Did you know that there are more than 4,000 natural springs in Missouri? Or that ten of the state’s biggest pump out an astounding one billion gallons of water each day? The majority of Missouri’s natural springs are located in the Ozarks region of the state and part of the Ozark Scenic National Riverways. Many of the springs in Missouri are within a short distance from one another, making it easy to plan a fun road trip to see them!
My three-day road trip started in St. Louis and included eight different natural springs in Missouri and several historic mills along the way. I could have added a few more attractions but the summer heat wore me down! Exploring the natural springs in Missouri makes for a fun weekend trip or easy getaway. In fact, if possible – visiting during the week will almost certainly guarantee you have many of these places all to yourself.
I found a wonderful home base in Mountain View, Missouri at Rockin Bell River Resort. I needed something safe and simple that was centrally located. The property is gated with a few affordable airbnb rentals as well as a handful of spacious spots for RVs! The tiny house I stayed in had a comfortable bed and was clean with great air-conditioning. It had a TV and mini fridge. The campground had a super cool pavilion with several grills and clean bathrooms with showers. It was awesome and just what I needed for this short road trip.
If you’re willing to drive – the possibilities are endless! Each day I drove around 3-4 hours and worked my way back to the airbnb in Mountain View, Missouri. I’ll include a Google Map of all the springs I went to and you can map out your own route based on how much you like to drive.
Full disclosure – I skipped several popular places like Rocky Springs, Echo Bluff State Park, and Montauk State Park on purpose because I didn’t want to be around a bunch of people enjoying summer vacation. I was looking for peace and quiet – and I found it while visiting these places!
Welch Spring
My first stop was Welch Spring. It’s about two hours or so from St. Louis. I arrived around 8:00am and had the place to myself. The road to Welch Spring is bumpy and a bit confusing. You’ll veer to the right about a mile down the road and find a small parking lot.
From there you can wander along the river or if you bring a kayak – you can paddle upstream to view some creepy old hospital ruins. (I didn’t want to spend much time there so I didn’t do that.) Just note that even if you take the hiking path by the parking lot – you’ll only be able to see the ruins from across water. It’s about a mile long and not well kept, so not worth the hassle – in my opinion.
Round Spring
About 30 minutes south of Welch Spring, Round Spring is located near the town of Eminence in a really nice park with a small visitor center and campgrounds. The trail to view the spring is super easy to navigate. Once at the top of the hill, you can look down over a viewing deck and see the beautiful blue spring!
Keep in mind that phone service is pretty spotty in this area so you’ll likely need an actual map to navigate to your next stop. Be sure to get your hands on a map of the natural springs, trails, and outdoor recreational sites in the region and be familiar with how to read it. You can pick one up at Echo Bluff State Park which is right down the road from Round Spring Park.
Alley Spring
My last stop for the day was the best one! I have been wanting to photograph Alley Spring for years! It definitely did not disappoint. The beautiful old red mill set along the pretty blue waters of the spring makes for gorgeous photos. There’s a small trail that goes around the water that gives you a great point of view. You can even go inside the mill and have a look around.
Alley Spring is located in a state park that has campgrounds and lots of open space. Neat spot to have a picnic or maybe let your kids run around if you’re on a road trip!
Big Spring
Big Spring pumps out an amazing 286 million gallons of water every day! Like the others, it has a beautiful blue hue and is located in a cool state park. There’s a small trail to get close to the gushing waterfalls that’s just a few feet from the parking lot.
I found this one to be really beautiful and peaceful. I was here around mid-morning on a Tuesday and there were only a couple other people around. This is definitely one of the springs in Missouri that’s not to miss! Cell service was also a bit spotty here, so make sure you have your next driving directions saved or a real map handy!
Greer Spring
Of all the springs in Missouri that I visited, Greer Spring is the only one that required a hike to get to. From the parking lot, it’s about a mile each way and will feel longer if it’s a hot summer day! However, the extra steps are totally worth it! It’s so beautiful! It’s incredibly peaceful listening to the water gushing and seeing the pretty blue water. Look for the trailhead which has a small parking lot and a bathroom.
One pocket of the spring is reminiscent of a scene from Hawaii or a tropical island. It definitely doesn’t look like something you’d expect in Missouri. Do not miss out on Greer Spring!
Blue Spring
Blue Spring is the deepest spring in Missouri at 310 feet! It’s a major contributor to the Current River and can be found in the Ozark Mountains. It’s located at the end of a pretty easy hike that’s only about a half mile from the parking lot. There’s a platform you can walk along to get right above the water and get a great view looking down.
The water here really is remarkably blue! Like some of the others – I had the place to myself while visiting on a weekday morning.
Meramec Spring
Unlike the other springs in Missouri that I’ve mentioned so far, Meramec Springs is located on private property. Meramec Spring Park has a $5.00 admission and is owned by the St. James Foundation. It’s also not centrally located in the Ozarks like most of the other springs. It’s best to visit this one if you’re traveling to or from St. Louis and it’s just a few miles from Highway 44.
Unfortunately, I visited shortly after a heavy rainfall and the water wasn’t its normal blue color. It was also gushing ten times faster than it normally does. However, it was pretty cool to see the power of the spring as it moved all that additional water. The park itself was really great and would be a fun spot to spend part of a day hanging out or fishing. It’s a popular spot to catch trout.
Falling Spring
This was the toughest spring to get to and you may hesitate if you’re fearful of driving on rocky terrain. The road to the spring is pretty rough. In fact, I was really surprised that no one has maintained it or cleared some of the bigger rocks. Having said that, I just drove really slow and made it there and back just fine.
The waterfall is tucked behind an old abandoned mill. At first I thought I had survived the bumpy ride for nothing. However, once you park and get closer – you’ll see the falling spring! You can still walk inside of the old mill. There’s plenty of parking but not much else to do here. I’d suggest skipping this one if you’re only interested in seeing the blue springs!
This is such a fun road trip and I highly recommend it! Especially if you’ve lived around the midwest for most of your life and have never taken the time to explore the Ozarks or the springs in Missouri.
Keep in mind that some of the roads you’ll encounter are not paved and will be bumpy. You’ll also want to make sure that you have bug spray! Some waterproof hiking shoes are great as well. And last but not least – be on the lookout for snakes on the trails. (I didn’t actually see any during my hikes, but I did spot one as I drove out of a parking lot.)