We have only been to the Lewis and Clark Confluence Tower once before, and that was a short trip…we were checking out the Cakeway to the West cake that was there. Ever since, Turkey has hoped to go up in the tower, and I decided that this year’s Westward Expansion themed summer school would be the perfect opportunity to finally see the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers from above!

Even at the ground level, the towers are impressive. One is named for Lewis; the other for Clark:

The tower is 180 feet high, with viewing platforms at 50, 100, and 150 feet:

As you would expect, the highest platform is the best for viewing the confluence of the rivers, and that view to the west is basically straight ahead from one side of the deck:

If you look a bit toward the south of the confluence, you can make out both the St. Louis and Clayton skylines:

A more northerly glance provides a look at Alton:

And then there’s straight down!

The view from the other side of the deck is…not as interesting:

There’s a cool area of native prairie plantings at the base of the tower:

This was a fun little field trip. There is a fee to go up, but we received a discount because we visited the Lewis and Clark State Historic Site at Camp River Dubois the same day. It was a windy day, so that made our visit to the top extra interesting! I imagine it would also be great to visit in the fall, and see all the colors along the rivers, and especially in the winter, when you might glimpse a bald eagle flying overhead!