1. Clinton Lake North Shore Trails

    1. Clinton Lake North Shore Trails

    0

    Lawrence, KS

    Clinton Lake North Shore Trails

    4.5 (4 reviews)

    Clinton Lake North Shore Trails Photos

    More like Clinton Lake North Shore Trails

    Recommended Reviews - Clinton Lake North Shore Trails

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration
    Photo of Scott T.
    408
    1293
    3464

    12 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Davis B.
    405
    74
    13

    10 years ago

    All you can ask for in a scenic, public park! Bring your fishing rod.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Great hiking, though biking is likely very difficult given the rocky terrain. Will definitely return.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Parkville Nature Sanctuary

    Parkville Nature Sanctuary

    4.8
    (76 reviews)
    41.1 mi

    My husband and I Roeland Park, this nature sanctuary the day before Mother's Day. We had a heck of…read morea time finding it because the address was listed incorrectly. The nature sanctuary is on 12th St. and the connecting street is East St. Once we figured out where it was, we took our time on one of the trails I believe there are four trail options and the longest is 1.6 mile loop and the second is a 1 mile loop and the other ones are less than that. But it is a beautiful nature sanctuary with lots of greenery, woods, streams, water falls, and benches to enjoy the scenery. No pets are allowed since it is a nature sanctuary. There is a covered area off of one of the hikes that we went to that leads to some picnic tables. There's also several picnic tables by the parking lot. There are also bathrooms near the parking lot. The parking lot is next to the track and field belonging to the college. We really enjoyed our slow, meandering walk/hike and will definitely go back.

    Hidden right by the bustle of downtown parkville, the parkville nature sanctuary has become one of…read moremy favorite places to do an easy hike. The trails are well maintained, and while there are some inclines at certain points, the trail is easy to follow and not strenuous. I love the various view points where you can stop and really appreciate natural beauty, like the waterfall or the butterfly pass. It feels like this is in its own little world despite being so close to the city. Be aware that the parking lot is pretty small so at peak times it may be hard to park.

    Photos
    Parkville Nature Sanctuary
    Waterfall
    Waterfall
    Marsh  areas

    See all

    Marsh areas
    Woodridge Recreation Area

    Woodridge Recreation Area

    4.5
    (4 reviews)
    3.5 mi

    Long-time user of the George Latham Hiking Trail on the back side of Clinton Lake. This fairly well…read moremaintained but rugged trail is just over 4 miles long and is usually hiked counter-clockwise. The first half mile is all decent with plenty of well used camping areas just off the trail in either direction. Unfortunately (but not the fault of the trail design) lots of folks leave too much trash in the areas designated for fires. At about the half mile point the lake is visible pretty much for the next 2-3 miles before you start the climb out towards the parking lot. Expect: rugged rocky trails, decent markings on the trees, and lots of rocks. Be warned: go on this walk during tick season minus long pants and be prepared to pay a dear price--this from experience. Wear long pants with ties around the ankles and you might be OK. My advice is avoid this hike during those times as parts of the trail go through grassy areas where plenty of opportunities exist for the little critters. Around the 1 mile mark is a great, perfectly placed bench with a great view of the lake. Nice place to stop if you're just in no hurry and want to enjoy the scenery. If you go: the last half mile to the area is dirt road, and poorly maintained. If it's been raining you'd better be in four-wheel drive. Otherwise if it's dry, it's just a very rough road. Drive slow. Snow... forget it. As always, take your trash with you and pack it out on the hike. Trash barrels and an outdoor toilet once you get to the parking lot. Moderate elevation change that shouldn't be a problem: expect to take around 2 hours unless you're in a hurry. Wear hiking shoes as the rocks can be rough, although I have done it in sneakers, but not recommended.

    Loved hiking the George Latham trail and will definitely going to have to camp out there sometime!…read moreThe George Latham Trail is a 4.5 mi loop with random camping spots scattered throughout. An interesting stone wall that I wonder what it was for, and the trail stops by the waterside on a couple of occasions. CHECK YOURSELF FOR TICKS. I didn't get any but we found 8 ticks total on my boyfriend after we finished the trail. For how close the trail is to Lawrence it really feels like you're further away.

