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.

This is a great park. Very nice shelter. Great restrooms. Ok playground (would be better if there…read morewere swings). Fantastic paved walking path all the way around. In the woods are walking and biking trails. Boat ramp isn't too steep. You can definitely have a good time here.

Not too far from Olathe and just past Kill Creek Park (so you can go there on your way back ) if…read moreyou're heading west on K10. I found the restroom to be clean & stocked with TP, soap and a working hand dryer. I went on the indigo trail--moderate, as it does have craggy rocks and roots poking up through the ground. Not many steep inclines. The shade trees are nice--only a brief time in the sun during summer on this stretch. Definitely spending time with Nature--so many things to see and hear. The trail itself was clear--no fallen limbs or trees to block your way. I think it's a 3.7 mile loop, if my GPS and All Trails are right, but I might have added extra going off the path for a bit. I also took myself around the lake--definitely not so shady, and about 1.6 miles, paved. A nice place to visit. I'd go again and maybe explore the other trails.

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.

Some of the best trails in Johnson County. Well maintained with paved and a good hiking/MTB trail.read more

Personally, I like this place in Olathe, Kansas. There are currently three access points for this…read morearea that I know: 135th street, 119th street & 127th and Clare Road. The entrance off 127th and Clare has Columbine Nature trail--bikes are permitted so be aware on this Nature trail. The paved path from either 135th or 127th entrances runs about 4 miles out and does not loop. It has some gentle inclines and benches along the route. There's a play area at 135th with restrooms open during regular season and a Johnny-on-the-spot during winter. The 127th and Clare parking only has a Johnny-on-the-spot. I haven't been to the 119th location specifically, but where you see the New Trail sign in the photos I've posted, is slightly across from where that parking area is. I do not know what amenities, if any, are there. Definitely this place is family- & dog-friendly. You're likely to see bicyclists too. I would definitely recommend this park and both trails. Didn't get any Columbine since it was closed due to muddy and/or unsafe conditions.

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.

Excited to update my prior review now that this trail has been rolling for a few years. This is a…read morestretch of thirteen car-free miles of trails to bike, walk, run and explore. Some portions are wooded and some open, there are bridges throughout, and then the highlight of the trail, the 100+ year old Vale Tunnel. Techinically, you can park in the Truman Sports Complex, Lot L, if you want to start on the western end. My advice if you're coming from downtown/midtown/Plaza area is to simply plug Crane Brewing into your GPS and make that your start and end. It's a wonderful local brewery, there's parking everywhere, and it's literally right on the trail. More reasons to skip the Truman Sports Complex: busy on game days, tough to navigate, and the stretch of trail between there and Crane is very forgettable. Now the trail itself is really nice. It's often wooded and bucolic, and the crushed limestone trails are similar to the Katy Trail, Trolley Track Trail, rails-to-trails etc. (You probably can ride a road bike on this, but you'll be more comfortable with a hybrid, cross, or gravel bike that has at least 32mm tires). At some points, there are boulders lining the outer edge of the trail that cut the wind very nicely. More trees, bridges, creeks and scenery keep unfolding in the mid-points of the trail. The bulk of this was an old railroad line so much of it is nice and flat, and scenic, especially in the fall. Speaking of the railroad line, about 6 miles from Crane, you'll come across the Vale Tunnel. This train tunnel was forged from dynamite around 1903, and nicely restored and bolstered over the past decade for this recreational trail. If I could change one thing, I'd love for them to build out a little trail spur so you could ride into downtown Lee's Summit. My friend and I did this but had to ride some busy sidewalks to get there which worked but was just OK. Job well done by all involved to help KC along for nature lovers, outdoor enthusiasts, cyclists, runners, walkers, kids (what kid doesn't love a gigantic tunnel to explore) and more. Stray notes to add: - I found water fountains (warm months only) at the Hartman trailhead near Lee's Summit, and there are also Port-a-Potty's throughout the trail. - This trail has always felt very safe to me, with lots of people out on a beautiful day. Vibes are good! - There's good signage to know you're on the trail, as well as etiquette (call out when passing via bike on the left, etc.) - This could *potentially* connect to the larger, more rural Rock Island Spur (Pleasant Hill, MO to Windsor, MO) which already connects directly to the Katy Trail. So you could conceivably ride all the way to the outskirts of St. Louis via trails. There's currently a gap in Greenwood of 8 miles that might be trails in the future. - Here is the best trail map I've found, and they have this marked along some trailheads as well: https://www.makeyourdayhere.com/files/assets/parksrec/trails/documents/ri-trail-map-1-and-2.pdf

This is a great trail. There are several entry points to this trail and the views are nice. I like…read morewalking near riding star ranch because you may get to see a horse.

Case Park offers one of the best vistas in Kansas City. Lewis and Clark recognized the magnificence…read moreof the strategic location overlooking the confluence of The Kansas River into The Missouri River when they first visited in 1806. The northern point of the park is referred to as Clark's Point and a grand statue honoring the expedition now rests there. The park offers lots of green space, old trees, playground equipment and old rock walls and paths, but the crown jewel is the views it offers. The northerly and westerly views are unbeatable for seeing 2 rivers, 2 states, 4 counties, The Buck O'Neil Bridge, The Wheeler Downtown Airport, The West Bottoms, The River Market and plenty of land beyond. The views are even better in the colder months when the perimeter trees do not have leaves. A perfect place to introduce a newcomer to Kansas City's geography, history and natural beauty.

This park is just up the road from where we live so we've been coming here for years. It's a long…read morestretch of grass that runs along the bluff overlooking the West Bottoms and the river. So, needless to say, the views are spectacular from the various overlook points. There is parking, which is nice for a down town park, and there is plenty of room to run around. A sidewalk loops the park which is nice for joggers and strollers. There is a small, non-traditional playground at the south corner of the park meant for kids who are a bit older (elementary school age, not pre-school or younger). Although I bring my pre-toddler here often and she likes to just sit on the astroturf and watch the older kids. There used to be grills but those were taken out which is a shame. I used to come here and grill with my family. Having said all that, I am only giving this park 4 stars because of the inevitable issue with homeless people who frequently hang around and sleep at this park. It hasn't been so bad lately, but when I've been here before, we've been approached by some of these guys asking for money or cigarettes. So, if you're not too keen on that aspect of a downtown park, you might want to steer clear.

I've been to this park quite a few times, but I forgot to give my review. I took my grandson today…read moreand he enjoyed several features of playground. The climbing structure is for older kids, I would say ages 5+ and then there are some swings, and some other play features for smaller kids a few feet away. They do have a splash pad and nice bathrooms. They also have covered picnic tables and a walking area. It's a nice city focused park.

Johnson county is filled with great parks where many have been recently renovated for a great cause…read moreto be inclusive for all ages! I love how most of these parks have something for everyone whether a toddler, tween, or adult it's hard to say you're bored when you're surrounded by the beauty of nature and the architectural builds. The trees are huge and form a natural canopy over the playground and splash pad area. Currently reminiscing about how beautiful this park is and might have to take a stroll through it this weekend because there are so many great parks in the area it's easy to frequent those you live nearby. Thompson park is in the heart of Overland Park that I don't want to describe as a "hidden gem", because iykyk; but if not come find out what the hype is all about!