Honestly, this is exactly the kind of spot you need in your back pocket for a nice day. It's super…read morecute, but more importantly, it's functional. You aren't fighting for parking, and there are plenty of covered benches so you can actually sit and relax while the family plays. ​Between the walking loop and the playground, it's just a great option. I would totally come back here.

amazing park and splash pad for sure. we absolutely loved it and had so much fun. one thing is the…read morebathrooms are absolutely disgusting along with the diaper changing table is broken. i totally understand it's hard to keep up with an outdoor bathroom but it really does need a deep clean and the diaper changing table fixed! super disappointed by that. everything else was phenomenal!

Beautiful park! Beautiful falls! Love going here for lunch, taking walks, fishing and taking the…read morekids for outdoor adventures!!

It's just a park with a waterfall, nothing fancy about it. It smells sometimes. And it's dirty.read more

This area was called "Monkey Mountains," because early settlers deemed the river bluffs too steep…read morefor even monkeys to climb. This place is as close to being out in the wild as you can get in the KC area. A little bit of a drive but worth it if you want a rugged terrain. It's perfect. Reaching the open meadow at the top is wonderful. Use bug spray and check for ticks.

Monkey Mountain is an 855 acre nature preserve in Eastern Jackson County, halfway in-between Grain…read moreValley and Oak Grove. The address I listed is the approximate address of the south entrance to the park, there is another entrance a little over a mile north off Old US 40 Hwy next to a softball field. The park is mostly undeveloped, which is what I love about it. You get to experience nature instead of a sanitized version of nature. There are two primary loop trails, one measuring 3.5 miles and one measuring between 2-3 miles depending on the route taken. Numerous smaller trails criss-cross between these main trails and branch out forming various side loops. You can spend hours hiking here and not see everything. The park caters to hikers and equestrians. I usually encounter a few other people at the park but only between long stretches of complete isolation. The elevation ranges from about 780 feet on the banks of Sni-a-Bar Creek to about 950 feet at the summit. There is a wide variety of terrain in the park: marshy lowlands in the north and northwest, thick woods and steep terrain covering most of the western half, limestone outcroppings along the ridge and at the south end of the park, a huge roiling meadow in the center, and farmed land along the eastern edges. Several ponds dot the landscape, and numerous tiny streams feed into Sni-a-Bar Creek along the western edge. There is even a waterfall in the park, but I will not reveal the location since it is both a fragile and a dangerous feature (especially in winter). Finding it can be part of your adventure. In the spring and early summer the park's meadows are filled with a wide variety of wildflowers, and wildlife can be spotted year-round. I've seen deer, foxes, turkeys, tortoises and turtles, all sorts of birds, and even evidence of some sort of wildcat. In the first half of the 20th century, much of what is now Monkey Mountain Park was part of a show farm called Sni-a-Bar Farms, owned by William Rockhill Nelson. The hillside and meadow were used for grazing sheep. Evidence of that can still be seen today in the form of farm remnants such as an old boundary fence running east-west through the middle of the park. If you hike the park, don't do it alone until you are familiar. Even though there are trails they are not always easy to see, and some portions of the trails can be treacherous. If your hike takes you through the northwest portion of the park you can expect to encounter mud pretty much year round so wear appropriate shoes. You will also need to carry your own water, there are no facilities at the park except at the softball field and an outhouse at the south entrance.

Got your favorite hot coffee or your favorite hot chocolate?…read more Want to see some cool wildlife? When you arrive here you'll see sometimes a group of turkeys bunched up in twenties. You will see some Elks and Deers. Behind the fence you're definitely going to see a group of Bisons. Good place to visit!

10 stars. Free attraction. Beautiful ride to the area within the forested lake area. Multiple elk…read moreand bison are waiting behind the fence for what veggie/fruit treats you might offer. (No grains/breads, special diet) **Buy 2 5lbs of carrots and maybe some apples to toss over the fence. Feeding them were addictive. ****Don't forget the elk straight in past the parking lot. They are hard to see but they are there. Wave a carrot, give some seconds and they will make their way to you. There is 1 portapotty and 2 picnic tables. Lots of parking.

Good hiking, some trails are paved some are a bit more rough hewn. They have Blue Stem grasses and…read morepaw-paws. Very very much fun.

