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.

I will say that the fishing here is great but the playground is not. If you're a fisherman like…read moreme, you would love this place as I myself have caught tons of fish and even quite a few turtles. I will say, though the playground is almost nonexistent, so this is not the best place to go with kids. Obviously not a problem for me, but for the little kids, I would go to a different park. Other than that, the park is very crowded and very nice.

Grossest bathrooms. We are on a cross country driving trip. Stopped for a picnic driving break. No…read morewaterfalls, lots of goose poop, most unclean bathrooms ever. No way I'd let my kids play here.

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.

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.

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.

*UPDATE 2018* If you love this trail and forest, make your…read morevoice heard to the Park Hill school district, as they plan on tearing down hundreds of acres of ancient woodland to make way for a new school and sports arena. They also plan on selling the "leftovers" for new subdivisions and strip malls. This will effect the serenity of this beautiful park and trail! Check out Save the Last KC Forest for more info!

This is a great trail to run on! They have done such a great job over the years paving more and…read moremore of it! There are small water feature flowing through, beautiful wild flowers and an amazing bridge! If you love walking, running and biking outdoors I would definitely recommend. The paved hills are even textured so that you can have better traction while running up or down, very helpful.

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!

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.