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.

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.

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

This is a fun trail to hike on. Most of it is paved, although there are some off paths that are all…read moreterrain and wooded. I was not familiar with this trail so it was a little confusing to get to. Tip: you can access the trail by the tennis courts on Blue river rd. Tip 2: the bathrooms by the tennis courts were not open yet (March) and no bathrooms along the trail. Along the trail you pass lots of the park's amenities: shelter house, tennis courts, benches, playground, golf course, water, love lock bridge and more. If you do the entire hike it's about 5 miles. Parts of the path are secluded but I was with a friend and felt safe. I would recommend doing the hike with at least another person, although there were lots of people walking, running, and cycling on the trail. Good trail for all levels.

It was great hike, very long but seemed to be forever. I ended up turning around. The bridges were…read moreawesome and the lock bridge was really cool, but you just get to the red bridge and only go on it and turn around. The tennis courts seemed nice and they had basketball hoops, a park and bathrooms . You can go to the bridge and then go on the other paths. I will say there was about seven cars with older men in the parking lot in the last parking lot just sitting in there cars which was kind of interesting . Honestly for being a younger woman with her kid I probably wouldn't go back by myself again, everyone was friendly though. Also a semi parked just off the dirt/ gravel way with a car and I didn't feel comfortable going that way so I had to just turn around completely. The people do come and clean the bathrooms which is good, I didn't go in there but I saw the guy going in at one point before my walk. By the bridge there was literally trash next to the trash can so like come on my fellow walkers do better.

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.

Beautiful trail. I walk it every Sunday! Perfect for running, walking and biking! Quite a…read morebeautiful place

This is a beautiful walking and biking route. I thoroughly enjoyed my walk. The scenery makes it a…read morepeaceful and delightful walking experience. Looking forward to exploring it further.

Hiked the fox hollow trail on a mild March day. This 1.5 mile trail is near the Lakeside Nature…read morecenter inside Swope Park. Its rugged terrain is best suited for intermediate or advanced hikers. The trail has lots of switchbacks and uphill paths - I wished I had brought my hiking boots and trekking pole. Great workout.

This is great, easy trail in the middle of Swope park, great for kids and dogs. Lots of timber for…read morekids to climb and some water for dogs to splash

Burr Oak Woods Conservation Nature Center in Blue Springs, Missouri, is fantastic from start to…read morefinish. Whether you're visiting with kids or exploring on your own, there's something here for everyone. The nature center itself is large and packed with educational exhibits that encourage hands-on learning. Topics range from fire safety and local wildlife to water ecosystems and conservation. There are live animals on display, a theater with a continuous live video feed of a baby falcon nest, and a large children's area complete with climbing features and slides. It's both educational and entertaining. Everything inside the center is exceptionally clean, well-organized, and thoughtfully designed. The staff truly make the experience special. During our visit, they brought several turtles outside for visitors to see up close. The kids were fascinated watching them explore while staff members shared information about turtle behavior, unique characteristics, habitats, and safe handling practices. It was engaging, interactive, and educational all at the same time. The outdoor grounds are just as impressive. Beautiful flower gardens, a pond, and well-maintained walking trails surround the center. Trail maps are available inside and include descriptions and difficulty information for each route. Families with children can also pick up a laminated scavenger hunt sheet to make exploring the trails even more fun. The maps clearly indicate which trails are paved and which are gravel, making it easy to choose a route that fits your needs. What stood out most was the attention to detail throughout the entire property. It's obvious that the staff and volunteers put their hearts into creating a welcoming, educational, and memorable experience for visitors of all ages. This is one of the best nature centers in the area and a place we will gladly visit again and again.

This land has been close to my heart for most of my life. I…read moreremember my mom taking us on nature hikes, way back before I knew they were so cool. Now, it's one of my favorite pastimes as an adult. The Hubs and I had a rare day together that we decided to enjoy outside. He had never been here before, so it's just a hop from where we live. Seemed like an easy decision. Went through the nature center first, which is always a nice start. Fun to see the creatures and read about the past. Then we decided to do the longer hike. Great choice. Defined, clean paths. Not terribly busy, even though you are directly in the city. Plenty of wildlife, this time was smaller spring babies. Still a great reminder of seasons and the importance of protecting their environment. Overall, well worth a visit.

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!!!

Looks nice, although not sure "dog parks" are here. We were told to go north up the road (just a…read morelittle ways) to happy tails park.