Kansas City’s Best Birdwatching Hotspots

By Anna Hiestand | August 31, 2020

With its abundance of woods, prairies, and lakes, the Kansas City metropolitan area features many birdwatching hotspots. We’ve listed some of our favorites here. If you have a birdwatching location to add to our list, please share it in the comments below!

Enjoying the Great Outdoors with the Family

By Kristina Light | August 11, 2020

The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and it’s time to get outside and enjoy fresh air, exercise and family memories. These are a few of our favorite ways to enjoy spring in Kansas City:

Ride a Bike

Take a photo safari on a bike trail! These are just a few of Kansas City’s nicest bike trails. Discover more local trails at KCBike.info/KCTrails. You can rent bikes throughout the city at KC.Bicyle.com. Use the BCycle App to access bike locations and details for this super simple way to enjoy a bit of exercise while you explore the city!

Trolley Trail: This 6-mile paved trail connects the Country Club Plaza, Brookside and Waldo in southern Kansas City, MO, at Volker Boulevard/US 56 and Brookside Boulevard and E. 85th Street and Prospect Avenue. This is a great urban ride with many super lunch stops and shops along the way.

Swope Trails: Built for mountain bike enthusiasts, the 13.5 miles of trails wind through the woods at Swope Park. Local volunteers and the KC Parks system continue to improve these trails for athletes. These trails are designed with adventure in mind. From beautiful limestone bluffs to wooded paths, the trails offer nature in the heart of the city.

Smithville Lake Trail: This 4-mile (and growing) off-road trail is great for mountain bikers. Smithville Lake offers a scenic view for the rider to get out and enjoy nature.

Mill Creek Streamway Park: One of the nicest paved trails in Johnson County, this 10-plus-mile byway runs along the creek from the Kaw River, south through Shawnee Mission Park, to 119th Street in Olathe. This popular trail offers a variety of scenery along the way.

Shawnee Mission Park: The park offers mountain bike trails connecting to Mill Creek Streamway Park trails. Lake, woods and shelters make this a great choice for nature lovers.

Enjoy KC’s Best Outdoor Attractions ¦ Virtually

Kansas City Zoo

The Kansas City Zoo brings the zoo to you with incredible cameras that allow you to watch the animals live in action in their zoo habitats!

Penguin Cam

Orangutan Cam

Otter Cam

Educational Videos: The zoo offers a collection of educational clips featuring their resident animals. Visit YouTube.com/user/kansascityzoo.

Worlds of Fun

You can enjoy your favorite rides from Kansas City’s number one theme park with great point-of-view videos! Sit back, relax and enjoy the ride … from the comfort of your own home: KCParent.com/spring-in-kc/worlds-of-fun-experience-the-rides-at-home/.

Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead

Follow Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead on Facebook to watch their live Goat Cam: Facebook.com/DeannaRoseChildrensFarmstead/.

KC Royals

Relive great baseball memories, connect with players and learn more about our home team with new content from the Kansas City Royals every Thursday. YouTube.com/royals.

Stop and Smell the Roses

Enjoy the beautiful weather and head outside to one of the city’s prettiest gardens. Whether you’re in the mood for a simple picnic at the park, a relaxing stroll or time to sit and read, or a full day exploring acres of botanical paradise, our gardens offer something for everyone.

Note: The opening dates and procedures for each of these venues will be changing throughout the month of May and the summer. Visit their Facebook pages for the most up-to-date info.

The Overland Park Arboretum (8909 W. 179th St., Bucyrus, KS) is a 300-acre garden, home to a Monet garden, a whimsical train garden, beautiful trails, prairie and ponds to explore. https://www.facebook.com/OverlandParkArboretumandBotanicalGardens/

Kauffman Memorial Garden (4800 Rockhill Rd., Kansas City, MO) is a small free botanical garden near the Country Club Plaza and Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, where something new is in bloom all year long. With fountains, scenic places to sit and read, and paths to stroll, this is an urban oasis. https://www.facebook.com/KauffmanMemorialGarden/

Loose Park (5100 Wornall, Kansas City, MO) is one of the city’s most beautiful parks, with a rose garden, a beautiful pond, walking trails, tennis courts, a playground and a spray park. https://www.facebook.com/kcmoparks/

