Following the failure of the ghost towns , the Columbia Bottom reverted to being wet-footed but fertile farmland . The current conservation area was formed in 1997 as a result of the land condemnations that followed the Great Flood of 1993 . Patches of the area continued to be managed by the private sector as agricultural land as of 2011 . The nearest limited access highway exit is Exit 34 on Interstate 270 , at the northern tip of the city of St. Louis . From this exit it is north on Columbia Bottom Road to the entrance to the conservation area . Admission to the conservation area was free as of 2011 . A parking lot and graveled overlook , completed in 2002 , provided access to the river confluence , and a visitor center , completed in 2004 , stood close to the entrance . The conservation area is located across the Missouri River from the Jones-Confluence Point State Park
Great Flood of 1993
Great Flood of 1993
Columbia Bottom Conservation Area