Edward “Ted” and Pat Jones-Confluence Point State Park is a free Missouri state park near St Louis, where the Missouri River flows into the Mississippi River. This guide covers opening hours, admission, transport and parking, accessibility, and practical visitor tips.
It was last checked in July 2026, when many guides still failed to warn visitors that the 6-mile gravel access road is regularly impassable due to flooding and should be checked before every visit using Missouri State Parks’ online status map.
Quick facts
| Opening hours | Daily, 7:00 a.m. to half an hour after sunset. Closed some state holidays. |
| Ticket prices | Free. |
| Address | 1000 Riverlands Way, West Alton, Missouri 63386. |
| Nearest transport / parking | Car only. Gravel parking lot at trail head; a few paved accessible spaces. No public transport. |
| Typical time needed | Around 1 hour, including the drive in and out on the access road. |
Confluence Point State Park opening hours
Confluence Point State Park is open every day from 7:00 a.m. until half an hour after sunset. These hours apply year-round, with no separate summer or winter schedule.
Park buildings are closed on certain Missouri state holidays, including Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Lincoln’s Birthday, and Washington’s Birthday. The grounds themselves remain open on most of these days, but call ahead on state holidays to confirm. Flooding regularly closes the access road and trail without notice, so always check the Missouri State Parks status map before visiting.
5 great St Louis experiences to book
- 🌆 Take a small group tour of the Gateway Arch – including tickets to the top.
- 🚢 Combine a visit to the Gateway Arch with a river cruise.
- 📸 At the Museum of Illusions, get reels of cool social media photos.
- 👻 Discover the dark side of St Louis on an evening ghost tour.
- 🍽️ On a food and history walking tour, learn about the flavours and stories of St Louis.
Confluence Point State Park ticket prices
Admission is free. There are no entry fees for parking, the trail, or any park facilities.
Opening hours and admission information were checked on the official Missouri State Parks website and last updated in June 2026. The park is a day-use area only with no camping. No city pass or travel card scheme applies.
How to get to Confluence Point State Park
The park is reached via Riverlands Way, turning off US Route 67 just before the Clark Bridge heading into Alton, Illinois. From the turn-off, the access road runs approximately 5 to 6 miles through flat river bottomland, mostly on gravel, before reaching the parking area.
There is no public transport to the park. The journey on the access road takes 10 to 15 minutes by car and requires a vehicle with reasonable ground clearance after wet weather. Do not attempt the access road on foot.
Parking at Confluence Point State Park
A free gravel car park stands at the trailhead. A small number of paved accessible parking spaces are available adjacent to the interpretive displays and vault toilets. Overflow space in the gravel area is generous and the park rarely fills.
Do not park at or before the start of Riverlands Way and attempt to walk in; the access road is too long and the terrain unsuitable for pedestrians.
How long to spend at Confluence Point State Park
The trail from the car park to the confluence overlook is a quarter of a mile each way and takes around 10 to 15 minutes on foot each way. Most visitors spend 30 to 45 minutes at the park itself, but the access road adds 20 to 30 minutes of driving each way.
Allow around 1 hour in total for the roundtrip journey from US-67, including time at the viewpoint.
Accessibility at Confluence Point State Park
The park provides a paved accessible parking space adjacent to interpretive displays and a vault toilet. The trail to the confluence overlook is a quarter-mile path of paved and compacted gravel, which is generally manageable for wheelchairs in dry conditions.
The access road is gravel and can be rough after rain, which may present difficulties for low-clearance vehicles or visitors with mobility limitations. Flooding can make the trail muddy and impassable regardless of the path surface.
Inside Confluence Point State Park: what to see
The trail ends at the confluence overlook, a concrete platform marking the point where the Missouri River and Mississippi River meet. Visitors can see the visual distinction between the two rivers’ water at close range, with the Missouri’s typically murkier flow visible against the Mississippi. A tall flood marker near the overlook indicates the water level reached during the catastrophic 1993 flood.
Interpretive panels at the car park and along the trail explain the significance of the confluence for Lewis and Clark, who set off up the Missouri River from this area on 14 May 1804. The expedition’s starting point has shifted slightly downstream since then, but the park occupies the nearest accessible land.
The park’s 1,118 acres of river bottomland are part of the Mississippi Flyway, a major migratory bird corridor. Bald eagles, great blue herons, American white pelicans, and numerous waterfowl species are regularly observed, particularly in autumn and winter.
Practical visitor tips
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Timing | Check the Missouri State Parks status map the morning of your visit; flooding can close the park at any time of year. |
| Crowds | The park is rarely busy; most visitors arrive as part of a wider Lewis and Clark or birding itinerary. |
| Layout | The access road is the main logistical challenge, not the trail itself, which is short and mostly level. |
| Entry process | No ticket or registration is required; simply drive in and park. |
| On-site logistics | Vault toilets are at the car park; there are no other facilities. Bring water. |
Frequently asked questions about Confluence Point State Park
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is Confluence Point State Park free? | Yes, there is no admission fee. |
| Can the park be closed without warning? | Yes, flooding frequently makes the access road and trail impassable. Always check the state parks status map before visiting. |
| Is Confluence Point State Park open on Sundays? | Yes, it is open every day subject to weather and flood conditions. |
| Are dogs allowed at Confluence Point State Park? | Yes, on a lead. |
| How long is the walk to the confluence point? | The trail is a quarter of a mile each way, around 10 to 15 minutes on foot. |
Things to do near Confluence Point State Park
- Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary: a large wetland reserve adjacent to the park, excellent for birdwatching year-round.
- Lewis and Clark State Historic Site, Hartford, Illinois: a museum and outdoor site on the Illinois bank of the confluence, around 15 minutes away.
- Columbia Bottom Conservation Area, north St. Louis County: another viewing point for the confluence, on the Missouri side of the Mississippi, around 20 minutes south.
- Old Chain of Rocks Bridge: the historic pedestrian and cycling bridge spanning the Mississippi River, around 20 minutes south.
- Gateway Arch National Park, St. Louis: the iconic Arch and its underground museum, around 30 minutes south.
What to visit tomorrow
- Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis: one of the oldest botanical gardens in the USA, around 30 minutes south.
- Elephant Rocks State Park, Graniteville, MO: a park featuring massive 1.5 billion-year-old granite boulders, around 1 hour 15 minutes southwest.
- Meramec Caverns, Stanton, MO: Missouri’s largest commercial cave, around 1 hour south.
- Washington State Park, De Soto, MO: a park with Native American petroglyphs, around 1 hour southwest.
- Cuivre River State Park, Troy, MO: a large forested park with trails and a lake, around 45 minutes northwest.
More St Louis travel
Other St Louis travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- What to expect at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation in St Louis, Missouri.
- How to save money on tickets to the City Museum in St Louis.
- St Louis’ Forest Park: Guides to Saint Louis Zoo, the Saint Louis Art Museum and the Missouri History Museum.
- Getting to St Louis: The best stops on the Detroit to St Louis drive and Indianapolis to St Louis drive.
- Road trips from St Louis: The best stops on the St Louis to Chicago drive, St Louis to Cleveland drive, St Louis to Columbus drive, St Louis to Philadelphia drive and St Louis to Pittsburgh drive.