Antioch Park (6501 Antioch Rd., Mission) is home to a rose garden, a beautiful scenic pond with stepping stones, paved trails and an imaginative Wild West-inspired play space. https://www.facebook.com/AntiochPark/

Powell Gardens (1609 NW US Hwy. 50, Kingsville, MO) is a great day-trip adventure. The 970-acre botanical gardens are home to the Heartland Harvest Garden, the nation’s largest edible landscape, and the Island Garden and Waterfall Garden. In the summer, kids love playing in the sprayground fountain where they can cool off on a hot day. https://www.facebook.com/PowellGardens/

Go on an Art Hunt

Local cities and towns are recognizing the importance of public art more and more. Did you know that Liberty is home to a giant pencil? Or that Merriam is home to a sculpture of a bear family playing in a fountain? Spring is the perfect time to discover the most unique art in the area, and these municipalities have made it easier than ever:

Liberty: The city funds a rotating sculpture program, with three new works on display annually. Learn more: LibertyMissouri.gov/2505/Public-Art—Sculptures.

Merriam: The town is home to many beautiful murals portraying the region’s history, as well as public sculpture including our favorite, Motherhood, a water fountain featuring a mother bear and her cubs (pictured above). Learn more: ExploreMerriam.com/760/Art.

Blue Springs: The City of Blue Springs prepared a treasure hunt for visitors to discover their public art: BlueSpringsGov.com/1758/Public-Art-Treasure-Quest.

Olathe: This city’s public art collection is eclectic, ranging from modern pieces to art that tells the story of Olathe’s history. Learn more: gis.OlatheKs.org/maps/sculpture/.

Lee’s Summit: Murals and sculptures decorate historic downtown Lee’s Summit. Learn more: CityofLS.net/cultural-arts/public-art.

Independence: This city celebrates its heritage as the head of the California, Oregon and Santa Fe trails, as well as its hometown hero, President Harry S. Truman, through much of their public art. Modern pieces are included in their collection as well. Learn more: ci.Independence.mo.us/ArtCommission/Gallery.

Lenexa: Lenexa’s pieces are both two- and three-dimensional, housed inside public spaces, as well as outdoors. Learn more: Lenexa.com.

Overland Park: There are hundreds of pieces of public art in Overland Park. You’ll find traditional and modern outdoor sculptures celebrating the city’s history, nature, and whimsy. Use this map to visit OP’s public art: https://bit.ly/3kwnUSp

These are just a few ideas to inspire your family’s spring adventures. You’ll find even more at KCParent.com/spring-in-kc.

Kristina Light loves discovering works of art on her many urban adventures and looks forward to backyard picnics every spring.

Our Favorite Trails in Jackson County, MO

By Kristina Light | June 10, 2020

We love to explore our local parks and trails. Kids love the adventure of discovering new things along the way including wildlife (snails, snakes, birds, insects, and sometimes even deer), creeks, ponds, lakes, a variety of manmade and natural bridges, and historic ruins. These are a few of our favorite local trails!

Trail Tips

Bring Water

Bring Snacks (if your excursion may last several hours)

Bring a small First Aid Kit

Phone for Emergency Calls / Pictures / Map

Use the restroom before you depart, access to restrooms is limited.

Take only photos and leave only footprints.

If you are able to do so safely (wear gloves, use hand sanitizer), bring a bag to collect litter, and help clean up spaces.

Trail Key:

Walking ð¶ï¸

Hiking ð¥¾

Biking ð´ï¸

Wheelchair Accessible ð¦½

Fishing ð

Do you have a favorite in Jackson County, MO to add to our list? Please share it in the comments below!

Berkley Riverfront Park

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Berkley Riverfront Park is perfect for a stroll or a bike ride. We love the amazing views of Downtown Kansas City as well as the architecture of the Downtown bridges and the Mighty Missouri River. The Riverfront Heritage Trail is evenly paved and accessible for wheelchairs and scooters. The park offers beautiful green space, ideal for kite flying or a picnic (when permitted), and great views of the Missouri River and Downtown. As you walk the trail, signs tell the history of the river and the history of the Downtown Bridges, making this trail educational as well as scenic and pleasant. The urban trail is an oasis in the heart of Downtown with truly unique views and photo-ops. If you’d like to ride a bike, the park also has parking, bike lockers and racks, and a nearby B-cycle rental station located at 3rd and Grand Blvd.

