The Most Delicious Parks in Kansas City

Platte Landing Park

★★★★☆ 3.9 (11)

"In short? I'm very impressed. It needs a bit more work, but it's still an excellent facility. With some love, it could be the city's best. The first thing you'll notice is that this park is HUGE. As per the usual, there are separate areas for both large and small dogs, but both seem equal in size. While both sides share an entrance, they jut off in different directions, long rectangles. I feel like the shape encourages the dogs to be more active. I have two dogs, one who is hyper and insane, and one who is slowing down a bit but still quirky. Both were running more than I'd seen in quite some time. Knowing I'd have sleepy dogs back at the house, I was very happy. The setting is pretty nice as well! To the south you have the river, and to the north, scenic hills and bluffs. You're in a remote location, and it certainly feels like it. It's pretty cool that I can get here in 15 minutes from downtown. My only complaints are of the type that are usual for dog parks. First, there's not enough grass and my dogs came back pretty muddy. I think it just needs a chance to grow in more, or they need to plant a bit more hearty of a variety. Second, they need a better place for the humans. A basic picnic table would do, but the plastic chairs they currently have are just blown over and laying in random places, dirty. It's not inviting. Still, those are fairly minor complaints. I'm a definite fan of what they've built in this dog park. From this dog owner, thank you!"

Penguin Park

★★★★☆ 4.4 (28)

"Fairly large park with assorted slides, rope playgrounds, swings, giant zoo statue animals to climb on, and more. Like that they have soft green grass turf. Pretty well maintained for the area. I would not visit at dusk or very busy times for possible safety concerns, but during the day on a weekday I was not worried. Perfect for kids of all ages."

Strang Park

★★★★★ 4.5 (10)

"This is my "neighborhood park" and I've taken many a walk around the trail. It's got tennis courts, basketball courts, a great kid's playground, bbq grills, and is right behind the Central Library. Great way to put together a low-cost day if you've got kids. Library + park + some take out from ABC Cafe :-)"

Indian Creek Trail

★★★★☆ 4.3 (28)

"Olathe and Overland Park are lucky to have this trail head and this trail system. My running club meets here every so often and we can either run to mid American Nazarene university which is about 2 1/2 miles away or go in the opposite direction and run for miles and miles. Unfortunately there is no water here but there is a trashcan and a porta-potty. so if you're in the area be sure to stop by and use this wonderful trail for running biking rollerblading walking. it's great for everything."

Fisher Park

★★★★☆ 4 (1)

"I stumbled across this park walking from the Rosedale Memorial Arch. I didn't know it even existed. A very simple Park with a playground several park benches and a paved sidewalk walking trail that is .25 miles. There's nothing earth-shattering about the park, but it is a nice change of scenery from some of the bigger parks"

Weston Bend State Park

★★★★★ 4.6 (45)

"Awesome trail! There were a lot of people on a nice fall day. The parking lot was full but there are other parking spots in lots nearby. The trail stars off as paved and then you can step off into a more forest-y trail which is more my jam! There were lots of hills which was perfect for some exercise and when you get to the top, it is a beautiful overview of the river! We did about a 4 mile hike around the whole park. It was perfect. also dog friendly!!!"

Berkley Riverfront

★★★★☆ 3.9 (32)

"3.5 I'm giving this trail a round up to 4 stars because I am a sucker for a pretty view and this path gives you the best of both worlds: a view of the Missouri River on one side and a skyline view of Kansas City on the other. Also, I saw and heard a lot of beautiful birds who make their home in the preserved areas along the trail.As beautiful as it is along the river, it is fairly short depending on if you are a distance runner. The length of the paved trail along the river is 2-3 miles from end to end. Then you have to maneuver the streets downtown to continue on the trail. I am geographically challenged so I had to keep looking for the signs.As everyone points out, there are no restrooms. But you can get access to the restrooms and the City Market on Main Street if you gotta go."

Olathe Community Center

★★★☆☆ 2.9 (20)