Reservations for parties could be improved. Staffing was rude. I applied for the application to…read morereserve on the 2nd. They did bor make me aware that they could not do the 2nd and automatically booked me for the following weekend. I have paid full amount already. Their communication and customer service is poor

Good place to bring the chairs outs and watch nature…read more If your patient enough and quiet relaxing on your fold up chairs. You're going to see some small four-legged animals. More raccoons, possums. If you post up somewhere by a pond you're definitely going to see and hear lot of loud wild animal noises from frogs and you'll see some turtles there. I recommend bring your binoculars, the ones that can capture electronic pics. You're going to see different species of birds my favorite one are the red-headed vultures. You're going to see deers here pretty often. This is my new hangout so I'm going to try to capture pictures of these animals and post them here. Enjoy!!!

One of the best places to hike, fish, hunt, bird watch, ride horses or anything outdoors. They…read morehave a dog training area for hunting dogs, trails for people or horses and lakes galore to fish in. They even have a kids only lake.

The gardens are well maintained and any staff I've ever come across have been very nice and…read morehelpful. It's a nice oasis inside the city and that it's free parking and free entry?? Well, that is icing on the cake! The flowers change with the seasons so I'm looking forward to what Fall brings! Loved spending time here, and most definitely will go back! I then went across the street to spend time in the park. Also very well maintained with a mixture of mulch and paved paths. Saw a side to our city (the riverfront area) I hadn't seen before up close and personal.

Kauffman Gardens is such a peaceful gem in the city. I visited just after a heavy rainstorm the…read morenight before, and the whole place felt fresh, calm, and extra lush. The fountains were flowing beautifully, adding to the already relaxed vibe. I took my time walking through the gardens, viewing everything from different angles. There's something grounding about being surrounded by flowers, greenery, and the soft sound of water. It is the perfect stop to slow down and unwind after a busy morning and/or afternoon. Highly recommend if you're looking for a quiet, beautiful spot to clear your head, or just sit and be still.

I've stayed at this campground twice while doing a two day float trip down the Missouri River and…read moreit is perfect for our needs. It is right on the side of the river (great views!) and just about 100 yards from the boat ramp. The bathrooms are what I would describe as prison issue with cement floors, cinder block walls, and stainless steel plumbing, but they are so clean! A clean shower and toilet at the end of a long day paddling is great! They are locked to keep non-guests out. And the best part of this campground is the manager Charlie. Both times he took good care of us to make sure we had what we needed, gave us a good camping spot, and made sure we knew to call him if we had questions or needed something else. Some campsites have electricity. Usually there are picnic tables, but not this year. They had closed down for a while and then had limited sites available due to COVID 19. Only two of the 4 bathrooms were open. Make sure you call to make a reservation and see what's available. Perhaps the one downside is the campground is very close to a train track and trains rumbled through, whistles and all, all night long. It's an easy walk to Sonic to fill your belly with ice cream, breakfast burritos, and tots. All in all, still a great place to stay if you are paddling on the river.

Nice little campsite and boat dock. Beautiful views of the Missouri River. This area is historic…read moreas it was one of the places Lewis and Clark stoped on their exploration of the west. The historic sign is located at the entrance just down from the boat ramp. At the end of a camping area is a small half mile trail through the woods and meanders along side the muddy water of the Missouri. The has views nice and worth the easy walk. There is a restroom here and it has showers of your thinking of camping.

Harris Park was once your average, run-of-the-mill parks in Lee's Summit. Not anymore! In the past…read moredecade or so, it's grown to a beautiful park, playground(s), and community pool that feels more like a water park. It's good for children of all ages with a little something for everyone.

Aw, so great!! I love this little playground! When having lunch with my friend and her little kids,…read moreher 4 year old told me he wanted to go to castle park. He meant this. It's a great large park with a large castle like plastic playground so the kids can play princess and knight. There's another smaller playground for younger toddlers who are just mastering stepping up and sliding down. There are a few swings, a small rock climbing boulder that wouldn't do much damage if a kid fell off, and a picnic area, where my friend and I sat in the shade while the kids played. There was a camp there also, and all the kids were sitting and listening to a police K9 demo. Not far away there's a water park/swimming pool. Overall, this is a great place for kids to come and wear themselves out! I really like it and it's so adorable!