Blue River Greenway Trail

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This trail is accessible from Minor Park or the Alex George Lake entrance off Blue River Pkwy. The paved trail is ideal for walking, biking, and even wheelchairs. We like to start at Minor Park where my kids especially enjoy exploring the Love Locks on the Old Red Bridge. Couples and families leave engraved padlocks on the bridge as a memento of their love. The trail continues on where you’ll see historic ruins, the Alex George Lake, and of course, the Little Blue River. This is a nice pleasant walk (not too strenuous, it’s fairly flat and even) in the city. The Alex George Lake is also a spot where you may use Remote Control Boats (with proper licenses and permits) – another nice diversion in the heart of the city! There are hiking trails that fork off the main paved trail as well.

Burr Oak Woods Nature Center

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Regular readers know that Burr Oak Woods Nature Center is my personal favorite for their hands-on conservation exhibits for kids, the giant animatronic Smokey Bear, and their outstanding classes and programs (all free to the public), but the site is also home to beautiful nature trails. You’ll find paved and non-paved trails for walking and hiking. The main trail around the center also features the Discover Nature Classroom for kids.

Carl Chinnery Nature Trail at Unity Village

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This 2.6-mile gravel trail is one of my girls’ favorites! They LOVE the Natural Bridge (there are nature trails that fork off the main gravel path so that you can access the top and the lower level of the beautiful Natural Bridge). The trail also leads to Unity Lake and Little Cedar Creek. The kids loved exploring the creek. The scenic trail is a favorite for bird watching. Bikes are not permitted on this trail. If you want to thoroughly explore the trail (as we did on a recent visit) and explore some of the wooded paths as well as the gravel trail, plan to spend a few hours.

James A. Reed Wildlife Area

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James A. Reed is home to lots of small lakes, hiking trails, equestrian trails, and even a space where you may practice archery (one of our favorite ways to spend time there). Lately, we have only explored a bit of the trails as we’ve spent most of our time fishing. For hiking enthusiasts, however, the park is a favorite where you’ll discover lots of plants and wildlife to enjoy. The Shawnee Trace Trail features creeks, rock formations, a variety of trees and mushrooms, and beautiful views. Missouri Dept. of Conservation offers great tips for fishing at James A. Reed. They have accessible fishing spaces as well!

Jerry Smith Conservation Area

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Jerry Smith Conservation Area features a beautiful trail (fairly even, but mostly gravel, not smooth for wheels) through the prairies of Missouri. We love seeing wildflowers along the way and the girls enjoy crossing bridges and winding through the woods. If you drive up the road past the trail entrance, there is another short trail to a fishing pond where you may catch channel catfish.

Lake Jacomo

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Lake Jacomo is one of the prettiest places to fish in Jackson County. In addition to fishing and boating (rental available at the marina seasonally), the lake is surrounded by beautiful nature trails. You’ll find many great hiking trails through the woods, favorites for Morrell mushroom hunters, birders, and nature enthusiasts. Missouri Dept. of Conservation offers great tips for fishing at Lake Jacomo. They have accessible fishing spaces as well!

Loose Park

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The park, rightfully and frequently called the “Jewel of Kansas City,” is home to a spectacular rose garden, lovely duck pond, and beautiful paved trails for a stroll through the city’s prettiest urban park. Loose Park is perhaps the most photographed outdoor oasis in KC, where spring and summer mean blooming flowers, ducks, turtles, and koi to behold. This is a great choice if you want something leisurely and scenic!

Longview Lake

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I love the trails around Longview Lake! If you park at Shelter 14 (near the Marina), you can rent bikes from BikeKC! The trail is fairly flat and even and covered in chat gravel. Bike rental is $3/30 min (and of course, you can opt to bring your own). The view around the lake is beautiful and the kids enjoy going through the tunnel and in the woods. There are many places around the lake where you can start your journey. Some are more wooded, others offer more green space, and the view of the lake varies, making it a great option for variety. This trail is ideal for something leisurely. Longview Lake is also one of our favorite places to go fishing locally. Missouri Dept. of Conservation offers great tips for fishing at Longview Lake.