"Our family has been coming here for about a year now, mostly to use the pool facilities, but we've also experienced some of the other amenities as well. In our experience, everything has been top-notch about this lovely new(ish) rec center!Olathe Community Center won our business due to it having the first available opening (out of three facilities in the area) in a Saturday swim lessons class for our daughter. That was last summer, and we just recently wrapped up our third session, if the repeat business tells you anything about what we think of their lessons. The teachers are all fantastic. Most of them look to be high school and college-aged individuals, and they've all been fantastic with the kids. Even with the difficult ones, who mope or try to avoid the water like last month's leftover Brussels sprouts.There is a large family-dedicated locker room with both dry and wet private changing rooms, the latter being equipped with showers, sinks and toilet facilities. In between kids' lessons (sometimes we've had up to an hour between kiddo 1 and kiddo 2), we've played in the "tree house", as they've come to affectionately refer to it, which is a padded-floor play area just off the front door to the center. On warm days, we go out front and play on the incredible playground that's about 100 feet west of the front door. There are a bunch of spinning apparatuses, a spider web to climb, a "slide" of sorts, and a couple other things to hang and spin on. Call it an above-average playground for kids aged 3-8. It, too, is soft on the ground.Lastly, our daughter loved the pool and swim lessons SOOOOO much that she decided she wanted to have her birthday party here last year. For said party, you are assigned (at least) one proctor for your dedicated room, who helps you unload stuff from your car (cart provided), prepare the room, moderate the party, clean up, and help you on your way out. Ours even helped make a list of who brought what gifts! For the party, you spend a bit of time in the room celebrating (i.e. eating CAKE!!!), and then you make your way down to the indoor pool complex to allow all the kids to cramp up properly after eating CAKE!!! For the parties, all the water features in the pools come alive! There's a huge water table with a fill-up-and-pour-down splash feature, eight or ten spouts (4-6' high), and a couple rain features. There are tons of seats around the pool for you to bear close witness to the numerous lifeguards diving in after kids who wade a little past their depth every 2 or 3 minutes. There's a discount for Olathe residents, which we are not. That, too, ought to help you understand just how highly we regard most everything and everybody at this facility - for the past year, we've paid 10-20% more than Olatheites to be there. Come on, OCC - can I get some sort of positive Yelp review discount?!?!??"

Streamway Park

★★★☆☆ 2.8 (4)

"Streamway Park is a hard to find, small park located next to Value Place Hotel and behind a few apartment buildings on Foxridge Drive. The entrance is marked by a pretty large sign and the road takes you behind the apartments and to a small parking lot. Streamway Park offers a shelter for picnics, a bbq, and doggy bags to pick up waste. The walking trail is .4 miles around and you'll often find young families with strollers, college-aged joggers, and dog walkers when you come. The trail (and most of the park itself) is completely shaded with trees- this is my favorite part. It definitely makes for some cooler temperatures when jogging during the summer! Because Streamway Park is so much in the back woods, you get the feel of wondering around in a forest while still having a paved trail to let you on. The trail isn't completely flat either- there are small hills which gives variety- something I appreciate. And since the trail is shaded by trees, it doesn't really feel like you are running in a circle since you can't see most of the track. Streamway Park also offers markers of significant and common local plants and trees from around the area, if you are interested in learning what is growing around you. It is overall a very peaceful park and I love to come here on afternoons to walk my dog."

Frisco Lake Park

★★★★☆ 3.5 (4)

"We had some time to kill and I wanted my little one to burn off some energy before nap time. This was the closest playground, so we came here. It's a huge park with a large pond. Great for walking with friends, family or the dog. But as far as playgrounds go, it was only so-so. It was certainly pretty unique, but not very big or entertaining for a toddler. Also, bonus points for a playground with ample shade. This didn't have that either."

Wilder Bluff Park

★★★★★ 5 (5)

"With 40 acres of beautiful park tucked conveniently in at 55th and Belmont, there's plenty of activities for everyone to enjoy. The park includes a 1.38 mile trail, covered patio with tables, splashpad, treetop canopy playground and clean on-site restrooms. The pavilion with a capacity of 64 is rentable for special occasions and includes a fireplace and buffet ledge with electrical outlets. From furry four legged friends to kiddos of any age, this park will provide hours of fun!"

Wallace State Park

★★★★☆ 4.2 (9)

"Love this campground!There are electric and non-electric sites. The grounds are very nice and very well maintained! The bathroom is spotless with hot showers that have decent pressure.The camp hosts are very nice too. There's just nothing but good things to say about it.We would definitely come back here."

Wollman Park

★★★★★ 5 (2)

"This is a safe place to bring the kids, swim in the lap pools, enjoy the diving boards and water slides. It's $4 for locals and $5 for non-residents."

Turkey Creek Streamway Park

★★★★★ 4.7 (3)

"Fantastic walking trail! So glad I discovered it. We parked just past the train tracks on Johnson Drive and then walked the section of the trail that runs along the creek north/south- it's so serene and pretty. Nice trees and benches here and there. It's 2.2 miles round trip- a perfect quick jaunt before we went and ate a ton of sushi!!"

