I was in the area and had some time to kill before I needed to be somewhere, so since it was a nice…read moreSpring morning, I thought I'd go for a walk. After a quick search I decided on Little Gully Park... except there wasn't a walking trail like I was expecting. In fact, it wasn't anything like what had been described in the review I read. Instead, I was standing and looking at a very small park, about three or four home plots, tucked away in a cute little Gladstone neighborhood. There wasn't a walking trail, or anything walkable for that matter, but there was a swing set, jungle gym and slide. All of the equipment and the space was well maintained, too. In fact, it was almost pristine. It's the perfect place to take your little human for a late morning pre-nap or an after dinner play session.

We took advantage of the beautiful morning last weekend and checked out Penguin Park. My kids…read moreloved the giant animals and all the different play areas. I appreciated the turf vs gravel. They had fun going from each area and exploring. Lots of different structures to keep them busy. The park was very clean. We were there for a little over an hour, and will definitely be back another day.

I don't know if it's the unique nature of the one of a kind animal statues, the charm of an old…read moreschool playground, or what, but Penguin Park is probably my favorite park that I've explored in the Northland. If you have small kids they will enjoy the modern play equipment just as much as they will marvel at the huge sculptures of penguins, elephants, and other zoo animals. I haven't confirmed this, but I heard from my friend that the artist that made the sculptures (some of which are interactive for children), also made the rabbits that go on display on the Plaza every Easter, which honestly makes a lot of sense given how they look. To me, it just feels charming, and I love that it's something that sets this place apart from other parks in the area.

We had a great time at Dagg Park! Enjoyed the spray ground even though not all features were…read moreworking. But their Facebook page did forewarn that issue. I enjoyed that the playground areas were on turf so the kids could go back and forth from the playground to the splash pad. There are covered shelters and seated benches. Would recommend bringing a chair or blanket just in case they are full. We were there right as it opened, so no issues. Another feature we liked is that the park is fenced in. Also, nice bathrooms!

Adorable little park! My friend and I had lunch at a picnic table here this past weekend. It was…read morecompletely empty on a gorgeous day! No idea why no families were here as it looked to have some good playground equipment. Nice little park with tons of parking and completely free of others if you want to dominate on the monkey bars.

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.

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

I have been to this park plenty of times and I'm surprised I've never checked into it. One of the…read morereasons I come here is because they have a .5 mile Loop that goes around the park grounds and a man-made pond. This is also home of the Gladstone Amphitheater where they host different events throughout the spring and summer. This park is joined Oak Park Track. Very well kept and manicure Park

it's a very nice park. And my friends go there very often and we never had any issues. Sometimes…read morethere is a few teenagers but oh well lol! They have a 0.5 mile walking trail perfect for biking or walking or jogging they have a park in the center that has things for all ages, also have a cute pond and geese!

This is an awesome park located just a few minutes from 169 & Barry Road! My husband and I were…read morelooking for a new place to walk and stumbled upon this hidden gem. The park includes the following amenities (per their website): - 18 Acres - 0.80 Miles Asphalt Trail - 2 Shelters (main shelter has electricity & water) - 20 Picnic Tables - 3 Playgrounds - 2 Sand Volleyball Courts - 1 Ball Field (w/ electrical outlet for pitching machines) - ADA Accessible - 40 Parking Spaces @ Main Park - 9 Parking Spaces @ Annex Park In addition to those things, when we visited there was a fruit orchard and a community vegetable garden where they encourage you to harvest or work, if you can! They also have trash & recycling bins, as well as porta-potties (we did not see any standard restroom facilities). There are also lots of beautiful trees that provide shade, definitely worth checking out!

Great spot in NKC for a walk, some play time for the littles, or just enjoy touching grass…read more NKC has plenty of 'hidden' gems and Macken Park is one of them. With plenty of acreage at the northeast corner of Howell & Clark Ferguson, this is a safe and serviced greenspace just waiting to be explored. The 'soft' track encircles the park if you want to get some steps, and there are great ball fields just waiting for spring to come so they can be used frequently. Tennis courts are at the east end and the restroom facilities are found on both sides of the park. Enjoy NKC's public spaces! If Macken isn't your thing, then Dagg Park is just a block or two south and has more equipment tailored to littles. Different strokes for different audiences!

Macken Park has nice trails, playgrounds, facilities, and convenient parking. Enjoy a number of…read moreFridays in the Park.