My cousin is on a mission to find the best parks in the KC metro and had this one her list. So, one…read moreSaturday after dance class we made the trek (and it is a bit more of a trek from OP than I was expecting!) out to Wilder Bluff Park, and I have to say, this is a pretty great spot to bring the kids. I got the feeling that it's still a bit of a hidden gem, probably because it's in a bit of an out of the way location, because there weren't a ton of cars, and while there were plenty of kids playing, it didn't feel crowded like other parks do on a nice Saturday morning in June. This park boasts a ton of great amenities for kids, and our kids really enjoyed the tree houses that they could climb through, which entertained them for about an hour. There is also a really cool splash playground adjacent to it, which had we known about in advance we may have brought some swim gear so the girls could really enjoy it. The park itself I think is much bigger than just the playground area, as I saw some trails nearby that might would have been fun to explore had we been there longer, or with kids that were eager to walk rather than climb and run! I'll close by adding that this park is new-ish and super well maintained. We used the restrooms and they are really clean for a park. Overall, this park is a gem for the folks that live right around it. I'm sure we'll return on another nice weekend morning when we want a change of pace.

Today I brought my granddaughters to this lovely park. We had our sack lunches under their large…read morecovered picnic area. Then my granddaughters played in the splash park which they thoroughly enjoyed! Afterwards, they tried out all the neat equipment and they especially liked the long rope bridge and sliding down the slide. The park also has a trail and is kept up well and a large parking lot. The bathrooms were clean and overall very nice park. The only thing is I wish there was a little bit more shaded seating for the parents to watch the children during the splash park play.

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.

I absolutely adore Shawnee Mission Park! It's huge- 1.6k acres and has a 120 acre lake. There is…read moreplenty of walking paths and places to park. A wonderful place to catch a gorgeous Kansas sunset, go on a walk, play sports, I've even attended a wedding rehearsal here. There's so much to do year round and it's perfect for so many occasions.

A little escape in the middle of the city. With a large lake with fishing , boat rental, swim beach…read moreand more (even scuba diving with permit) Hiking and biking trails. Disc Golf and a dog park. There is plenty of stuff for everyone. Rent a shelter and have a party, take the kids to one of the many playgrounds. Catch one of the Theater in the Park shows or go sky gazing. This park has a lot to offer.

Surreal, just a cool hidden little place that you could be walking by or driving by and not even…read morenotice it. They do have benches and I do have some athletic benches if you wanna do crunches for for example.

The geese attacked us. Very beautiful park, but beware. The trail is also kinda shortread more

I've never been to this park before and it was very peaceful and we were the only people there…read more They have a walking area that's pretty small but they have a nice new play area with soft landing sponge on the bottom. They also have a picnic area as well.

Love this park, always go here to play pickle ball, little one court spot but no one goes here so…read moreit's very lowkey

This is an outstanding park with so many amenities! It has a beautiful pond, hockey area, tennis…read morearea, skateboarding area, large playground area, disc golf course, a variety of walking trails that are paved. A multitude of picnic areas and benches scattered throughout. They also have it lit up at Christmas, which is beautiful.

This park is so beautiful and there's plenty to do here. There's a skate park, two tennis courts,…read morehockey area to skate, two kids playground, big walking trails that goes all around, plus there's an aquatic center with lots of water slides! Also when fall hits they hang christmas lights all around the park for people to visit and stroll aroundlat night. It's a must visit during Christmas time!

Johnson County has been working hard at turning its western edge into a wilderness oasis. Mill…read moreCreek Streamway Park is a striking example of how that hard work is paying off. This little slice of heaven will transport you away from the surrounding suburban sprawl and into an outdoor playground that provides an up close and personal look at what an undisturbed Kansas countryside would look like. I usually park on the east side of the park, around Mill Creek Parkway and Ridgeview, and walk the nearby trail. It's about a two-ish mile loop that you'll share with other walkers, joggers and some bikers. It takes you through a wooded stream area, then through swamp and finally through a field of native grasses. You also get to walk through a tunnel that will take you underneath a local railway. If you're lucky, you'll get to see some local wildlife. Pets are welcome, as long as they're well behaved and on a leash. If you're biking, the trail does extend both to the north and to the south. I haven't partaken either way, so I'm not much help, however I have heard that the northern trail will take you close to Shawnee Mission Park. You might want to double check this, but it sounds like like fun. Regardless, my biking friends say this is one of their favorite places to ride. I highly recommend for walkers and bikers of all ages, especially when the Kansas City weather is right.

This trail is fantastic. Free of cars, enshrouded in nature and especially beautiful in the warmer…read moremonths, this is one of my happy places around the metro. I've taken my family there just to walk/hike around the paved trails which are seemingly endless with a dog and toddler. When I go on my own or with friends to bike, you'll find the end a lot faster, but it's still 17 miles or so of wonderful trail along the creek. On countless trips here, we've seen deer, heard coyotes, saw a sneaky copperhead snake, a beaver scurrying back to the water, owls and hawks, and the most memorable, an open field with more fireflies flickering than I've ever seen in my life. You'll also find big Kansas sunsets out here year round, along with more hills than one might expect. I'll say this, if you're a cyclist, it's enjoyable to fly around here but be aware this is primarily a walking/jogging path for everyone else so throw a little bell on, slow down a bit when approaching people and or call out as you come around. Most do, but some don't and it's kind of jarring especially when we're out with our almost-two-year-old toddling around. (Side note, I got a bike trailer for my daughter and this is the perfect, safe place to try it out.) In warmer months you'll find enough water and bathroom stations around, but as expected it can be difficult to find on those winter warm up days. Shoutout to the Parks & Rec team of years past, along with Gary Haller who shares the name of this popular trail for his dedication to making it a reality. I feel like nature is often forgotten and overlooked in our world, but a simple, beautiful trail like this has people eager to be out exploring their peaceful surroundings.

This is a really nice park! Lovely walking trails in a variety of directions with sun and shade and…read morea bridge and access to explore the creek. They have a toddler playset area and also older kids playset area. They have covered picnic area and you can rent a bike. They have big fields for playing soccer as well.

We went on a beautiful fall day. There are nice benches around the playground and lots of fun…read moreclimbing structures for grandchildren. We had so much fun and cannot wait to visit again!