Penn Valley Park

★★★★☆ 3.5 (11)

"I needed a run and Nicole took the little one on a walk through the park. Memorial Day Weekend was happening and the street was lined with American flags and War Memorabilia and veterans displaying them. I ran around the park's tower where a line had formed to enter it for views from the top, Penn Valley Lake, Union Cemetary where some people celebrated by a family headstone, the firefighter memorial, and a few others. I even spotted a Coyote. It was a nice and windy day and I enjoyed to logging 8 miles through the paths interlinking the various parks and monuments."

Leawood City Park

★★★★★ 4.5 (4)

"This 66 acre park consists of three pieces of public art, eleven soccer fields, six lighted tennis courts, three basketball goals, two baseball fields, two sand volleyball courts, one playground, one half-mile loop jogging trail, and serves as the trail head for a 2.5 mile path along the Tomahawk Greenway Trail, or the shorter 1.5 mile loop on the Indian Creek Greenway Trail.The Leawood Aquatic Center is located in Leawood City Park. Traditional dates of operation are Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. The park also hosts a multitude of fun and games during the Fourth of July Celebration, Summer Camp Programs, Soccer Camps, "Fall in the Park" Festival, and other special Please click here to see a map of the Leawood City Park. This 66 acre park consists of three pieces of public art, eleven soccer fields, six lighted tennis courts, three basketball goals, two baseball fields, two sand volleyball courts, one playground, one half-mile loop jogging trail, and serves as the trail head for a 2.5 mile path along the Tomahawk Greenway Trail, or the shorter 1.5 mile loop on the Indian Creek Greenway Trail.The Leawood Aquatic Center and the Leawood Dog Park alocated in Leawood City Park."

Arbor Villa Park

★★★★☆ 4 (2)

"Great little park in Armour Hills. The kids pool is only open in June and July but is very popular with kids. The playground equipment is adequate but is going to be replaced soon. The tennis court was just rebuilt this spring and some exercise equipment added. Not the largest park but very convenient for the neighborhood."

Wyandotte County Lake Park

★★★★☆ 4.2 (20)

"Without a doubt a diamond in the rough... except there really isn't too much rough :-). Love the area around the park; but once inside... OML, this place is beyond beautiful. Great trails for walking, cycling and running. Much visit and when you do, do yourself a favor and put away your electronics for a while and enjoy the natural beauty."

Case Park

★★★★☆ 4 (6)

"Thanks to George Kessler's vision Kansas City has many spectacular parks. Some have fountains, some have rose gardens, and the list of amenities goes on and on. But this little park on the edge of the bluff overlooking the West Bottoms, the Broadway Bridge, the Downtown Airport, and the Confluence of the Kansas and Missouri Rivers stands alone for me as my favorite park of all in the Midwest. In the summer I'll get out of the car and go sit on the concrete wall with my feet hanging over the edge and watch the planes come and go, and the occasional barge make it's way up or down the Missouri. If it's cold or rainy I'll park and still sit and watch even if air traffic is slow. This is my place to go when I needed to think, or to talk, or to just enjoy being on the edge of a big city yet in a beautiful place. This place has very special significance for me because my mother recently passed away, and on the day I'm writing this review, she will be put to rest later this morning. On the last drive we got to take together we ended up here as our last stop before I took her home. And we talked about many things...and it is here that we resolved any and all issues, and it is here that we remembered all of the good times we had together exploring the city I called home for so many years. It is only fitting that on the very day that she is put to rest...that I write a review of a place that holds so many special memories for both of us. I leave you with one thing I'd like to share. We were told she wouldn't make it 2 years. She made it 13. She had 3 major rounds of chemo that caused her to go Code Blue and end up at death's door each time. Yet she fought back..and when she got out, we somehow ended up at Case Park and she always found her strength again until this last time...when it was just too much. But our talk that last time gave her the inner peace to make a very tough decision. A park can be a peaceful place...and can help one to find inner peace and Case Park helped her to find inner peace. And after her passing as I was in a state of mind I wouldn't wish on anyone, I took off driving and I ended up at Case Park...and I went down to the wall and looked out over that view...and then looked up and remembered everything......Thank you for reading this far and for letting me perhaps overshare our story with all of you. As you sit looking out at the view, I hope it brings you the same peace....that it brought to us. 5 Stars, and permanent placement on my Mythical 6th Star List...for places that go beyond the 5 Stars Yelp lets one give. Love ya mom."