    Photos
    Clinton Lake near Woodridge Campsite. Lake appears to be higher than usual.
    Clinton Lake near Woodridge Campsite. Lake appears to be higher than usual.
    Clinton Lake near Woodridge Campsite looking East into the moonrise.
    Clinton Lake near Woodridge Campsite looking East into the moonrise.
    Woodridge Recreation Area

    See all

    Frank Vaydik Park - Line Creek Trailhead

    Frank Vaydik Park - Line Creek Trailhead

    5.0
    (2 reviews)
    44.8 mi

    Love this place and great get away for animals to swim. Hiking is a breeze and the train rides are…read moreunique to a place like this!

    Frank Vaydik Park is fantastic! The park is home to the Kansas City Northern Railroad which is a…read moremodel train for kids to ride on. It's a must do if you've got young kids. The Line Creek Community Center is also located in this park. They have a snack bar, pool, and public restrooms inside. There is also a playground located nearby. Our favorite part of this park is the trailhead to Line Creek trail. It's gorgeous! Line Creek is so enjoyable to look at and listen to while walking on the trail. The trail is concrete and very wide. Plenty of room for pedestrians and bike riders. The trail is very hilly one direction and flat the other way. The huge trees provide plenty of shade along the trail. A nice surprise on a hot summer day. There are several access points to the creek from the trail. The creek itself is never more than knee deep and fairly clear water. Our kids and dog love to wade around the small waterfalls. Bring water shoes! The rocks are very mossy and can get slick when stepping on them with bare feet. To get to the easiest access point for the creek go left at the first T intersection you come to from this trail entrance. The hillier path to the right will also lead you to a creek access point, but the route to the left has the small waterfall and better wading for kids. During the summer you might run into groups of summer camp kids enjoying the creek as well. It can be a busy place on a nice day! We did come across four snakes while playing in the water. None of them seemed to be threatened by us or our dog, but we still gave them plenty of space. For the most part they just swam away once they noticed us. Just be careful where you step! They sun themselves on the rocks and swim around looking for small fish to catch. In addition to snakes we saw lots of birds, fish, and a mouse. Lots of little critters to look for. The only thing lacking from this part of the trail are doggy cleanup stations (bring your own bags please!!) and bathrooms outside of the community center for after hours use.

    Photos
    One of the many snakes we saw that day by the water
    One of the many snakes we saw that day by the water
    Paved trail - concrete and extra wide. Well maintained.
    Paved trail - concrete and extra wide. Well maintained.
    Hillier side of the trail. Both directions are lovely.

    See all

    Hillier side of the trail. Both directions are lovely.
    Ernie Miller Nature Center

    Ernie Miller Nature Center

    4.3
    (24 reviews)
    28.6 mi

    I have been to Ernie Miller many times over the years and I love this place. I was a little…read moredisappointed on today's visit with my toddler grandson. The staff member was nice who greeted us. And we were actually the only people on the inside of the nature center, so we got to enjoy it in a peaceful environment. There were some field trip kids having event events outside. My grandson enjoyed exploring, but I was disappointed to see that quite a few of the displays were out of order. Also, I had to tell staff that there was a mouse in bird nature viewing area. A child had left a cracker, and apparently a mouse had gotten in was taking advantage of it! But then I went into the newer section with the displays and another mouse ran out and was running around the room towards my grandson. So I think they need to correct this issue before it gets too out of hand. The trails are great and the natural gardens are as well. They have some great programs for the community. I just think that some of the displays need to be fixed and taking care of the pest problem, I'm sure if they let the hawk in there he would handle it! lol

    LABEL YOUR TRAILS. Give folks some direction. I had no idea where I was going and ended up on a…read more(much nicer) subdivision's trail. Had to walk in circles three times to find - a port-a-potty. All of the restrooms were closed on a Sunday afternoon. The view of all of the dead trees was "breathtaking." Last time I'm visiting this park. Kansas City, MO actually has their act together.

    Photos
    Activity area
    Activity area
    Red tailed Hawk- He suffered a broken wing that they could not repair. He was showing off! It was so cool to see him up close.
    Red tailed Hawk- He suffered a broken wing that they could not repair. He was showing off! It was so cool to see him up close.
    This Barred Owl is blind in his left eye left and is not able to be released back into the wild.

    See all

    This Barred Owl is blind in his left eye left and is not able to be released back into the wild.
    Monkey Mountain Nature Preserve

    Monkey Mountain Nature Preserve

    3.9
    (8 reviews)
    64.4 mi

    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.

    Photos
    Monkey Mountain Nature Preserve
    Monkey Mountain Nature Preserve
    Monkey Mountain Nature Preserve

    See all

    Clinton Lake North Shore Trails - hiking - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...