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

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.

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.

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.

Looking to get outside and enjoy the splendor of nature in the greater Kansas City area? Well, then…read morePowell Gardens may just be your thing. OK, so it's not exactly 'Kansas City' as it's a half-hour east of the stadium complex, but you get the point. Powell Gardens is a huge botanical preserve, nearly 1000 acres of lush meadows and gentle hills (that's bigger than NYC's Central Park!). There are more than 150 'gardens' or different habitats, so be prepared to have a plan of what you want to see. We came for the butterflies this time and they did not disappoint. Powell Gardens intentionally attracts several varieties of butterfly to Missouri's native pollinators and the colors of both are spectacular. It's much more than monarchs & cabbage butterflies. Walk the Butterfly Meadow or check out the mesh enclosures to get up close & personal with these delicate treasures. Be prepared to walk - a lot - but do know that there is a shuttle than runs on a continuous loop around the grounds. Every 15-20 minutes a small bus will ferry you to places such as the chapel or the other manicured gardens. But if you would rather get steps and weather allows, then by all means, hoof it. The chapel is designed by the same architect who built the Thorncrown Chapel in Arkansas and the structure is stunning. It's a don't miss. You can buy tickets online, and here's a tip: pay for parking upfront. You can have your tickets/passes scanned at the gate, and then make your way near the visitor center for the most parking. Picnics are encouraged as there are limited food options at the visitor center, but there are plenty of restroom areas and places for shade. It is probably best in late spring or early summer, and I am sure that the fall offers the kind of colors you just can't find anywhere else. It's a great spot to add to your Kansas City 'been there, done that' list.

Previous years would give Dark Forest 5 Stars. Not this year, unfortunately. Opening night & didn't…read morehave near as many things as previous years. Big gaps between displays. Big waits at fire performance area with nothing at all happening. Better than a night at home, but not like it used to be.

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!

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 place to meet somebody and walk around…read more.. Very central location if you're coming from the south or from the north Biggest recommendation is figure out where you're gonna meet ahead of time so you're not driving around going as it near the tennis courts or the front or the rose garden that type of thing because it is about a mile around so there's lots of different areas to park

This park is HUGE and absolutely stunning! We walked the…read moreouter loop, there were beautiful trees, a pond, and a couple cute bridges! I'd love to go back and explore more of the park but we were on a time crunch! They also had picnic tables, a play area, and fountains! There were lots of people walking their dogs out today too! And plenty I of nature to look at, we saw squirrels, and multiple types of birds including baby geese and a blue Herron. There's plenty of parking options as well and we loved that the whole trail was paved.

Honestly, this is exactly the kind of spot you need in your back pocket for a nice day. It's super…read morecute, but more importantly, it's functional. You aren't fighting for parking, and there are plenty of covered benches so you can actually sit and relax while the family plays. ​Between the walking loop and the playground, it's just a great option. I would totally come back here.

It's a nice warm day. We went for a walk at the trail here. Park has a large shelter for family…read morepicnic and a nice playground for kids to play on. Walking trail around open space. Plenty of parking in a lot. Man-made pond to reflect on and gives a peaceful vibes.

The gardens are well maintained and any staff I've ever come across have been very nice and…read morehelpful. It's a nice oasis inside the city and that it's free parking and free entry?? Well, that is icing on the cake! The flowers change with the seasons so I'm looking forward to what Fall brings! Loved spending time here, and most definitely will go back! I then went across the street to spend time in the park. Also very well maintained with a mixture of mulch and paved paths. Saw a side to our city (the riverfront area) I hadn't seen before up close and personal.

A beautiful, peaceful garden in the heart of the city, and admission is free. You can spend as…read morelittle or as much time as you like exploring or relaxing on one of the many benches and chairs. It's also an easy walk from the Plaza streetcar stop.