My cousin is on a mission to find the best parks in the KC metro and had this one her list. So, one…read moreSaturday after dance class we made the trek (and it is a bit more of a trek from OP than I was expecting!) out to Wilder Bluff Park, and I have to say, this is a pretty great spot to bring the kids. I got the feeling that it's still a bit of a hidden gem, probably because it's in a bit of an out of the way location, because there weren't a ton of cars, and while there were plenty of kids playing, it didn't feel crowded like other parks do on a nice Saturday morning in June. This park boasts a ton of great amenities for kids, and our kids really enjoyed the tree houses that they could climb through, which entertained them for about an hour. There is also a really cool splash playground adjacent to it, which had we known about in advance we may have brought some swim gear so the girls could really enjoy it. The park itself I think is much bigger than just the playground area, as I saw some trails nearby that might would have been fun to explore had we been there longer, or with kids that were eager to walk rather than climb and run! I'll close by adding that this park is new-ish and super well maintained. We used the restrooms and they are really clean for a park. Overall, this park is a gem for the folks that live right around it. I'm sure we'll return on another nice weekend morning when we want a change of pace.

Today I brought my granddaughters to this lovely park. We had our sack lunches under their large…read morecovered picnic area. Then my granddaughters played in the splash park which they thoroughly enjoyed! Afterwards, they tried out all the neat equipment and they especially liked the long rope bridge and sliding down the slide. The park also has a trail and is kept up well and a large parking lot. The bathrooms were clean and overall very nice park. The only thing is I wish there was a little bit more shaded seating for the parents to watch the children during the splash park play.

A great new addition to the neighborhood! This little park is still getting its finishing touches,…read morebut it's already a gem. Located at 155th and Chestnut in Bonner Springs, it features: walking trails, Picnic tables, two clean bathrooms, a large playground with a fun scavenger hunt activity, and drinking fountains. There is also convenient parking with easy access. The park is clean, well-maintained, and perfect for families, walkers, or anyone looking to enjoy the outdoors. Looking forward to seeing it fully finished!

I was in town for a doctors appointment so I stopped by this beautiful park when I was finished so…read moreI could get some steps in. I was so impressed with the cleanliness of the place, the number of benches it offered, and the fact that there was actually drinking fountains that worked!!!

I exited the Turnpike for Lawrence but it turned out the thing I wanted to see was closed down and…read moreso I managed to get a little lost and then I landed here at South Park. Wow! A great spot for me to walk around, stretch my legs and enjoy the oldest park in Lawrence, Kansas. Well-manicured grass, lots of old growth trees, paved pathways and a very pretty bandstand. Playgrounds, picnic areas and flower gardens abound. The wading pool was crowded today and I tried to take a picture without looking creepy. A very neat spot and I'd love to spend more time here but the highway calls. [Review 11429 overall, 1207 of 2019.]

We went to this wonderful show room to try out all the play sets they have. They have open play for…read more$8 cash or $9 with credit card. They have wonderfully made play sets that are very sturdy and high quality. Our grandson enjoyed trying out all of them and the mini basket ball court and trampolines. I highly recommend for fun and for purchase for a backyard.

When I was a kid growing up we had one of these play systems in our backyard and I remember the day…read moreit was installed all the way up until the day my parents had it removed when I was an adult. The one my parents installed in their backyard in the 90s lasted three kids and over 20 years with regular maintenance. When it came time for us to look into a swingset for our daughters as tempted as I was by the kidcraft DIY ones at Costco, we ended up going with Rainbow simply because the kidcraft wooden playhouse in our backyard has been up for maybe three years and LOOKS it. We were a bit worried about how something we DIY might hold up so we figured we'd pay a bit more and go this route. First of all these things are expensive. There is no way around that. The website always says things are heavily discounted, like it never changes cost and is always on sale, so I think it's just the way they try to get you to pull the trigger - like OH it's not actually 7grand, it's ONLY 2 grand. I'd prefer they just be a bit more transparent on that, but I appreciate that it could be more. Once we were sold on the unit we wanted we decided to make the trek out to Olathe to see it in person and make sure we knew what we were doing. It was April, and honestly we were wanting to move quickly so we could have one installed early in the summer season. There is conflicting information on when they are open online - in some places it says they have hours on Sundays and on others it says they are closed. We couldn't figure out what the case was so we went there and they were closed to the public. The door was open and we thought oh, maybe we could just speak with a sales person but nobody was around so we just went home and ordered the one we wanted online. Now, their website is a bit dated but it worked okay. It was a little scary placing an order this big in this way, but we had no other time to get out to Olathe in the near future and decided it was worth it. Again, IRL would have been better because I would have asked about small add ons like a pirate telescope and baby swing, neither of which you can just add on via their website. At any rate, we made the purchase and a rep from their team was in contact with me by Monday morning which really impressed me! She told me the timeframe we'd be looking at and what to expect next. As the timeframe of 3-5 week delivery creeped into the three week mark I emailed asking about next steps and didn't hear back for several days. The following week I emailed again, and again no response so I called. Calling prompted an email and we got it scheduled and ultimately installed pretty quickly at that point. The installer was SO NICE and so fast. It was insanely impressive how they get these things up quickly. The main thing here is that these are impressive, well made, playsets. The folks working here are very kind, and thoughtful. Sometimes things just move slower than you might want, or you might have to reach out to get questions answered. Would I recommend Rainbow? For sure! Could they turn this into a 5 star experience with a few small tweaks? Absolutely. If you're not me though, learn from me, and go on a Saturday, talk to the sales people and I'm sure you'll have a smoother experience.

