The confluence of the Mississippi River and Missouri River is one of the most important geographical – and with that: cultural and historical – features of North America, playing an unparalleled role in the development of the United States.  It is truly thrilling to see the Missouri River seamlessly enter the great Mississippi River and also to know that Lewis and Clark crossed the Mississippi River to then ascend the Missouri River over its length of 2,341 miles, thereby providing the young United States with its first accurate information on the land, people, plants and animals west of the Mississippi River.

In 1804-1805 Meriwether Lewis and William Clark encamped along Wood River, almost abutting the confluence of the two great rivers and immediately opposite the Missouri, which they would ascend in their epic journey to the Pacific Northwest. READ ABOUT LEWIS AND CLARK AT THE CONFLUENCE IN THIS BRIEF ILLUSTRATED HISTORY: https://uofi.box.com/s/db0q2hquv5cwh5wvqt7m599vvkepb3w1

There is a tall tower north of Camp DuBois (Lewis and Clark State Historic Site) with a reportedly spectacular view of the confluence, but the author of this webpage was unable to find the road to that surely worthwhile station (see map below image).