There’s nothing better than autumn: the crispness in the air, the crunch beneath our feet … and the vibrant fall colors everywhere! The season of pumpkins and apple cider calls forth the nature lover in everyone, drawing us to our favorite spots around Kansas City to see and celebrate this feel-good time of year.
While some enjoy the comfort of local parks for gazing at the striking colors of fall, others opt for the excitement of local pumpkin patches and apple orchards. Whatever you prefer, Kansas City is filled with wonderful places to take in the season!
- Overland Park Arboretum: (8909 W. 179th St., Overland Park, KS) This 300-acre park is a perfect place to gaze at the colors of autumn. With botanical gardens, nature trails, picnic areas and water gardens to enjoy, your family can make a day of it. And best of all, it’s free through 2012!
- Loose Park: ( 51st & Wornall, Kansas City, MO) Take in autumn in this 75-acre park, where you’ll find a beautiful pond, an exquisite rose garden, large fields for playing and picnicking and tree-lined walkways surrounding the park. Ride your bike, take a stroll, play ball or simply stretch out on a comfy blanket and enjoy!
- English Landing Park: (Parkville, MO) Hop on your bicycle, walk or jog along this park’s scenic 3-mile walking trail that runs parallel to the Missouri River. English Landing Park is filled with stunning views of fall and activities for everyone, young and old, including a large playground area, boat ramp, picnic shelters, a disc golf course and baseball and soccer fields.
- Ernie Miller Nature Center: (909 N. Hwy. 7, Olathe, KS) Ride your bicycle or walk along the hiking trails to take in the colors of autumn. The nature center offers both paved and unpaved trails, both ideal for leaf viewing!
- Shawnee Mission Park: (79th & Renner Rd., Shawnee, KS) This 1,250-acre park is home to a number of wonderful amenities along with a beautiful 120-acre lake, all perfect for leaf peeping. Take in autumn colors while riding in a canoe or pedal boat, fishing, sail-boarding, horseback riding, picnicking or walking the trails.
- Longview Lake Park: (11100 View High Dr., Kansas City, MO) Enjoy autumn on land or in the water! Take in the season while power boating, water skiing, fishing, relaxing in a pontoon boat or enjoying the trails. Bring along your bicycle, picnic lunch or even your horse for a ride in the horse park!
- Park University: (8700 NW River Park Dr., Parkville, MO) Located in historic Parkville, the university sits high on the bluff overlooking the scenic Missouri River. The beautiful campus is surrounded by trees that promise the perfect fall setting. Enjoy a picnic outside one of the historic campus buildings, including the chapel, while taking in the amazing colors of fall. “I love Park University’s campus in the fall: the smells, the colors and the buildings. MacKay Hall is like a renaissance castle surrounded by fall foliage,” Lee’s Summit resident Shaun Pfannenstiel says.
- Parkville Nature Sanctuary/White Alloe Creek Conservation Area: (Hwy. 9 & 12th St., Parkville, MO) Located just down the road from Park University and English Landing Park, the Parkville Nature Sanctuary is the perfect place to leaf watch. Hike the many trails, view the waterfalls and enjoy the adjoining White Alloe Creek Conservation Area. Gaze at the autumn colors while picnicking, hiking or bird watching in this mostly forested area.
- Powell Gardens (1609 NW US Hwy. 50, Kingsville, MO) Enjoy more than 915 acres of lush, rolling hills and beautiful meadows, a 3.25-mile nature trail with frog-filled ponds and fields of flowers, and breathtaking gardens and fountains, all while taking in the hues of autumn. “I love Powell Gardens! They have this picturesque little church set in the woods that’s magnificent,” Independence resident Erin Swartz says.
With so many places to choose from, you just have to get out and leaf peep this fall season!
Gina Klein is a writer and photographer whose favorite season is autumn.