Manitou Bluffs in Missouri

Photo: NPS

West of Columbia, Missouri, you’ll find one of the most picturesque sections of the lower Missouri River. Impressive limestone bluffs tower over the slowly flowing river, and the Katy Trail State Park runs directly along the eastern bank. But the better views are from the water – canoe or kayak paddlers are rewarded with remarkable scenery along the rocky cliffs.

This area was important to the Native peoples as the rock paintings in the area attest. The Manitou (or Maniteau) is the Algonquian name for the Great Spirit and several images were reported to be painted on the rock walls by early explorers. Only a few of these petroglyphs remain today and can be seen above Torbett Spring, located around river mile 184 on the eastern bank. Native burial mounds are located along the top of the bluffs and should be respected as sacred sites.

The Moniteau Creek at Manitou Bluffs is a High Potential Historic Site on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

You’ll find Manitou Bluffs just downstream from Rocheport, Missouri (which is less than 20 miles west of Columbia, off I-70).