Alcove Springs facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Alcove Springs
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Kansas Show map of Kansas Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Nearest city	Blue Rapids, Kansas
Area	714 acres (289 ha)
NRHP reference No.	72000513
Added to NRHP	February 23, 1972

Alcove Springs was a popular stop along the Oregon Trail near Independence Crossing in Marshall County, Kansas. Travelers along the trail gave the springs its name. The words 'Alcove Springs', carved into the hard limestone cliff by the Donner Party, can still be seen, although some of the carving has weathered away. It is located about four miles north of Blue Rapids along the Big Blue River

Across the road from the Alcove Springs park is another park commemorating the Oregon Trail and features history, wagon swales and a D.A.R. marker memorializing Sarah Keyes, a member of the Donner Party who died in 1846. The exact location of her burial is unknown.

Alcove Springs was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.