Columbia Bottom Conservation Area — Attraction in Bellefontaine Neighbors

Preferred this site to the Edward And Pat Jones Confluence Site run by DNR. Not a knock on it, but this site is bigger. When I went, they had signs up that squirrel hunting was available in the next month, a tempting option, but already having good property to do it on, I instead walked the trails.

I enjoyed the view of the immense rivers. The site is over 4,000 acres and right next to St. Louis, so there was a little more trash than one might see in a normal conservation area, but the workers appeared to be on top of it. It looked like it was a mixture of woods, cropped lands and fields, so there was a variety of habitat and plenty of deer sign. Looks like a good area to hunt or to hike.

Also of note were interpretive signs about the Lewis And Clark Expedition so it is a good learning opportunity for children and adults as like, both a natural and historic site of...

I had high hopes for this area, but it looks like MDC gave up on it after flooding damage occurred. Since the road to get to the confluence is closed off to cars due to it being overgrown and sand-covered in spots, the walk to get to the confluence is a mile from the open parking lot. The normal foot trails are barely usable in this area. Once you get to what is normally a parking lot, there will be a fork in the 'road', go right. To get to the confluence you will walk up a small sand hill and weave your way through a sand-covered trail/boardwalk past overgrown, sand filled restrooms, eventually finding a concrete platform that is partially destroyed. If you have young ones with you, be weary here as there is no railing on the circumference of the platform. The confluence is neat...

The sunflower fields are popular currently. Mask up if you go, but as long as you're careful you can go and enjoy! There are more than one, so it the first is packed try driving to one of the others.

Access to the confluence observation playroom has not yet been restored as of mid-July 2020. You can get there, but it's a bit of an adventure. Park at the parking lot at the end of Madison Ferry Rd (labeled L on the Area Map). From there you'll need to walk .9 miles down the closed road. It will appear to dead-end into a sand berm. Climb it (there's a narrow worn walking path to follow) and you'll end up by the bathrooms where the parking lot is (it's still buried from past floods). From there the path to the observation platform is overgrown but a relatively easy...