Cliff Drive

I love Cliff drive! It's one of the most beautiful places in the metro to go for a walk surrounded by limestone bluffs and woods! Dropped a star because the park isn't maintained as well as it should be.

Growing up in these part of the neighborhood, I cherished the memories made here from good and bad. You can tell that a lot has happened here and over time, it's still standing. Although they used to open to cars driving through it, they don't do that now only when they have like Xmas lights for a cost. Nowadays, it's for bikers, walkers, climbers, disc golfers, and runners to enjoyed. It's a beautiful scenic road and there's also a waterfall fountain. It's sometimes on or off. But when it is on, it's beautiful and relaxing to listen and watch. One thing I don't like is how people can trash this park. If you're lucky, sometimes you can see a herd of goats. Don't be alarmed. They are there to eat the invasive plant/weeds that need to go. I like biking here in the spring or fall because it's so cool and gives of the best views overlooking at the Missouri River. Enjoy and be safe.

Five stars for the beautiful Cliff Drive, one star for the people who lob bags of garbage in and around it. I have to say it's really shitty for people to trash a scenic, beautiful place like this and I thank the groups who are making efforts to curb this. It's a historic, unique stretch and I'm not about to let some of that other stuff ruin it for me and anyone else who loves areas like this.My yearly trip to Cliff Drive comes with the Cliffhanger 8K run in the fall, which is the optimum time to see Cliff Drive. There are countless trees, waterfalls, and an overall sense that you're somewhere way far away. I love the proximity of this spot to the city in general, as well as all the cool surrounding neighborhoods. Now I gotta shoot straight (and hope some of the people down here don't). It isn't the safest place in town and I come down here sparingly because of it. It is what it is, but don't let that stop you from a Saturday morning run or bike ride through here sometime, it's certainly worth it.

One of my favorite places to run in the KC metro. Road is blocked off from vehicular traffic, so the only "traffic" you encounter are bikers, runners, walkers, etc. The only reason I rate this a 4/5 instead 5/5 is due to the occasional drainage problems in certain areas along the route. After heavy rains, there's quite a few areas of large puddles and slick residue on the road that make it a bit of an obstacle.

As others before me have mentioned, this park is a hidden gem in Kansas City. I'm guessing most people do not venture to northeast KCMO much and it's time that you do! It looks like one lane is closed off for bikes and pedestrian traffic during the weekday and the entire drive is closed to traffic during the weekend. This is a gorgeous park to go for a bike ride or walk. Very well maintained roads, winding roads, and nature all around. Check out the Pendleton Heights neighborhood while you there. The beautiful old mansions (that need some TLC) flank wide tree lined boulevards.

Cliff Drive is about to go car-less for the warm season, and it is time to give it props. Bike riders and walkers have a paradise on this terrace overlooking the Missouri flood plains. Views beyond Worlds of Fun and Parkville. Industrial facilities, too... if that is your thing. : )West to east there are entry points at:The Paseo basically turns into Cliff drive.Lexington Avenue out of Maple Park I do not recommend leaving your car at this end of the drive though. It is a sketchy neighborhood : (East Reservoir DriveCliff Drive Access Rd out of Kansas City Museum [otherwise known as the Gooseneck due to its steepness and curve at the top.Gladstone Blvd between Scarritt Point and North Indian Mound.Keep in mind there is no parking inside the gates of these entry points. It is mostly street parking but it is plentiful.Enjoy the wooded paradise and waterfalls in the city. AND STAY TO YOUR RIGHT SIDE FOR GOD'S SAKE... this is a road and bikers go about 10 times faster than walkers. Nobody comes here for a collision! : )

Since my last review, a team of dedicated volunteers has poured hours into the Cliff Drive area adding mountain biking trails to the list of amenities. Definitely enough to get a good ride or hike in, they're a great addition to this area. There is a dedicated group of volunteers that love Cliff Drive and are continuing to do great things to maintain it as an amenity. Now, more than ever, GO enjoy this unique spot that most cities can't claim anything like.

Behold! In a city that sometimes seems outright hostile to bicycles, we give you Cliff Drive! A Gorgeous scenic that is much more "ride through the countryside" than it is "inner city park." And on the weekends, it's totally car free!At a touch over 4 miles, this is a pretty nice bike ride. Plenty of views of the river and trees and nature-type stuff. It's got hills, for sure, but nothing too extreme. There's a waterfall and a couple of park areas that are handy for stopping to take a breather. Unfortunately, these can get a bit littered and junky. What can you do? These are the times in which we live. Further, the neighborhood is a BIT sketch, so I wouldn't leave anything too valuable sitting out in your car. That being said, don't let me scare you off. This is a great ride, and a lot of fun!

Kansas City is an ideal spot for someone with an overactive imagination. There are many evocative old neighborhoods and suggestive settings to lose oneself in. Cliff Drive is one such corner of the city. Built between 1895 and 1915, it is the only urban scenic byway in the state of Missouri and passes through some of KC's oldest parkland. Early Kansas City was a muddy, roughhewn mess. Poor and wealthy residents alike felt the need for parks and orderly neighborhoods. Kansas City Star newspaper baron, William Rockhill Nelson, wrote "Kansas City needs good streets, good sidewalks, good sewers, decent public buildings...and many other things." The construction of scenic Cliff Drive was part of a grand attempt to bring beautiful parks, boulevards and neighborhoods to seedy Kansas City. Ironically, Cliff Drive today runs through the blighted and notoriously seedy Historic Northeast. The long neglected area is admittedly undergoing a renaissance, and many of the magnificent mansions are being restored with tender loving care and pride of ownership. With that said, I would not walk the streets there after dark and never alone. I was even nervous about hiking Cliff Drive on a sunny Saturday afternoon with my husband and kids, because most of it passes through heavily wooded, isolated terrain. Cars are forbidden on the weekends so that pedestrians and cyclists can enjoy the road. I tried unsuccessfully to convince a burly friend to accompany us. He my husband had a good laugh about my suburbanite anxiety and no doubt told all of our mutual friends that I think outlaws and highwaymen (in the vein of RobinHood) are going to pop out of the woods along Cliff Drive. My unease turned out to be a non-issue, because when we started down the steep grade near Scarritt Point, we realized that we would never be able to push our heavy double stroller back up again. So, we agreed to return on a weekday when cars are allowed and drive the route instead. The neighborhood at the Gladstone Blvd entrance (near the Kansas City Museum) is ripe for a weekend stroll, even if you don't venture down onto Cliff Drive. Read more about Cliff Drive & the historic Northeast on my Tumblr blog, The Family Unit (see Profile for link)

KC's Historic Cliff drive. You can feel the history surrounding this place. From the mansions on Gladstone blvd to the Colonade built in 1908 this place must have been magnificent in its heyday. But time has not been kind to this area. Hopefully my pictures provide some guidance. There is a previous comment about the neigborhood being "sketch" and i cannot deny that statement. Do not go here after dark and be careful where you leave your car and whats visible. Several homeless and occassional homeless camp. Now that all the bad is out lets talk the good. If you ride bikes you will like. Great, well maintained trails and roadway where no cars are allowed. It's a nice bit of nature in the heart of the city. My hope is that one day the city of KC sees the diamond in the rough that is Cliff drive and makes it THE destination it deserves to be.