I stopped by this quiet park on the way home so my grandson could try out the playground. This park…read moreis inside a residential area so there is no actual parking lot. But parking can be done on the street near the curb of the park. It's a quiet park with a small playground with newer equipment. There is a variety of regular swings, and also the larger swings for several kids. There is a walking trail that appears to be a loop. It's a small park, but it's nice and peaceful.

Catch us at a park all year long! Quail Creek Park has been in our rotation of parks and it is such…read morea great, little park! This park is tucked away in a neighborhood. There's no dedicated parking lot, but plenty of street parking. They have swings (2 baby ones, 2 normal ones, and two round tire type swings). The playground equipment is kind of advanced, but there are definitely things for younger littles. The ground is rubber material, so great for crawlers/ kiddos who are starting to walk! They also have a little creek and walking paths behind the park!

These gardens and walking paths are beautiful and well attended. We enjoyed a walk everyday we…read morewere visiting Topeka. Just amazing! I cannot wait to come back.

Great use of outdoors, strolling in peace. Plenty of sidewalk and paths, great open space with…read moreareas to stop and reflect, meditate or picnic.

If you are expecting open spaces, fresh air, comfortable places to relax, and the splendor of…read morenature, then the Lawrence Rotary Arboretum is just the place. The arboretum is set in the southwest corner of the Lawrence area and nestled up against the (finally) evolving Lawrence Youth Sports Complex and the dam of Clinton Lake. A lovely pond is encircled with a wide walking path, a broad variety of native trees and grasses, and a gazebo that overlooks the water. Each different tree species is marked and identified, helping young and old to appreciate the vagary differences of the flora. There is also an area designated as a 'butterfly habitat' in conjunction with another Lawrence attraction called Monarch Watch. Who doesn't love watching the majestic and delicate beauty of butterflies? There is a sidewalk that leaves the arboretum and winds through a grassy meadow along the dam and terminates out at Clinton Lake. Pro tip: from the parking lot of the arboretum to the dam is right at 1.5 miles, so if you have an hour or so to kill, it makes for a leisurely three-mile walk. Bikers, dog walkers, and others frequent the arboretum and the path. It's really one of Lawrence's 'hidden' treasures and it will continue to evolve.

Everytime I'm in the area I go here and truly enjoy a walk. The garden and fountains and walking…read morepaths make for a wonderful sight to see.

Just south of Lawrence abutting the new bypass is 927 acres of outdoors like little else in Kansas…read more The Baker Wetlands may be one of the best kept secrets in Douglas County and the surrounding Lawrence area because its become a mecca of wildlife preservation that doubles nicely as an area rich with hiking, biking, running, or information at the visitor center, or the picnic tables, surely a sight from which to dine outdoors. Known properly as The Baker University Wetlands Research and Natural Area, it abuts the south side of the city in the Wakarusa River floodplain. The area contains 45 acres of native wetland prairie and acres of restored meadows, marshes, open water, shrubby and secondary growth and mature riparian woodlands. Why I love this area: it's outdoor Kansas as it might be unspoiled with some nice gravel paths for hiking and biking, and if you follow some of the access trails which are much rougher you can really get off the grid and deep into park and all its beauty. I counted three massive beaver dams along one creek on an extended walk today. There are literally hundreds of small birdhouses placed all over the park and one walk through will confirm that it's a haven for critters of all kinds. Most folks in town will know it from the view on the south side of the bypass where a mile long paved bike path runs next to the highway behind a sound barrier. And that's a beautiful view, but getting down into the middle of it is terrific. Access from the East where there's a parking area, the far Southwest (gravel lot), or the visitor center on the far West side (paved). This has become my go-to spot for long hikes and I've yet to not see a few others enjoying the same. Well worth the visit. Bring the kids. It's the anti-movie/mall/theme park experience which a little education and a lot of peace and quiet to boot. Pack a sack lunch and stop in one of the covered picnic areas out in the middle. It's a great place to have a gathering, or catch one of the quiet houses where you can enter and look out over a lake so the animals can't see you (mostly on the West side). No admission for anything that I'm aware of. Get there. If you're the outdoors type even only occasionally, this place is a breath of fresh air, literally, in more ways than one. From their web site: 487 Unique Plant Species 376 Vertebrate Species 75% of electricity is produced by a 10 KWH solar array.

What a beautiful hidden landscape in the heart of Lawrence! I never knew this existed and it's…read morereally not so hidden (right off the highway). I took my bike and wasn't disappointed. The views were stunning.

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.