Find the top rated trails in Independence, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Lackman Road Path begins across from Swarner Park, where you'll find a number of recreational amenities, including sports fields, a playground, fishing pond, and skate park. From there, you head south...
Paralleling Turkey Creek from the Waterfall Park north of Kansas City for nearly four miles south to downtown Kansas City, the Turkey Creek Streamway Trail provides useful connections to a number of...
The Monticello Road Path offers a paved north-south route through Shawnee on the western outskirts of Kansas City. It connects shopping areas, housing subdivisions and schools. At the north end of...
The Eastbrooke Trail forms a useful link between the city of Olathe's 133rd Street Path and the lengthy regional backbone, the Indian Creek Bike/Hike Trail. This paved, short trail serves as a nice...
Passing through the suburban community of Olathe, the W. Santa Fe Street Path is a sidepath that parallels W. Santa Fe Street. The path connects residential neighborhoods, commercial centers,...
Blackfish Parkway Trail lies in the southwestern corner of Shawnee, a suburb of Kansas City. Although the trail follows a major roadway, much of the route is lined with mature trees and nice homes....
Though it exists in three disconnected sections, the Prairie Star Parkway Path is an excellent resource for the western side of the suburban community of Lenexa. The asphalt trail is a sidepath to the...
The Indian Creek Bike/Hike Trail links two states, four communities and a multitude of parks along Indian Creek. The trail provides numerous connections to the surrounding areas, making it an...
The Gardner Road Trail parallels S. Gardner Road on the southern side of Gardner, Kansas. The sidepath travels through a low density suburban community and connects residences with parks and religious...
Note: A portion of the trail between Troost and Woodland Avenues has been closed since 2012 due to the presence of a small sinkhole. Trail users should take 85th Street as a detour. Refer to the...
The Olathe Heritage Trail provides an off-road connection between two popular local parks, making this a surprisingly useful and rather scenic trail considering its length and suburban...
Although short, the Route 152 Trail is an important connector in Kansas City. The paved pathway begins at Line Creek Trail and heads west, paralleling its namesake roadway across town. Despite its...
Note: The eastern third of the trail, from the access point at Horizons Parkway to the end of the trail, is currently closed (as of June 2016) due to bridge construction. Check the City of Riverside's...
As a side path to a busy thoroughfare, the 20th Street Trafficway Path provides both an excellent recreational opportunity for the surrounding communities and a safe commuting alternative for...
The Gardner Greenway Corridor is a paved trail connecting Winwood Park and Brookside Park in Gardner, Kansas. The trail runs through open space alongside dense woodlands within the two parks. The...
The Riverfront Heritage Trail is located in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri. This downtown trail showcases the city’s heritage, as well as its continuously redeveloping downtown areas. The trail...
The S. Lawrence Trafficway Trail loosely follows the S. Lawrence Trafficway—also known as State Route 10—on the outskirts of the city of Lawrence. The trail passes by new residential developments,...
Paralleling Blackbob Road through the community of Olathe, just outside of Kansas City, the Blackbob Road Trail is a great opportunity for local trail users. The path connects nearby homes to schools,...
Inside of Lee's Summit's Community Park, the Legacy Park Trail is a family oriented destination with an abundance of activities available. Sitting on 692 acres, the park host many youth sports games,...
The Burroughs Creek Trail and Linear Park runs from 11th to 23rd streets along an abandoned rail corridor just west of Haskell Avenue in Lawrence, Kansas. The trail was made possible through the work...
Paralleling Blackbob Road through the community of Olathe, just outside of Kansas City, the Blackbob Road Trail is a great opportunity for local trail users. The path connects nearby homes to schools,...
The 95th Street Path is a paved, half-mile route through Lenexa, part of the Kansas City metro area. The trail is separated from the roadway by a wide grassy median and is surrounded by residences on...
The Blue River Parkway Trail winds along both banks of its namesake river on the southern outskirts of Kansas City. The paved route begins in Minor Park and heads north, passing Alex George Lake and...
The Rock Island Spur of Katy Trail State Park travels just over 46 miles through woodlands, wetlands, and bucolic fields nestled in the foothills of the Ozarks. At either end are two towns full of...
The 6th Street Path runs along W. 6th Street—also signed as US 40—in Lawrence. The side path provides safe access to residential and commercial facilities along the busy road. At its western end, the...
The 159th Street Path unsurprisingly parallels W. 159th St. in Olathe. The trail provides access to commercial, industrial and residential facilities, as well as Chisholm Trail Middle School and the...
Note: The eastern third of the trail, from the access point at Horizons Parkway to the end of the trail, is currently closed (as of June 2016) due to bridge construction. Check the City of Riverside's...
The Burroughs Creek Trail and Linear Park runs from 11th to 23rd streets along an abandoned rail corridor just west of Haskell Avenue in Lawrence, Kansas. The trail was made possible through the work...
Watkins Mill State Park, located on the outskirts of Kansas City, is a forested area featuring a 100-acre lake. Here, whitetail deer, wild turkeys and other birds and wildlife are abundant. A walking...
As you might imagine, the 151st Street Path is a sidepath along 151st Street though Olathe and Overland Park outside Kansas City. The path provides access to commercial centers, schools, parks,...
Although short, the Route 152 Trail is an important connector in Kansas City. The paved pathway begins at Line Creek Trail and heads west, paralleling its namesake roadway across town. Despite its...