Rock Island Trail

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The Katy Trail State Park in Missouri is famously America’s longest recreational rail trail. Bicycling enthusiasts love riding the 240-mile trail along the banks of the Missouri River along the path of the former Missouri’Kansas’Texas Railroad. Jackson County has plans to build a 17.7-mile corridor stretching from Arrowhead and Kauffman Stadiums south through Raytown and into Lee’s Summit. The first phase is complete, a 6.5-mile trail beginning at Brickyard Road in Kansas City, and ending at Jefferson Street in Lee’s Summit is complete. There are two official trailheads: 98th street Trailhead (12600 E 98th Street KCMO 64138) and Hartman Park (700 SW Pryor Rd, Lee’s Summit, MO 64081). The trail is fairly smooth and covered in chat gravel. It is ideal for walking and biking. The favorite spot on the trail is the Vale Tunnel (a former railroad tunnel) that is closest to the 98th Street Trailhead.

Honorable Mentions:

Anita B. Gorman Discovery Center ð¶ï¸ ð¦½

Cave Springs Trails ð¶ï¸ ð¥¾

Lakeside Nature Center Trails ð¶ï¸ ð¥¾

Do you have a favorite in Jackson County, MO to add to our list? Please share it in the comments below!

Fishing in KC

By KC Parent | May 28, 2020

Though sometimes seen as an old man’s pastime, fishing can be a fun family affair. Some of my favorite childhood memories come from fishing with my family. There are lots of fishing opportunities around the metro area for families to enjoy. Both Kansas and Missouri have several large lakes in the area, as well as many smaller lakes, streams and rivers with public access and good fishing. A local fishing enthusiast, John Krzysztow, has a passion for teaching kids to fish for a lifetime and is developing a website that encourages kids to do just that (www.TeachKidsToFishForLife.com). His suggestions for kid-friendly area lakes and ponds include:

Kill Creek Park (Olathe, KS – JCPRD permit required)

Shawnee Mission Park (Lenexa, KS – JCPRD permit required)

Antioch Park (Merriam, KS – JCPRD permit required)

Heritage Park (Olathe, KS – JCPRD permit required)

Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead (Overland Park, KS)

Englewood Lake (Kansas City North, MO)

Lake of the Woods in Swope Park (Kansas City, MO)

Blue Springs Lake (Lee’s Summit, MO)

Lake Jacomo (Blue Springs, MO)

Longview Lake (Kansas City, MO)

Before you head out, check with state wildlife departments for important rules and regulations. Both states require anyone 16-64 years old to have a fishing permit in public areas for the state where they are fishing. Area rules will usually be posted near popular fishing places like docks, dams and marinas. In the case of streams, rivers or ponds that might be on private property, always ask permission before fishing.

State wildlife and local parks and recreation departments are also the best sources for free fishing education and fishing opportunities. The Missouri Department of Conservation (mdc.mo.gov/fishing) and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (www.kdwp.state.ks.us/index.php/news/Fishing) post public fishing areas and upcoming fishing programs on their websites. Our local Bass Pro Shops in Independence and Olathe offer fishing workshops as well. Visit their site, www.BassPro.com, and use their store locator guide to go to the page of the store nearest you to see what workshops they offer.

Learn how to fish with these great tutorials from the Missouri Department of Conservation!

Some of the most commonly caught local fish include bluegill, green sunfish, largemouth bass and catfish (bullhead and channel). All of these can be caught on live bait, like fishing worms, crickets and minnows. Artificial bait like plastic worms and grubs have to be “worked,” cast and recast often, which is better left to older, more skilled children and adults. When fishing with younger kids, keep it simple. A pole with 8-10 lb. fishing line, small hooks, sinkers and bobbers are inexpensive and easy to replace when the line is caught in a tree or an underwater snag. A pair of needle-nosed piers is irreplaceable for removing hooks.

Fishing teaches valuable life lessons like patience, good sportsmanship, respect and an appreciation of nature that can only be learned by experience. Plus, your child’s first fish, no matter how big or small it is, will be a memory neither of you will forget.

Heather Shields grew up in Kansas City with a love for nature and Conservation. She now teaches Science at Ruskin High where she shares her passion with students.