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Kansas City offers outdoor recreation throughout the metro, from scenic parks and botanical gardens to dog parks, trails, nature centers, lakes, playgrounds, and seasonal outdoor activities. Whether you’re looking for a family-friendly park, a place to walk the dog, a weekend adventure, or a quiet spot to enjoy nature, these outdoor destinations showcase some of the best ways to get outside in the Kansas City area.
MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
PARKS |
Dog Parks | Multiple KC Area locations – Dogs just want to have fun! Explore our favorite KC area dog parks, with huge open areas to run and play. More info
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OUTDOOR FUN |
| Biking & Hiking Trails | Multiple KC Area locations – Go explore! More than 100 miles of beautiful natural-surface trails are located on varied terrain throughout the Kansas City area. Here are a few that you shouldn’t miss. |
| Swimming: Water Parks, Pools, & Lakes | Multiple KC Area locations – Here are our nine favorite places to cool off in the sun. Whether you like to swim, float, dive, or slide we’ve got something for every age. Take a tour of the best Kansas City swimming spots… More info |
| Urban Hikes | Multiple Kansas City Area Locations – Urban Hikes KC offers 1.5 to 5-mile hiking experiences that mix modern sites with KC’s history, while getting a workout. You’ll take in views from the bluffs, see street art and historic and modern buildings, trek above and below major highways, and get a good feel for the revival in Kansas City. This is also a great way to view many of KC’s beautiful murals. More info |
| Winter Fun | Multiple KC Area locations – When the snow starts falling, take advantage of the best ice skating and sledding spots. The Crown Center Ice Terrace is a favorite family destination during the winter months thanks to the outdoor skating rink that offers fantastic, festive views. More info |
KANSAS CITY, MO | NORTHERN AREA
PARKS |
| Penguin Park | Kansas City, MO – Experience the wonder of this park’s playground made up of friendly zoo animals. This fun and playful park has everything from a 26-foot kangaroo slide to a 23-foot penguin to play inside. More info |
LENEXA, KS
PARKS |
| Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park – Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park is 50.9 acres and includes many amenities for everyone. It is home to the Legler Barn Museum, several sports courts, a nine-hole disc golf course, a skate park, and four shelters. Jogging & walking trails meander throughout the park and around Rose’s Pond. Around the winter holidays you can also wander through miles of twinkling colorful lights as they brighten this favorite park with stunning views and gorgeous reflections on the water. More info |
MERRIAM, KS
PARKS |
| Antioch Park – The first thing KC natives will mention about Antioch Park is Dodge Town, an iconic mini town for kids. The 44-acre park also has two other playgrounds, two lakes with fishing, over three miles of walking paths, shelters and picnic tables for use, plus basketball, bocce ball, and tennis courts. Additionally, don’t miss the Vietnam Memorial and the scenic Helen S. Cuddy Rose Garden with an estimated 500 different rose varieties. More info |
OLATHE, KS
PARKS |
Lake Olathe Park – Lake Olathe Park is located on the west side of Olathe and features a 170-acre lake surrounded by 258 acres of community park space and includes amenities for a variety of fun outdoor activities for all ages, including a swim beach and marina, spray ground, event spaces, playgrounds, disc golf course and more. More info
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OUTDOOR FUN |
| Ernie Miller Nature Center – The Nature Center and Park both provide a great getaway from the urban hustle and bustle of everyday life. The Park offers three miles of hiking trails traversing prairies, forest, and a beautiful stream. The Nature Center allows children of all ages to see native wildlife and learn about nature and history. More info |
OUTLYING AREAS
OUTDOOR FUN |
| KC Timber Challenge & Zip KC | Bonner Springs, KS – Looking for a family-friendly outdoor adventure? Itching to get out of the office and put your ninja moves to the test? Dust off your hiking shoes and come play in the woods! Train like a ninja on the obstacle course or feel the thrill as you fly through the air on their zip line tours. More info |