Thompson Park

★★★★★ 5 (3)

"This beautiful wooded park located near downtown Overland Park is the location for seasonal events including music in the park on Sundays, concerts in the park every third Friday, movies in the park, and the Overland Park Fall Festival. Features include a beautiful gazebo located near the center of the park, an event stage, a nice sculpture, a drinking fountain, walkways, restrooms, and the Strang Carriage House and Historic Center.The Strang Carriage House has historical artifacts and photos. It is staffed by the Overland Park HIstorical Society. I found the staffer to be helpful and knowledgeable. I learned a lot about my city's history, and have a newfound appreciation for the contributions of William B. Strang, Jr."

Kingston Lake Park

★★★☆☆ 2.7 (3)

"This beautiful park has a fishing lake with three piers, a playground, a sheltered picnic area, a 0.53 mile trail around the lake, and a drinking fountain. Highway 69 is on the east edge of the park, so there is some noise. There were several joggers and walkers, and plenty of geese when I visited."

Creekside Park

★★★★☆ 4 (1)

"Like its adjacent neighbor to the west (Green Meadows Park), you can quickly immerse yourself in nature at this beautiful, nicely maintained park. It is located along a creek in a nice residential area, so the sounds of traffic quickly disappear and are replaced by bird calls.Amenities include a play area with swings and a park bench, a small open area, and a 0.4 mile, nine feet wide, bike/hike trail winding through a wooded area.No dedicated parking was available, but I found parking at the one residential access trailhead on the end of the cul-de-sac near 157th & Reeds.Very nice."

Hidden Valley Park Trail

★★★★☆ 3.5 (2)

"Went up here for a father's day hike. A few things gave us the heebie jeebies. Empty parking lot initially, guy in a minivan came in shortly after us, didn't get out of his car, then left after we armed the car alarm.Trail had some nice views, but wasn't terribly well maintained, lots of erosion, and there were quite a few side trails. Traffic noise was audible occasionally, but not bad.Coming back to the car, 4 guys were standing around it, but they were just looking at it, I guess... Don't think we'll be coming back here."

Mill Creek Streamway Park - Wilder Dr Entrance

★★★☆☆ 2.8 (4)

"Nice trail! We took the dog for a walk around "Nelson Island". The trail follows Mill Creek and meets up with the Kansas River. This spot has open prairie areas and heavily wooded ones. Bring sunscreen and bug spray! We saw lots of turtles, toads, butterflies, and even a snake swimming across the creek. The birds were happily chirping away. Very pretty and relaxing. This is area makes for a great quick getaway from the city. This entrance is the northern most entrance for the trail. There are picnic shelters and a playground available just off the parking lot. A port-a-potty is available, but usually gross, so use the bathroom before you get here."

T B Hanna Station Park

★★★★★ 5 (2)

"This place is awesome and toddler friendly. It's well taken care of and great shady places to hang out while the littles play"

Gillham Park

★★★★☆ 3.6 (15)

"Growing up in Kansas City, three things were absolutes when it came to the holidays. The Plaza Lights would be turned on Thanksgiving night, all KC raised natives would also turn their holiday lights on Thanksgiving night, and Gillham Park would have Santa's Workshop. Gillham was a winter joy. There was a workshop you could go through and see Santa's elves making toys, a big Santa slide, and lot's of other holiday play toys. In the summer there was the pool to play in and lots of open green space to fly kites, play frisbee, or run with your pet dog. That was then. Over the years, Gillham Park, along with the neighborhood, fell on rough times (partially thanks to the murderer Bob Berdella). The park fell into a minor state of disrepair (the city closed the nearest public works outpost that housed the winter toys) and crime crept in. But now, the neighborhood has bounced back from the ravages of the 90s, and Gillham park with it.Gone are the dilapidated bow legged woman and rundown teddy bear. A new state of the art play area has been installed, the grounds cleaned up and all sorts of sports teams (even a kick ball and rugby leagues) play there on the weekends and the pool is back in business during the summer (Tuesday - Friday 1-6, Saturday and Sunday 1 - 5, Closed Monday's for cleaning). The pool has life guards and is still a little rough for wear, but still in great shape for swimmers of all age. It's max depth is 3 feet. There are some dress code issues (Only white t-shirts are allowed into the pool and men must wear swim trunks and not sport or basketball shorts, city rules). A word of warning, take flip flops and be careful on the concrete, It is uncoated and excessively hot to walk on during our Missouri summers.I can't wait for winter and I will update this review for the parks winter festivities."

Maple Woods Natural Area

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"If you're looking for fall leaves then you have found the right place. This natural area is home to small forest of Maple trees. Those Maple trees are at their best from late September through early November, as Kansas City transitions through its seasons.The area is home to a main trail, which is roughly a mile long in distance and has some off shoots, if you have time for a side quest. You'll share these trails with other hikers. Dogs are allowed as long as they're friendly and on a leash. I didn't see any bikes.There is a small parking lot at the entrance. I don't think you'll have any issues finding a spot, but I can see it filling up at peak times."

