This trail is great! Lots to look at with creeks, deer, birds, turtles etc! Can get busy but is…read moresuch a great spot!

Randomly found this trail after missing my workout class time. It is such a nice and SHADED trail…read more They have many parking lots throughout, so you can start wherever. I also like that the trail was lined like a street! So, everyone knew which side to claim and can stay clear or the bicyclist. They had little ponds everywhere too which was cute! Many benches and water fountains throughout for pit stops if needed. I'm not sure how long the trail is, but it's lengthy

More people need to know about this place! The Rock Island Spur is a rails-to-trails conversion…read morethat starts in Pleasant Hill and goes 45+ miles to Windsor, connecting to the Katy Trail. Free of cars, largely enshrouded in trees and views of rolling farmland, this is a gem that doesn't get enough pub in the KC area. For starters, it's not necessarily close to things in the metro, but for me on the Plaza, the Pleasant Hill trailhead is about 45 minutes away. Not convenient, but also not a day's trek to get out there either. The best part of this is that you can ride your bike across a crushed limestone (technically could do on a road bike but would opt for a hybrid/cross/mountain for optimal comfort) through nature while not having to worry about cars all around you. Sure you'll have to cross some small roads here and there and be on the lookout, but it's so much more relaxing to ride on this wide trail than on the back highways. This trail is slightly more gravelly than some other limestone trails, likely because it's so new. It'll pack down more in time, but I found my average was 1 mph slower than at some other comparable spots. You'll put in work out here, but it's flat as a pancake so it balances out. Plans are in the works to connect this even closer to the metro, inching towards Lee's Summit (in progress 2018) and then connecting to the Truman Sports Complex, finished by 2020. Hope bike enthusiasts and outdoor lovers take advantage of this trail!

Love it. I ride the trail 2 or 3 times per week, weather permitting. Great little stop in…read moreChilhowee if you need a bite to eat. Hopefully they get the trail connected to Lee's Summit...I really think ridership would increase. If you use the fairgrounds trailhead in Pleasant Hill, you will have to detour on paved road for a short distance. This is a non issue, as it isn't very far, and the road is fairly lightly traveled by cars. The alternative trail head off Purvis Road involves driving a mile or so down a really dusty gravel road to avoid a half mile of pavement on your bike at the other location. Not worth it. I greatly prefer the downtown P Hill trailhead and just deal with riding on the street for two minutes.

It was closed. The waterfall was a homeless porta potty, there have been multiple fires started…read morethat have destroyed the beautiful landscape that was there. Plus it has become unsafe and a dump where everyone dumps their trash! Yet if you go on their website it saids it's open and shows all the beauty that it used to be. Do not waste your time visiting' it's a huge disappointment! If I could choose no stars I would, but it's making me choose at least one.

This beautiful and scenic area exudes a real nature and woodsy forest feel. It used to be open for…read morescenic drives, but now it's blocked off to vehicles and has transformed into a stunning stretch for biking, jogging, running, or dog walking. If you know where to look, there are numerous off-road walking trails through the trees and brush. During the Christmas season, they reopen it for a drive-through Christmas lights exhibit. Personally, I find it nostalgic and beautiful, maybe even romantic, to walk through the fall or winter evening with a friend. It offers some of the most fantastic views in Kansas City. My favorite spot is to sneak to the top of the water fountain and light up a blunt!

This is a nice little bike/running trail in Mission that starts right by the Mission Target and…read moreends at Martway and Lamar. Right now, it's just about a mile long, but if you don't mind running/riding on gravel it extends up to Johnson and Nall. Eventually that stretch will be asphalted. The end goal is to extend the trail to connect to other trails around town. That will be a welcome addition since this is the closest little trail to my house and I ride it when I just want to get a quick little ride in. Even though the trail is short, it is a little hilly and will give you a pretty good ride. The trail also has good signage which always gives me a little chuckle (the signs are small versions of street signs telling you the trail is going to curve). It's not a real scenic trail, there's a little creek running adjacent to it, but you really have to strain your eyes to see it. You're mostly riding beside and behind the Target and Hy-Vee. I wouldn't go out of my way to ride the Rock Creek Trail if I were you, but if you're in the neighborhood it's a nice little place to ride without being bothered by traffic. I've never seen anybody else on the trail, so you can definitely go as fast as you want without worrying about running any joggers or walkers over, which is nice. When they get it extended to a more sizable length I'll bump it up a star, but for now, it's the worst of my bike riding choices.

Great trail around the lake. Half is paved and the other half is chipped but very walkable terrain…read more In between, you cross the dam, which has a very 'sculptural' design. We stopped at a group of people watching a beaver resting on the spillway. A couple of nice picnic pavilions and (remarkably) clean restrooms have shaded playgrounds for kids. The real treat is a professional-grade Disc Golf course. For the less adventurous or for practice is a second, small course. All in all, a gem of a Lenexa park!

Yesterday I brought my grandkids here to try out this park. We were unable to try out all of it,…read morebut the areas that we did investigate we really enjoyed. I appreciate it that the play areas we went to had partial shade from the alcove of trees. There was a variety of play sets spread out with natural features of tree stumps and such for the kids to climb on. They had a lot of nice walking plaques to explain the walking trail. The golfing disc course was nice because a lot ofit was shaded. We will definitely go back to check out more of it when it is less hot.

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.

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.