DNR
Home PageJefferson City to Marthasville
Jefferson City is the capital of Missouri, and tours are available of the impressive Capitol, which sits atop a bluff overlooking the Missouri River. It is also the location of Jefferson Landing State Historic Site, operated by the Department of Natural Resources.
From Jefferson City eastward, the trail continues to follow the river as it passes through a series of small towns, such as Mokane, Portland, Rhineland, McKittrick and Treloar. These towns were either established as river towns or sprang up because of the railroad.
In this area, the trail passes through many rural communities and farming operations supported by the rich bottomland soil. The bluffs, which range from limestone to sandstone, are particularly spectacular west of Treloar and Bluffton where they tower above you more than 250 feet. Birds and wildflowers are abundant on this section of the trail.
The trail passes near the town of Hermann, which is known for its German heritage and its vineyards. It is the location of Deutschheim State Historic Site, operated by the Department of Natural Resources.
Marthasville was established around 1800 near the site of an early 1763 French trading post. Daniel Boone lived the last years of his life in the area, and his grave site one mile east of Marthasville is only a short distance from the trail.
