Trekking Terrific Trails in KC
After winter, the pandemic and lockdowns, all of us are ready to break out of our bunkers. Imagine getting outdoors and exploring the woods and wilds of Greater Kansas City.
That sounds good in theory, but where do you begin—and is there really much to see around here? Those were the questions that led me to create KansasCityHiker.com. We’ve got hikers and bikers. And we’ve got places to hike. But how do the two of them connect? I found reliable information on trails was scarce. It was as if we needed a Match.com for nature.
So with my cameras, the Internet and often my teenage daughter, I set out to find and trek the best trails in the six-county metro area.
But what is there to see? Really? Ah, that’s a good question. Although we can’t rival the Rocky Mountains, the Pacific Coast or the Appalachians, there is more here than meets the eye. Let’s dive in and highlight some of my favorite locations.
Weston Bend State Park Only 30 minutes from downtown Kansas City, Weston Bend State Park rises about 300 feet above the Missouri River. The bluffs and bottomlands are covered in forest. This 1,000-acre park can be explored from both the bottom and top of its bluffs. You can make a full day of it by taking the Weston Bluffs Trail from the trailhead to downtown Weston. Grab lunch, shop and then return at your leisure. The Weston Bluffs Trail intersects with the state park, so you can scale the bluffs to get an epic view of the valley.
Mountain bike trails at Lake Jacomo If you visit the Lake Jacomo website, several nature trails are identified on the park map. But there are also more than 20 miles of unlisted trails surrounding the lake. The Urban Trail Co. has created these mountain bike highways through deep forest and over crags and clifftops. The scenery is rugged, stunning and feels more like the Ozarks. These are single-track dirt trails, so strollers won’t work. At the same time, the paths are well marked and aren’t demanding. Find a map at KansasCityHiker.com or on the Urban Trail Co. website.
Burr Oak WoodsA quick trip down I-70 toward Blue Springs will bring you to Burr Oak Woods Conservation and Nature Center. More than six miles of trails wind through 1,000 acres of woodland and prairie. A highlight is the Bethany Falls Trail, which snakes through boulders and crevices. The Nature Center is first-rate and hosts numerous educational programs for kids and adults alike.
Kansas trails:
Space prohibits me from many details, but these Kansas trails should also be on your summer bucket list:
- Heritage Park and Coffee Creek Streamway, Olathe
- Mill Creek Streamway, which runs from Olathe to Shawnee
- Kill Creek Park, Olathe
- Prairie Center Natural Area, Olathe
Carpe diem!
Roy Harryman is a lifelong Kansas City resident and the publisher of KansasCityHiker.com.