Beautiful park! Beautiful falls! Love going here for lunch, taking walks, fishing and taking the…read morekids for outdoor adventures!!

It's just a park with a waterfall, nothing fancy about it. It smells sometimes. And it's dirty.read more

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.

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!

Cycling treat! This is a beautiful multi-use trail (hardpack…read morew/ concrete sections, 15 mi. each way) that is absolutely delightful! It's well maintained & has mile-markers. Highly recommend if visiting (we were here from MN.)

Beautiful trail. I walk it every Sunday! Perfect for running, walking and biking! Quite a…read morebeautiful place

This is a cool place to visit…read more Has an awesome view. I would say it is a good spot to fish also. I saw a few people catching good size fishes out here. And if you love wildlife for sure you're going to see some lizards on the sidewalks. It's also a good place to grab your favorite coffee or tea and watch the sunset or sunrise.

I had a lovely afternoon hike around Lower Rock Ledges Loop trail. Almost no one on the trail at…read more5pm on a Saturday in the Summer. One big tree has fallen over the trail before it splits to upper and lower trails, lakeside, but it's pretty easy to get around it and continue on the path -- except I needed my hiking app to see where the actual trail was. (The trail itself it not always marked, but the rut is fairly visible.) Saw some deer, a woodland giant wolf spider, several six-spotted tiger beetles, and generally enjoyed the ambient music from folks out celebrating Father's Day weekend on the lake.

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.

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.

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 discovered this park in my search for a new hiking spot. We just moved to the area from St. Louis…read moreand I was in desperate need of a more "natural" trail. I'm glad I found this place! You'll first notice there's (what looks like) a nice sitting area with a bathroom, and that overlooks the fields leading up to the playground. I've always seen families on the playground, but I cannot personally attest to its cleanliness or stability. There was also a sporting event of some kind going on in the park's field this past weekend, so it's a family-friendly spot. The parking lot is pretty large. There are neat little secluded parking spots that have a nice view of the river--they would provide a cool picnic area. I always see couples, old and young, just hanging out under the trees, taking in the scenery. I also see lots of fishermen hoping for catfish. The actual trail doesn't have a name. This is the same trail that bow hunters take to get to the main hunting ground. I haven't come across a hunter on the trail yet, but I see them in the parking lot frequently. The trail itself is peaceful, pretty, and easy. No hills, no challenges, just a nice relaxing stroll. It's a great beginners trail and a good running trail. You'll find the trail head in between the yellow markers at the very back of the parking lot. Remember to wear bright colors during hunting season!

Mostly shaded and away from the road...mostly. Places to picnic, fish, fly kites, skip stones…read more.. People are polite and the path is not creepy feeling. Lots of places to park and join the trail. Drinking fountains for people and pets. Saw a ground hog!

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.