Roughly parallelling the sandy river bed of the Big Blue River, E. River Road was part of the Oregon Trail beginning in 1843. As it does today, it led to Alcove Spring, a well-known campsite for trail travelers. From the Alcove Spring parking lot, signage will guide you along the eighth-mile walk to the spring. Water from a wet-weather creek flows (usually during April and May) over a rocky outcrop and falls 10 feet into a pool. The spring below and to the right of the waterfall never dries up and is presumed to be the spring for which the site was named. You're in peaceful environs here and surrounded by the presence of history. Across the road from the parking lot in an area known as Emigrant Campground you'll find additional signage and a memorial to Sarah Keyes. The 70-year-old Keyes, a member of the Donner-Reed party, died here in 1846. (NRHP) (8 Wonders of Kansas Geography)