By Cheri Sicard
The St. Louis Gateway Arch and the Gateway Arch National Park are iconic pieces of American history. Just because you might be traveling through St. Louis in your RV does not mean you have to miss this popular must-see attraction. In the video below, the team from Less Junk More Journey shares how you can actually camp near the Arch itself and immerse yourself in this national landmark.
The team says the DraftKings at Casino Queen RV Park is close to the interstate, just 5 or 10 minutes off, depending on which way you are coming from, so you don’t have to worry about getting caught in heavy city traffic. It’s also part of a casino complex, for those who enjoy casino camping.
Our hosts had a rough ride en route to St. Louis, then they found the campground was not level so they had some issues. In fact, not all sites in the park can accommodate all RVs, so if you make a reservation, be sure to check each site against what you need.
It’s kind of odd because from the looks of things in the video, it doesn’t seem that off-level, but I will take their word for it. They also had some slide issues. The video does show real RVing, i.e., it’s not always all sunshine and rainbows.
If you want to skip all that and go straight to info on the Arch, go to point 7:53 in the video.
Our hosts say this park is loud. There is street noise, and trains, and trams frequently go by. Not to mention a nearby airport. Nonetheless, they say it’s worth it. The parking is fully fenced in, and even in this urban setting, they felt safe.
You have four options to get from the campground to the Gateway Arch
- Take your vehicle
- Uber, Lyft, or taxi
- Walk
- Bike or e-Bike
Next, we get to explore the park vicariously as we join our hosts on a river cruise and visit the National Park Service museum here. We then get to ride to the top!
Our hosts describe the unique capsules that lift people to the top of the Arch as a combination escalator, elevator, and Ferris wheel. Watch the video to see what it’s like. They say it’s kinda scary, and those who are claustrophobic are going to want to pass. But the view from the top is breathtaking.
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RVDT2884
Last I heard it may not be safe around St. Louis. When we were a young family my wife went TDY to St Louis and I later drove out. We visited the Arch. It was nice then and I remember a Italian restaurant we ate at not far from the ball park.
We often stay at that campground to visit our daughter. While East Saint Louis isn’t safe, the campground is. They have roving security 24 hours a day. The campground is basically a parking lot for your rig. But its location to St Louis can’t be beat.
We stayed at Draft Kings 8/2022. We called for the gate code, a wrong code was provided and when we called back we received a code and the operator hung up. This call took almost 20 minutes. We have a 25 foot B+ and had to unhook Jeep to connect to water and sewer and electric since it was located at the entrance to the site. They also would charge $28.00 per day for us to park the RV in the casino parking lot for 4 hours while we explored. Not very friendly nor a resort as advertised for $65.00 per night. Train, car and plane noises close by as well as gunshots in the distance. Great for touring area but Sundermeier RV park in St Charles has more for less $$.
We’ve stayed at Casino Queen several times. Good, clean, quiet park. No troublele leveling our 38′ Class A. Yes, hookups were at the rear of the site but as experienced RVers we always carried extra sewer and water hose and electrical cord. The only issue we had at the park were other RVers letting their dogs run loose.
This park is located in East St. Louis and as the video shows there are great views of the Arch. A commuter train station is nearby that will take you across the river to the national park but I would caution to restrict your use of the train and visit to the Arch to daytime only. ESL and the St. Louis Riverfront (LeClede’s Landing) is not safe at night.
We stayed there once and that’s enough for me. Do not take a wrong turn in East Saint Louis at night! We did and ran into a shootout between gangs. On a return trip we stayed at Riverside Landing, a few more miles outside of town but well worth it
My wife and I went to see the Arch back in October of 2020 on our way to see a concert in Steelville. Streets were blocked off, the neighborhood the GPS took us through was a mass of abandoned factories, Not particularly savory looking. I’m glad we were able to find guarded paid parking, both by the river when we actually went to the Arch, but also near The Old Spaghetti Factory restaurant my wife wanted to take me to, as she and her college friends used to go there often many years ago. She said that the area had definitely gone WAY downhill since she had been there last.
Thank you for calling attention to the video and summarizing it, Cheri. Have a great day and safe travels!