I have not been to all 63 national parks. I believe that each of our national parks protects something unique and beautiful. But Gateway Arch National Park might be the exception. I honestly don’t think there is any reasonable argument for why this should be a national park and not a national monument. Nearly every national park enthusiast would list this as the worst of the national parks. And when you put the arch up against the granite peaks of Yosemite, the wildlife of Yellowstone, or the historic charm of Acadia, it doesn’t stand a chance. All that being said, I did enjoy my visit and consider it completely worth a stop on any cross-country trip.

Draft Kings Casino RV Park

One of the oddities of this area is a fairly decent RV park in the middle of a notoriously bad part of town. The Draft Kings Casino RV park is separated from the casino by a rather large parking lot. I am not sure how the RV park originated beyond the general notion that casinos are often symbiotic with RV parking. Checking the location on a map made me rather apprehensive. Any urban RV park can be a little sketch and East St. Louis does not enjoy a great reputation. But all of the reviews agreed that RVers felt very safe, so I booked.

The cost was fairly reasonable. I paid about $70/night + fees. It seemed fair for full hookups in prime real estate. The campground itself is a little parking-lot-esqe. The premium sites seem to be premium in length alone, unless you consider a lack of grass and trees to be an upgrade. But I hoped to not unhook the truck for a quick stay, so booked the longer site. I needed to do a little leveling on the site, but could make it work with the truck attached.

The park requires a code for entry, but I was surprised to see that the gate is vehicle-only. The rest of the RV park is fenced, but anyone could walk in or out of the park. I had expected a bit more security, given the location. The common areas such as the bathroom and laundry also required a code. And I never saw anyone other than campers anywhere around the park, but I would be extra certain to be locked up in the park.

Getting from the RV park to the arch was unclear to me before I went, so I want to be real clear about the options.

• Driving: Of course this could be an option. It would be just a few minutes over the bridge. But this option requires parking. There is “preferred parking” associated with the park vendors for $10 for five hours, but I think it might also depend on whether there is a Cardinals game scheduled for the day. I could only find parking for $35. Additionally, the height limit on the garage is 6’8″. My truck clocks in at 6’7.96″. I HAVE parked in 6’8″ garages, but I sure don’t like it. The garage is only about .3 miles or a 7 minute walk away from the arch.
• Walking: The campground is located about 1.5 miles or about 30 minutes from the arch. This is definitely doable as long as you have good shoes. Much of the walk is across the casino parking lot to the river. Then you can either climb a few flights of stairs or take the Metro elevator up. The walking path across the Eads bridge is protected from traffic and actually gives some nice views of the river and the park. I wouldn’t walk the dog over because there is a significant amount of broken glass along the route. On the Missouri side, the walk is mostly through the park and is pretty pleasant. As long as the weather is good and it is still daylight, I think this is a good option.
• Metro: The Metro train has stops on either side of the bridge for those unwilling or unable to walk across. On my return trip, I decided to check it out because of the unrelenting rain. Pricing for the ride is not length-based, so it is $2.50 per person, per trip. So a couple would pay $10 round-trip, while still having to walk across the parking lot to the station on the Illinois side and to the arch in Missouri. I also have to say the Metro experience was the only time I felt unsafe. There were significant numbers of people who were sleeping and panhandling along the way. I had no outright negative experiences, but definitely got a feeling that it was not a tourist-friendly experience unless there was a big sporting event happening.

It should also be noted that I read about a shuttle that would pick up campers and take them to the casino, avoiding some of the walk across the parking lot. I never saw such a shuttle, but I guess it might be worth mentioning.

Gateway Arch National Park

The 630 foot tall stainless steel monument might be the most prominent feature of the park, but I am not sure it is the most interesting. In 2018 a modern museum opened beneath the arch. Exhibits explore the construction of the arch, but also what it symbolizes as the gateway to western expansion. Interactive exhibits explore the history and consequences of Manifest Destiny, with consideration for how that time in modern history impacted all Americans, including women, enslaved and formerly enslaved people, and the indigenous inhabitants. It was a much more thought-provoking experience than I expected. I felt it did a nice job of balancing American mythology with American reality.

The museum is free, but there are several experiences you can pay for. I chose to watch the documentary on the construction of the arch ($7), participate in the virtual reality experience ($8), and take the tram to the top ($15 + $4 national park fee). I really enjoyed the documentary, Monument to the Dream which featured amazing original footage from the 60s. The virtual reality experience was a little hokey as it involved wearing a VR headset while sitting on a stool in a corner of the lobby, but kids might enjoy it.

The tram ride to the top is iconic. It is the same ingenious system that was devised in the 60’s. A chain of five-seated pods climbs the 63 stories into the air. Glass doors on the pod give a view of the some of the mechanics of the system. Once at the top, you have about ten minutes to enjoy the view through the 7-inch tall windows. Unfortunately the day I visited was pretty rainy, but at least it wasn’t completely socked in.

The ride to the top takes about four minutes and the return trip is slightly faster. I consider myself a pretty good judge of phobia-friendliness and I think the tram would be more difficult for those with claustrophobia than those afraid of heights. I am a towering 5’3″ and I had to hunch over a bit in the pod. Between the size of the pods and the inability to leave once the ride gets started, I can see it being uncomfortable for some people. On the other hand, the windows at the top were so small, the heights didn’t feel scary at all.

Old Courthouse

I happened to be at the Gateway Arch the day of the grand re-opening of the Old Courthouse, so of course I had to stop in to visit. It was pouring down rain as I walked across and I am afraid the weather dampened some of the planned activities for the day.

The building was beautiful, but it’s main historical significance was the role it played as the epicenter of the Dred Scott case. I won’t pretend that I remember the significance of the case from my high school history classes, but the exhibits did a great job exploring the facts and how the ruling catalyzed the abolitionist movement. Pro tip: I listened to a great podcast on the case after I left the area, but would highly recommend listening before touring if you can.

A second exhibit explores the importance of the judicial system – it felt very timely.

I am known for saying that I never feel like I have enough time in a place – there is always something more to see or do. Maybe it was the bad weather, but I did feel like one full day was enough for this stop. I am not sure what I would have done with another day. But it is definitely worth a weekend trip, if for no other reason than to get the National Park passport stamp!