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.

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!

I LOVE this park! I discovered it after I started working in…read morethe Fairfax district and now I stop by every single morning to take pictures of our beautiful downtown skyline and how it reflects off the water - it's really striking! Every day the skies are different so the pictures are never the same day-to-day. I've met some very nice and interesting people who kayak, canoe and fish on this river. Not sure I would want to eat anything that is caught in this river, but good for them getting out there! For the the first year or so, they could not manage to open that gate at 7:30 every morning, which prohibited me from taking pictures and I found to be very annoying, but they must have hired a new person because that park is open every day by 7:30 now and I just love it!

We were looking for a place to let the kids get out of the car, explore and burn off some energy. I…read moreactually found Kaw Point park on Google maps and there wasn't much information. This place was a little gem on our road trip. It is tucked behind an industrial building and at first I thought we were lost. But once you get there the grounds are beautiful and there is some fun history behind it as well. We walked the trails, climbed and had a great view of Downtown KC.

Olathe and Overland Park are lucky to have this trail head and this trail system. My running club…read moremeets here every so often and we can either run to mid American Nazarene university which is about 2 1/2 miles away or go in the opposite direction and run for miles and miles. Unfortunately there is no water here but there is a trashcan and a porta-potty. so if you're in the area be sure to stop by and use this wonderful trail for running biking rollerblading walking. it's great for everything.

Phenomenal runners trail in Olathe, KS…read more This trail is over 27 miles - great for walking, running, or biking. Great training distances / elevations for 1/2 and full marathon runners. One area terminates to a picnic area with fountains and bathrooms. It crosses some main roads in certain sections but also goes underneath in tunnels in others. What better way to up your mileage on your winter runs!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.