Prairie Center

★★★★★ 4.5 (11)

"I enjoyed my hike at this 300 acre tallgrass preserve. The preserve features a creek, a small lake, several ponds, a trail system with some nice elevation changes, wooded areas, and a prairie with wildflowers. They also have a dedicated (but unpaved) parking area. Very nice!"

Anita B Gorman Park

★★★★☆ 3.7 (3)

"Very well-manicured and taken care of Park in the Kansas City metro area. They have a tribute to the veterans which is well taken care of and visited often. This is also the location where the fountain is changed different colors for the Royals against the Chiefs. The walking trail has plenty of walking room and with for strollers and pets."

Arno Park

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (7)

"Busy park on Ward Pkwy.Lots of swings and a huge playground, this place gets busy with kiddos on a Saturday morning. We usually walk, but plenty of folks pull up in cars, there's lots of street parking nearby. Also a big grassy field and a water fountain to stay hydrated.This would be a great place to bring a picnic to, as there's lots of shaded seating."

Blue River Parkway Trailhead

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"By far the best unpaved trail in the KC Metro area! Well maintained and sprawling, I believe there are three separate trails, one is paved and is named the Blue River Greenway Trail and then there are (questionably) two unpaved counterparts. One is well marked with the green sign that says "River" but there is another set of signs with blue that read "BOHOCA". Though I am not too sure on what the acronym stands for I did recognize signs before the park entrance that marks these particular trails as historical preservation of the wagon trail, which is pretty neat. The trails are easy to find from the Minor Tennis Courts entrance off of Blue River Parkway however, there are additional trailheads scattered haphazardly on Blue River Parkway which don't have any adequate/viable parking options. There is no master map to denote the start of the trails and I don't believe there are any mile markers either but if you look to the left of the tennis courts there's a small footpath cutting through the grass. It leads to a wonderfully winding dirt trail following a babbling stream with picturesque rocky beaches-the prettiest beaches in Missouri that you'll ever see haha. You have to walk a little ways to find the water but it's not a task, just listen and it presents itself with rocky "stairs" cut into the Earth leading down to its shores, there are multiple points that lead you easily down by the water. Even with wet, sometimes slippery, obstacles the trails are extremely dog friendly, I even noticed horseshoe tracks along the hike so I'm assuming there are stables located somewhere near Minor Park. My little dog had a blast navigating her way across creeks and splashing under tunnel. The hike itself is not challenging with little to no hills or steep inclines however, I could see it being a tad bit confusing if you veered off in different directions but if you pick to the left or to the right and stick with it you should be golden pony boy."

Monticello Spring Park

★★★★★ 5 (1)

"This park is the true definition of "there is more than meets the eye". It is right next to the 3&2 complex fields. Not too small, not too big!Perfect place to watch the sunset, go on a run, have a picnic or play with your little one! There's also a quaint pond with a waterfall in the middle that you can only see if you take a small walk. Honored to be the first to tell you it is hard to resist wanting to discover everything it has to offer!"

Brookside Park

★★★★☆ 4 (1)

"A big ol' green space in Brookside, complete with a baseball diamond, tennis courts, a newly revamped playground, Trolley Trail access and sledding (formerly and inappropriately known as Suicide Hill now Brookside Hill).Like many parks, this one benefits from its location in the neighborhood, and is easy to walk to for thousands of homes nearby. It is, in my opinion, not a destination park like Loose Park or Westwood Park are for many. The playground up at the top of the hill has been redone and it's pretty nice; sandbox, slides, a spinner, and pretty traditional things to do for the kids. There's nothing to climb if you have an adventurous kiddo, but plenty of other fun things.In the winter, this is *the* sledding hill for the area, and although it's been many years, I have good memories of this one. This summer season, Wild Way Coffee is setting up on Sunday mornings right by this park which is nice, and it's good to have some green space for the dogs and kids to run."

Westwood Park

★★★★☆ 4.3 (10)

"There are so many nice parks in this area and I believe that this is one of the top 3 to 4 parks in the midtown area! So close to everything you can work out near here you can relax here and have a party here and walk your dog off leash here pretty much do whatever you want that break the law!anyway try it if you ever want to go to a park; and, I hear during the winter time there's a huge hill you can sled down:) actually as a young child I used to go sledding down that hill every time it snowed;)"

Charles J Stump Memorial Park

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (6)

"This park is very close to home and convenient! Great for running when there's no soccer games. Parking can get little crazy when there's team sporting events. Beautiful, clean and well maintained."