| Louisburg Cider Mill | Louisburg, KS – Louisburg Cider Mill brings the cider and the fun year-round. Come out to the Cider Mill for apple cider, fun fall activities and pumpkin patch, and their country store. They offer customers a unique opportunity not only to taste great apple cider and apple cider donuts, but to see where and how the cider and donuts are made. More info |
| Powell Gardens | Kingsville, MO – Set on 915 acres of lush rolling hills and windswept meadows, Powell Gardens, Kansas City’s botanical garden, offers breathtaking display gardens, interesting architecture, a nature trail and a year-round calendar of special events and classes for the entire family. The Visitor Education Center houses Perennial Gifts gift shop, Café Thyme, a classroom space, and a glass-topped conservatory. More info |
OVERLAND PARK, KS
PARKS |
Strang Park | Old Overland Park – This park has an inclusive playground that is arguably the best in the metro area with features you won’t find elsewhere. It has a small kid’s farmer’s market area, a sensory tunnel, trampolines built into the ground, a 30-foot tower and slide, a gaming promenade, and plenty of shade to keep you cool. The park also has tennis & basketball courts, a loop trail, green space, and there are plenty of picnic tables and Adirondack chairs where adults can relax. More info
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OUTDOOR FUN |
| Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens | Overland Park – At the 300-acre Arboretum, you’ll experience gardens with more than 1,700 species of plants, a variety of landscapes, including meticulous gardens, wild hiking trails, and open prairie, and different educational opportunities around every bend in the path. Many magical special events are held throughout the year as well. Come explore or take a guided tour. More info |
PLAZA AREA | KANSAS CITY, MO
PARKS |
| Loose Park – At 75 acres, Jacob L. Loose Park is one of Kansas City’s most popular, beautiful, and historic parks. It is an urban park, near the Country Club Plaza. It includes a pond, wading pool, tennis courts, walking trails, Civil War markers, and is most well-known for the 1.5-acre Laura Conyers Smith Municipal Rose Garden, filled with over 3,000 roses. More info |
PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS
PARKS |
| Meadowbrook Park – Meadowbrook Park affords 80 acres of green space. Features include the incredible Treeline Adventure destination playground, the Grand Pavilion, three shelters, The Grove playground, eight pickleball courts, low-impact outdoor fitness equipment, three miles of paved trails, three ponds, and the Meadowbrook Park Clubhouse. More info |
SHAWNEE MISSION, KS
PARKS |
| Shawnee Mission Park – A 1,655-acre park centered around a 120-acre lake with fishing, a boat marina, and a huge swim beach with sand volleyball and concessions. The park itself includes picnic shelters, nature trails, playgrounds—including a new inclusive one, an archery range, a 53-acre dog park, an 18-hole disc golf course for experienced players and nine-hole disc golf course for families and beginners, a pump track, and biking, hiking and equestrian trails. It is also home to Theatre in the Park. More info |
SOUTH KANSAS CITY AREA
PARKS |
| T. B. Hanna Station Park | Raymore, MO – This 3-acre park located in Raymore’s Original Town area features “The Depot” (a covered pavilion during spring/summer/fall and an ice skating rink in winter months), the Variety KC Inclusive Playground, the Variety KC Inclusive Spray-ground with a custom-designed train that is wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs, year-round ADA restrooms, concession stand, picnic tables, an outdoor stage and green space. The park is also home to the Mayor’s Tree and the annual Raymore Christmas Tree Trail during the holidays. More info |
Valley Park | Grandview, MO – This park is one of the most unique parks in the Kansas City area. Valley Park offers a 55-foot-long slide, rope climbing structures, zip line, Cloud 9 swings, and musical instruments. More info
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OUTDOOR FUN |
| Lakeside Nature Center | Swope Park, Kansas City, MO – Wildlife education programs for all ages with live animals! The nature center is free, has a hiking trail, picnic pavilion and native Missouri wildlife exhibit. Inside, huge windows allow you to feel as though you’re on a walk through the woods as you explore the exciting displays. Large aquariums with fish and turtles, a bald eagle exhibit, a weathering area with owls and hawks, and numerous snake displays. More info |
MORE ATTRACTIONS: MUST SEE | ACTIVITIES | CULTURAL | SPORTS | NIGHTLIFE | BBQ & BREWS | OUTDOORS
