’s entry, for example.
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Only a week after visiting Bellefontaine Cemetery, the timing seemed right to take a peek at Fort Belle Fontaine as well. A St. Louis County park of roughly 300 expansive acres, the place has serious history. According to the county’s site, “Few are aware that this was the first United States military installation west of the Mississippi River, established in 1805. Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery expedition (1804–1806) spent the first night of their expedition on an island opposite Cold Water Creek and their last night two years later at the fort, which had been established in their absence. Other major expeditions left from this site between 1805 and 1819 to explore the newly acquired Louisiana Territory. Until it was replaced by Jefferson Barracks in 1826, Fort Belle Fontaine was an important gathering place in the wilderness for officers and enlisted men; Native American, French, Spanish, and American settlers; trappers and traders; and the local businessmen and farms.”
That’s all well-and-good information. Really. But if you dig around the web a bit more, you’ll also find sites like one called militaryghosts.com, which suggests that the grand staircase (a large, curving set of steps leading to the river) is haunted. So when we arrived at the park and checked in with the on-duty guard, the first order of business was obvious: “We’re going to the staircase!”
On this late October visit, we spotted no supernatural forces, no unexplained spirals of red mist, no specters. But even so, the natural elements of the space were pretty darn fantastic.
After driving through the site and rolling up to a modest parking area, we followed signage toward the old fort. Nearby, a massive staircase descended from the crest of a hill, allowing a nice, high-on look at the Missouri River and the woods on both sides of the waterway. At the base of the stairwell, visitors are faced with a classic choice: go left or go right. If you choose going right, you’ll ramble down a natural path, which bends down toward the river. Going left, meanwhile, allows you to walk past some old stone buildings, built by the WPA, while also enjoying another fine view of the Missouri. A real adventurer could scale down some sharp banks, right to the water’s edge. Or you can content yourself by leaning against a tree and taking in the autumnal views.
Even a couple-dozen feet away from the river, you can hear the water moving by, along with the sound of wind in the trees. Birds of prey hover in the breeze, just along the banks. Interestingly, the land has been kept in pristine shape, even if some of the buildings have seen a small amount of human interaction, like one very small bit of graffiti.
As part of a larger day’s journey, the Fort’s Spanish Lake location allows reasonably close access to other points of interest. For instance, it’s only a few minutes to Alton, which became our day’s second act. And while that was fun, all the spots visited in that river city were already known.
Fort Belle Fontaine was new. Well, new to me. And totally a winner. It had a certain “Wow, I wish I’d have known this was here years ago” appeal. Thumbs up to discoveries, both great and small.
