Take A Hike, KC

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Inspiration & Recommendations for Hitting the Trails in the Kansas City Area - A 2021 Girl Scout Gold Award project

09/11/2026

Kansas City is full of surprising places to hike! This fall, go find them - and enjoy every color of the season! 🍁🎃

Kansas City Parks Union Cemetery Historical Society Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks Hollis Renewal Center Jackson County Parks + Rec Bridging The Gap Johnson County Park and Recreation District

09/08/2026

🍁🍁 It may still feel like summer - but WELCOME TO HIKING SEASON, KC! The clickable list is your autumn invitation:

https://takeahikekc.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/fall-2026-guided-hikes-final.pdf

This fall, join one of 30+ FREE guided hikes! Meet new friends; check out a new park / trail; enjoy a night hike, bison saunter, bird walk, or historical site that you might not discover on your own! 🧐🔍

Some hikes require registration - sign up before they fill! And 2 options do have a fee (💰noted - too good to leave out!). Or choose one of 80+ great FREE local trails, at takeahikekc.org

Save & share! Explore KC with friends + family this fall! 🍁

Kansas City Parks Jackson County Parks Missouri State Parks Missouri Dept. of Conservation Johnson County Park and Recreation District Platte County Parks Heartland Conservation Alliance City of Lawrence, Kansas Baker University Wetlands & Discovery Center

08/03/2026

☀️ Looking for an AMAZING place to beat the August heat? Missouri Dept. of Conservation’s James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area is one of KC's best-kept getaway secrets!

📍12405 SE Ranson Rd in Lee's Summit MO

🔗 https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places/james-reed-memorial-wildlife-area

🗺️ Fish a dozen stocked lakes or hike the shady Shawnee Trace trail! Follow the paved road back to Bodarc Lake for the TH (see map in photos). The gravel and dirt trail features a rippling stream, wildflowers + wildlife. The trail loops are NOT marked!Take a photo of the trail map with your phone, at the TH 📸

🌳 Shawnee Trace is an easy, level hike that's great for families and kids - or anyone who wants a peaceful, shady walk. There's even a large picnic shelter if you pack a lunch. Dogs on leashes are welcome on the trail. 🐶

⚠️ Note: Managed hunts take place on portions of the property. Check the website before visiting, especially during fall.

😎 See the last photo - the 2026 FREE SUMMER TRAIL GUIDE! Download the clickable guide, at link in bio. Share with friends & family!

Missouri Birding Society Visit Missouri

07/28/2026

☀️ GET OUT OF TOWN at Johnson County Park and Recreation’s Kill Creek Park! The best trails never feel crowded - and Kill Creek is one of those magical places ✨✨

🥾 Hike 12 miles of paved or Urban Trail Co. trails; visit the restored prairie; or climb the observation tower at this huge park.

🗺️ Kill Creek is planning a massive (2000+ acres), ambitious expansion! More trails ahead!

📍11670 Homestead Lane, Olathe
⏰ Open daily: 5am - 11pm
🌾 Prairie restoration in bloom!
📸 Don't miss the observation tower - amazing views
🛝 Playground, bike repair station, restrooms, & benches on the trails

https://jcprd.com/facilities/facility/ details/Kill-Creek-Park-28

https://urbantrailco.com/the-trails?
id=75704

☀️☀️ It's hot now, but fall will be here before you know it 🍁 Kill Creek delivers in every season! The paved and dirt trails are scenic and challenging. Dogs on leashes are always welcome in the park!

Johnson County, KS Johnson County Department of Health City of Olathe,

07/24/2026

☀️ STAY IN TOWN but feel faraway at Kansas City Parks’ Little Blue Valley Park, 8201 Noland Rd in KCMO! Big views, interesting history (Evel Knievel once jumped 10 Mack trucks here!) and lots of space to roam 🥾🚴🏽‍♂️🌳

🔗 https://kcparks.org/places/little-blue-valley-park/

🗺️ Hike or bike about 3 miles of looping paved & dirt trails - including a pretty bridge over the Little Blue & nearby access to the Little Blue Trace and Rock Island Trails. The park's trails are mostly unshaded - go early or later in the day when it's hot.

🚘 Did you know that this park was once the KC International Raceway? In 1974 stuntman Evel Knievel jumped his motorcycle over 10 Mack semitrailer trucks, in front of 10,000 people here 🤯 The area is a lot quieter now, but the views are still amazing!

