Gateway Arch National Park, MO

National Park Counter: 1

Ok, post number 1! So, I have not been to the Arch since it became a National Park, but I have been there at least 3 or 4 times. It’s an arch. It’s tall. It’s in St. Louis. It used to be called the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. I think the designation as a national park is lame. It’s a modern man-made thing, and a memorial would suffice. Picture…in case you …haven’t…seen the arch before?

Overall impressions: Pros: Easily accessible from I-70 if you are driving cross country and need a place to stop for a pee, or a sandwich. Cons include the white elephant in the room of why this is even a National Park. I get there is some historical importance to this monument. A national monument maybe, but not a a full fledged national park, and even that is pushing it for monument a mere 60 years old.

The Adventurer Final Word:
One Star. It’s not terrible as a tourist attraction, but you aren’t going to St. Louis specifically to see it unless you live near by. Cahokia Mounds is actually nearby and a trip there with a side excursion to arch might be warranted.