Four rivers flow through Osage County: the Missouri, Osage, Gasconade, and Maries. They offer opportunities for fishing and boating. Nine Missouri state conservation areas cover almost 3,000 acres combined. River activities and protected areas are two defining features of the region’s natural landscape. The county’s history is also varied, spanning archaeological traces, churches, former industrial sites, and rural architecture.
River Landscapes and Trails
Painted Rock Conservation Area is located on Highway 133, seven miles west of Westphalia. It covers 1,480 acres, and the Osage River runs along its western boundary. Small clearings with wildflowers can be found in the area from May through October. The Scenic Trail offers views from two overlooks with boardwalks, as well as from other spots. Check the current trail conditions before your visit.
Painted Rock connects the landscape with a long history of human settlement. The area shows evidence of Native American habitation dating back 9,000 years. An Indigenous burial mound, built between 500 and 1,500 years ago, is also located on the Osage Scenic Bluff Trail. The two timeframes reveal different historical layers of the landscape.
Cooper Hill Conservation Area is also shaped by its location at the confluence of Third Creek and the Gasconade River. The site of the former Leach Steam Saw and Grist Mill is located here. The mill was built in 1858 and produced cordwood continuously until 1924. The area is also home to Leach-Baker Cemetery, with gravestones dating from the 19th century. Together, the former mill site and the cemetery offer a glimpse into different aspects of regional history.
Places and Architectural History
Bonnots Mill Historic District is significant for both commerce and architecture. Historically, the district was an important commercial center for Osage County. It also preserves examples of architectural styles and building types from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In Westphalia, St. Joseph Church is a visual and social landmark. Westphalia is the oldest German Catholic community west of the Mississippi; St. Joseph’s Catholic Church was established in 1838 and is the oldest Catholic parish in Osage County.
In Linn stands the Dr. E. T. and Amy Zewicki House, a largely original 19th-century vernacular residence. It is one of the few homes of its kind still standing in Linn’s original town limits. The property includes an extensive collection of largely original domestic outbuildings, including a pump, a washhouse, and a woodshed.
The Alvah Washington Townley Farmstead Historic District in Chamois comprises five largely original 19th-century agricultural buildings in their original locations. These include an I-house with a central passage dating to around 1856. The Townley House, with its short, one-story addition and attached smokehouse, is a local example of a vernacular house type common in the 19th century. The Chamois Public School represents another chapter in the area’s building history: it was built in its original form in 1876 and substantially enlarged in 1896.
Osage County Poorhouse represents the history of social institutions. Built in 1893, it served people with disabilities, people with mental illnesses, and people living in poverty until 1950. This period illustrates how the county’s social history can be read alongside the history of its churches, industrial sites, and homes.
Local Produce and Travel Planning
Farm-grown products such as beef, eggs, geese, and grain are available in Osage County. If local products are part of your travel plans, check specific vendors and availability in advance. When looking for a vacation rental, your interests can help you decide: you can choose between rivers and conservation areas, as well as churches, historic districts, and rural architectural history.
Discover more destinations: Ripley County, Gasconade County, Oregon County, Barry, Lawrence County, Jasper, Cedar
View the main travel overview: Missouri.