➡️ See the last photo - the 2026 FREE SUMMER TRAIL GUIDE! Download the clickable guide at the link in bio. Share with friends & family! ☀️☀️

07/17/2026

🌼 KC puts on a huge FREE flower show every summer - you just have to know where to look! 🌸🪻🌻 Your new favorite spot is waiting✨✨

Kansas City Parks Jackson County Parks JCPRD Bridging The Gap Visit KC Visit Missouri Kansas Tourism Missouri Master Naturalist, Osage Trails Chapter

07/15/2026

☀️ STAY IN THE CITY and walk, run, or bike near the waterfalls along Kansas City Parks’ Line Creek Trail in the Northland! Enjoy 8 miles of shady paved hiking/biking trails, through the woods and past double & triple waterfalls 🌊

📍5940 NW Waukomis Dr in KCMO

🔗 https://kcparks.org/places/line-
creek-trail/

🔗 https://kcparks.org/places/line-
creek/

🔗 https://kcnrr.com

🗺️ Park at the Line Creek Community Center and join the trail! The center houses a year-round public ice skating rink & swimming pool. The center is next to the KC Northern RR (open for rides Sat & Sun through Oct) 🚂

The trail itself is wide, peaceful, and winds through one of the loveliest parts of the Northland. 🌲🌲 Check out the waterfalls, steep climbs, wildflowers and wildlife. Dogs on leashes are welcome on the trail.🐶

☀️ See the last photo - the 2026 FREE SUMMER TRAIL GUIDE! Download the clickable guide, at link in bio. Share with friends & family! 😎😎

07/13/2026

☀️ GET OUT OF TOWN at Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks’ built-for-summer Hillsdale State Park, just 45 min from downtown KC! Enjoy 12,000+ acres of camping, hiking & wildlife, plus 51 miles of shoreline 🐟🐠🐟

📍 26000 W. 255th St in Paola KS

🔗 https://www.ksoutdoors.gov/about-kdwp/where-we-work/state-parks/hillsdale

🗺️ The 1.5-mile Hidden Spring Nature Trail, which begins just west of the now-closed Army Corps of Engineers building, takes hikers through an oak-hickory forest. Look for fox squirrels, white-tailed deer, woodland birds, and a couple of the most respected reptiles in eastern Kansas: the venomous timber rattlesnake and the copperhead. Flocks of ducks, geese, pelicans, and gulls are seen on the lake during migrations. The trail is rocky and rooted - wear good hiking shoes & only hike in dry weather! 🥾

😎 See the last photo - the 2026 FREE SUMMER TRAIL GUIDE! Download the clickable guide! Share with friends & family!

07/06/2026

☔️ Weather not cooperating? Visit a FREE local nature center! Check websites for latest info.

✅ Anita Gorman Conservation Discovery Center
https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places/anita-b-gorman-conservation-discovery-center
📍 4750 Troost Ave, KCMO
🕒 Hours: Tues-Fri, 8 AM–5 PM; Sat, 9 AM–4 PM

✅ Baker Wetlands Discovery Center
https://www.bakeru.edu/history-traditions/the-wetlands/
📍 1365 N 1250 Rd, Lawrence KS
🕒 Hours: Mon-Fri, 9 AM–12PM & 1–3 PM

✅ Burr Oak Woods Nature Center
https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places/burr-oak-woods-conservation-area
📍 1401 NW Park Rd, Blue Springs MO
🕒 Hours: Tues-Sat, 8 AM–5 PM. NO PETS at this conservation area.

✅ George Owens Nature Park’s DeWitt Center
https://www.independencemo.gov/george-owens
📍 1601 S Speck Rd, Independence MO
🕒 Summer Hours: Tues-Fri, 8:30 AM–8 PM and Sat, 8:30 AM–5 PM. Sun Noon–5 PM

✅ Lakeside Nature Center
https://lakesidenaturecenter.org
📍 4701 E Gregory Blvd, KCMO
🕒 Hours: Tues-Sun, 9 AM–4 PM

✅ Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary
https://naturesanctuary.com/
📍 407 N. LaFrenz Road, Liberty MO
🕒 Hours: Tues-Sat, 9 AM–5 PM. NO PETS at this sanctuary; a donation of $5 per car is requested but not required

✅ Prairie Oak Nature Center
https://www.leawood.org/334/Prairie-Oak-Nature-Center
📍 14701 Mission Rd, Leawood, KS
🕒 Hours: Mon-Fri 10 AM–5 PM (closed for lunch
12:30-1:30); Sat 11 AM–3 PM; Sun 12–4 PM

✅ Prairie Park Nature Center
https://lawrenceks.gov/prc/ppnc/
📍 2730 Harper Street, Lawrence KS
🕒 Hours: Tues-Fri 9 AM–3 PM and Sat 9 AM–5 PM

✅ Schlagle Library & Environmental Learning Center
https://www.kckpl.org/hours-locations/schlagle
📍 4051 West Drive, KCK
🕒 Hours: Mon-Fri, 9 AM–5 PM; Third Sat each month,
9 AM–5 PM

✅ Smithville Lake Nature Center
https://claycountymo.gov/480/Nature-Center
📍 18001 Collins Rd, Smithville, MO
🕒 Hours: Tues-Fri, 8 AM–3 PM

Missouri Dept. of Conservation Baker University Wetlands & Discovery Center Baker University Ernie Miller Park and Nature Center Johnson County Park and Recreation District Lakeside Nature Center of KC Kansas City Parks George Owens Nature Park Leawood, KS Parks & Recreation Kansas City, Kansas Public Library Smithville Lake - Clay County Parks Martha Lafite Thompson Nature Sanctuary Prairie Park Nature Center

Address

Kansas City, MO
64106

Website

http://takeahikekc.org/, https://linktr.ee/takeahikekc

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