It's a great park with beautiful walking trails, a huge playground and lots of seating…read more It's well maintained and there are usually kids of all ages enjoying the slides, the zip line, the gaga ball, etc. There are a couple of porta potties too.

Love going there to sled safely! A great little space to get some sun with the family.read more

Every year for many years Dance In The Park has been a staple of Roanoke Park/Volker neighborhood…read more This showcases many different dance studios and genres bringing the community together

We found a gem! .... We were visiting and looked for a park for my son. This one's pictures stood…read moreout to me-- the cool climbing structure and zip line thing!! BUT this Yelp gps took us to what I thought was another park... and I was so confused. We parked and walked down the long, curvy sidewalk, and saw many kids playing. The playground looked different. More generic but still nice. And a cool cliff w big rocks that kids could play on-- a staircase running through. But I was still confused where the playground went that I saw in the pics... AND THEN... I asked a local there and they told me it's still the same park but a separate, cooler playground, about a 15 second drive/ 8-10 min walk down the brick road, on the other side of the park. Awesome!!! It's a big place! So we went back to the car, drove around the corner like he taught us (down the road from the community center and turn right, then you'll see it). Also the community center was open (winter kids camp was going), and let us all use the bathroom. Yay! We pulled up and saw the great looking climbing structure, big wide metal slides, zip line sitting rope, other slides. And many people out. We enjoyed sitting on the benches in the beautiful 60* sun, as my son had a blast and made quick friends! We stayed an hour, chatted w locals, appreciated the beautiful rock Cliff structures all around and beautiful old houses. We loved this park!! A gem in a city!!

Brought my grandson to this park to play yesterday on a nice Fall day. They have a decent amount of…read moreparking and a nice soccer field with good quality turf. There is a walking loop around the park and that is the most used resource of this park. This park is surrounded by businesses and has some apartments down the street and there were quite a few people walking. There is a KC heart display at the opening of the playground. The playground is smaller and a bit older but decent features. There are benches and a covered picnic area near the playground.

This park has a great trail that runs around it. I believe it measures .3 of a mile around. It is…read morewell-maintained and the gravel part is always pretty smooth. There is also a playground that was being remodeled when I last went there on Saturday. When i went during the summer there was always kids and their parents playing on the playground. There is also a soccer field and a baseball diamond and I know some kids have their soccer practices here for recreational leagues. Even though this park is really small, it is a great place to go walking or jogging. It is really popular for this, especially in the early evenings. The trail also feeds into the neighborhood behind the park in case you want to take an extended walk.

This is a great park! The playground is pretty awesome because of the really tall play structure…read more(be careful with the little kids!). There is a full disc golf course. Has walking trails and picnic tables.

I can't believe I've lived in KC for so long, and I just found Wyandotte County Lake…read more This is a 12 minute drive from where we live in Parkville MO, so we can be paddling or hiking within 10 minutes from leaving our house. A few things to know: 1. Kayaking or Paddleboarding- you must have a permit (sticker) displayed on your craft. You purchase this at the marina office - and they are closed Tuesday/ Wednesday. It's $60- season. We hear they are strict about enforcing this. The launch spot is very close to the marina office- and is amazing. The launch point is zero entry and it has a parking lot- so you don't have to drag your craft very far. It's great! We kayaked on a Saturday and only saw a couple of boats. We love the calm quiet water and the beautiful nature experience. 2. Hiking- there are over 10 miles of hiking trails around the lake. They are maintained by Urban Trail Co- and their site is where they post trail closings (they are closed after big rains). The trails are pretty hilly-and we have been using them for Colorado Backpacking training. It's perfect! Bring bug spray- and I wouldn't recommend going alone since they are very isolated in the woods. There don't seem to be clearly marked trail heads- we parked at the spillway parking lot or the shelters seem to trail entry points as well. Go get outside! Enjoy! ‍

I went there to hike the West Dam and Vulture Ridge Trail so that's what I'll be reviewing…read morespecifically. The trail is about a 5 mile loop. It's not well marked and there's spots where it's not maintained very well. I would suggest a trail app that you can download a map from because cell service is also spotty in areas along the trail. We went off trail several times due to those two reasons. It was also difficult to find the trail head. The trail itself has lots of shade. It's not the most difficult trail but you do have to watch your step due to rocks and uneven ground. There are lots of bugs, highly recommend bug spray because the mosquitoes are plentiful. There were quite a few mountain bikers and a few trail runners. There were also a couple of pups and children. If you bring a pup, make sure to keep an eye on the ground. It seems there's quite a few inconsiderate individuals who leave trash everywhere that frequent the park. So that's disappointing. Overall it was an ok trail. I'll return in the fall because I'm sure the leaves look pretty. But it's not a trail I'm super eager to return to.

Please note, this review is ONLY for the Watkins Mill State Park Lake and the loop bike trail…read morearound the lake. This lake is great for beginner kayakers! 5 Stars! We took an inflatable, tandem kayak, and we felt very comfortable despite our lack of experience. Our tracking fin only caught on the very edges of the lake where we expected the fin to touch the bottom. There didn't seem to be any issues with boat wakes. The boat ramp was easy to use, and you don't need a permit for your kayak if you go. We enjoyed seeing some wildlife, including a small snake, a raccoon, birds, and several types of fish. The bike trail was a good beginner trail. Parts of it were paved, parts of it were gravel, and parts of it were over wooden plank bridges. The trail was wide enough for walkers and bikers to pass each other safely. There were small inclines and declines, but they were very manageable. For reference, I am not someone that exercises often, and I'm also currently in physical therapy for a hurt knee. If I can do it, you can too! The only reason I didn't give this trail 5 stars was because it was poorly marked. It seemed like some of it was being repaired because there were signs to mark the detour route. However, my friend and I did have to guess at one point which way to go, and we thankfully guessed correctly. If you're nervous, make sure to study the trail map, take a picture of it, or ask for help at the Visitor Center. I do not recommend this trail for individuals in wheelchairs, as the inclines and declines may be too tough. Finally, I want to comment on the restrooms. There are several spots around the lake that have restrooms, but they are primitive. It's the kind where you don't flush (just a deep hole), though there is a physical enclosure (not just a port-a-pottie). You may have to "shop around" because the restrooms at the boat ramp were so HORRID, I couldn't even walk in after opening the door. The second restrooms I went to at a different spot around the lake were cleaner, but there were WASPS flying in and around the restroom. Thankfully, there were no issues with lack of toilet paper. If you're like me, plan accordingly and just use the restrooms at the Visitor Center. They're MUCH nicer. If you want to risk the ones near the lake, bring some wasp spray!

I had friends from out of town camping at Watkins Mill, State Park, and the camping experience is…read morevery nice. All camping sites allow for one vehicle. The swimming beach is very clean and large. The only setback is the awful signage. I recommend if you do stay at Watkins Mill State Park for camping to disregard your map apps, and take 69 highway to 92 to the state park entrance. Otherwise you'll be driving around for 45 minutes without a clue of where you're going.

My family really likes Fox Hill Park. There's a large greenway perfect for kicking a soccer ball…read morearound. The littles love the playground. Once, we even got family pictures taken there! The wide expanse of green or Fall foliage makes for some pretty shots and no one would ever know you were in a neighborhood park. The only downside is that Chowning can be a fairly busy street and cars do NOT tend to go the speed limit. Keep an eye on the kiddos and pets!

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.