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.

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 is a great little hike. Scenic with hills and flat areas. Some paths mowed while others are…read moregravel. Saw several deer and some large turtles in the pond and on the paths. We will definitely be back for a couple mile hike.

Okay, so...little bit of a secret. This place has great fishing! It's a wonderful place to spend a…read moreday, if you've got the gumption, a pair of hiking boots, and a lot of time on your hands. You have to hike in for sure, but the pond on property is wonderful: clear, clean, and colorful. There are many picnic tables throughout the reserve, and the wild nature of the place is worth the visit. Quite a few evenings I've stayed longer than the sun was willing to, and found myself walking through the actual prairie at sundown - which I'm not ashamed to say is formidable with the right company. I once witnessed an assault there, but the lady told me it was her brother that did it, so she didn't need any assistance. Barring that, it really is a wild and wonderful place to spend the day. It can get a tad bit crowded on the weekends, and the path can and does get congested, but there is so much to walk that it shouldn't be too much of a problem. There's one spot on the map that gets a little treacherous: a downward sloped and rocky hill, so take it easy down that. But otherwise, it's a myocardial wonderland! Get a good pair of walkin' boots, a camera, and possibly a fishing pole, and get out there!

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.

Good place to bring the chairs outs and watch nature…read more If your patient enough and quiet relaxing on your fold up chairs. You're going to see some small four-legged animals. More raccoons, possums. If you post up somewhere by a pond you're definitely going to see and hear lot of loud wild animal noises from frogs and you'll see some turtles there. I recommend bring your binoculars, the ones that can capture electronic pics. You're going to see different species of birds my favorite one are the red-headed vultures. You're going to see deers here pretty often. This is my new hangout so I'm going to try to capture pictures of these animals and post them here. Enjoy!!!

One of the best places to hike, fish, hunt, bird watch, ride horses or anything outdoors. They…read morehave a dog training area for hunting dogs, trails for people or horses and lakes galore to fish in. They even have a kids only lake.

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!

This review is for the Ernie Miller summer camp offered here each year through Johnson County Parks…read moreand Rec. as we've been sending one of our kids here for most of the summer. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from an outside nature camp, but pulling up to Ernie Miller each day something that's made really clear from the staff is how dedicated they are to making sure your kids have a fun time all summer long. The camp counselors are super engaging and great with the kids. I love that my kiddo gets to learn about local animals and nature while at Ernie Miller, and also that they go on fun field trips which spice things up each week. Additionally they are on top of weather changes and take the kids inside if there is lightning. I've been watching as a new facility is being built at Ernie Miller and I can't wait to come back sometime when they are done and further explore the nature trails and the new building.

I have been to Ernie Miller many times over the years and I love this place. I was a little…read moredisappointed on today's visit with my toddler grandson. The staff member was nice who greeted us. And we were actually the only people on the inside of the nature center, so we got to enjoy it in a peaceful environment. There were some field trip kids having event events outside. My grandson enjoyed exploring, but I was disappointed to see that quite a few of the displays were out of order. Also, I had to tell staff that there was a mouse in bird nature viewing area. A child had left a cracker, and apparently a mouse had gotten in was taking advantage of it! But then I went into the newer section with the displays and another mouse ran out and was running around the room towards my grandson. So I think they need to correct this issue before it gets too out of hand. The trails are great and the natural gardens are as well. They have some great programs for the community. I just think that some of the displays need to be fixed and taking care of the pest problem, I'm sure if they let the hawk in there he would handle it! lol

I've always liked this park. If you're not from around the area, you'd think that no one was…read moreallowed at this park. But you'd be wrong, Johnson county pays for this. Parking is found on the street in the neighborhood parallel to the entrance that seems almost hidden. But of the park, this one is charming to say the least. It's got a wonderful little gazebo, there's so much unique things to do at this park that I rate it in the top three. It has a bridge complete with waterfall, it's a stone's throw from Amesbury lake which is great for bass fishing and bluegill when it's not entangled by a blue-green algae bloom. And it's perfectly adjacent to one of the best biking pathways and walking pathways in the entirety of Johnson county. It's always well kempt, and they're always seems to be a wonderful cadre of children to entertain your own little scamps. They just redid the floor of the play area with wood chips, which I'm not entirely in love with. It's a little rough, but someone somewhere must have signed off on it that knew more about building playgrounds than I. Whomever built this playground knew what they were doing because it's wonderfully designed. Many a day I've walked a considerable distance with my kid to this playground, and it's always so peaceful. Though in the winter months, this heavily shaded playground in the wood can be chilly. Summer however, the shade is a welcome attraction. You almost have to climb down into this playground because it's nestled deeply into wooded areas. But, top three I'd say. Play on.

This well-maintained park benefits from its great location along a bike/hike trail between Amesbury…read moreLake Park and Tomahawk Valley Park, but lacks amenities. The nine feet wide path winds along a creek with trees on the south, which provide shade. Portions of the trail also go through wooded areas. I noticed several residential access paths with nearby parking. Areas of the park away from Quivira Rd offered a quiet respite with only the sounds of summer cicadas and birds. Very nice.