Inside of Lee's Summit's Community Park, the Legacy Park Trail is a family oriented destination with an abundance of activities available. Sitting on 692 acres, the park host many youth sports games,...
The 143rd Street Path is a sidepath along W. 143rd Street in Overland Park. The trail offers access to the surrounding residential communities as well as nearby schools, religious faclities and...
The four disconnected sections of the 133rd Street Path run though the communities of Olathe, Overland Park and Leawood outside Kansas City. The trail parallels sections of 133rd and 132nd Streets,...
Although only a mile long, the 79th Street Path connects important recreational amenities in Lenexa, a southwestern suburb of Kansas City. The paved, east-west route parallels its namesake roadway...
As a side path to a busy thoroughfare, the 20th Street Trafficway Path provides both an excellent recreational opportunity for the surrounding communities and a safe commuting alternative for...
The Eastbrooke Trail forms a useful link between the city of Olathe's 133rd Street Path and the lengthy regional backbone, the Indian Creek Bike/Hike Trail. This paved, short trail serves as a nice...
Lackman Road Path begins across from Swarner Park, where you'll find a number of recreational amenities, including sports fields, a playground, fishing pond, and skate park. From there, you head south...
Maurer Road Path parallels its namesake roadway for just over a mile in the city of Shawnee on the outskirts of Kansas City. The north-south route connects residential and shopping areas and, at its...
Situated within Shawnee Mission Park in Lenexa, the SMP Paved Trail offers a pleasant way for park visitors to experience the surrounding beauty without their car. The trail provides access to many of...
Nestled within the suburban landscape outside Platte City, the Prairie Creek Greenway offers an escape into nature as it runs through fields and forests and across the titular creek. The trail gives...
The Little Mill Creek Trail offers a pleasant, woodsy route through Lenexa, about 14 miles southwest of Kansas City. The trail begins at Blackfish Parkway (along which you can hop on the Blackfish...
Although only a mile long, the 79th Street Path connects important recreational amenities in Lenexa, a southwestern suburb of Kansas City. The paved, east-west route parallels its namesake roadway...
The Nall Avenue Path is a paved sidepath along Nall Avenue, its namesake. The path offers connections to the residents of the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, providing access to apartments,...
The four disconnected sections of the 133rd Street Path run though the communities of Olathe, Overland Park and Leawood outside Kansas City. The trail parallels sections of 133rd and 132nd Streets,...
Blackfish Parkway Trail lies in the southwestern corner of Shawnee, a suburb of Kansas City. Although the trail follows a major roadway, much of the route is lined with mature trees and nice homes....
The 6th Street Path runs along W. 6th Street—also signed as US 40—in Lawrence. The side path provides safe access to residential and commercial facilities along the busy road. At its western end, the...
The S. Lawrence Trafficway Trail loosely follows the S. Lawrence Trafficway—also known as State Route 10—on the outskirts of the city of Lawrence. The trail passes by new residential developments,...
The Shawnee Mission Parkway Trail runs for 2 miles along the south side of the roadway. While not scenic, the paved route offers connections to restaurants, shops, and offices in Merriam, a...
Passing through the suburban community of Olathe, the W. Santa Fe Street Path is a sidepath that parallels W. Santa Fe Street. The path connects residential neighborhoods, commercial centers,...
Paralleling W. Madison Street, the Madison Street Trail is a sidepath that provides access between nearby residences and public facilities. Gardner Edgerton High School is located near the western end...
Located outside of bustling Kansas City, this beautiful, partially paved, 15-mile riverside pathway is a favorite for locals and visitors alike. Unlike many of the rural trails that you find in...
The Haskell Rail-Trail, billed as the ‘first operational rail-trail in Kansas’, spans the eastern edge of the campus of Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence. In the north, the trail connects...
Note: A portion of the trail between Troost and Woodland Avenues has been closed since 2012 due to the presence of a small sinkhole. Trail users should take 85th Street as a detour. Refer to the...
Although short, this paved half-mile trail provides connections to three parks, as well as a unique attraction in northern Independence. On the northern end of the trail sits Mill Creek Park, which...
The Olathe Heritage Trail provides an off-road connection between two popular local parks, making this a surprisingly useful and rather scenic trail considering its length and suburban...
The Gardner Greenway Corridor is a paved trail connecting Winwood Park and Brookside Park in Gardner, Kansas. The trail runs through open space alongside dense woodlands within the two parks. The...
The Clinton Parkway Trail parallels Clinton Parkway on the southwest side of Lawrence, Kansas. The trail provides access for nearby residents to a number of community facilities and commercial...
Winding nearly two miles through suburban Olathe, the Mahaffie Creek Trail offers connections to the beautiful Mill Creek Streamway Park, schools and the city's northern neighborhoods. Much of the...
Though it exists in three disconnected sections, the Prairie Star Parkway Path is an excellent resource for the western side of the suburban community of Lenexa. The asphalt trail is a sidepath to the...
We just covered the 170 miles of Katy Trail & (new) Rock Island spur that took us Jefferson City to Lee’s Summit over 3 days. I’ll offer some insights and details for you to use if you want to repeat it.
We are 4 old guys in our mid-60’s to early 70’s who ride frequently, but are just average riders. We have touring bikes and cross bikes. All with a rear wheel rack and light luggage to carry a change to street clothes and any extra bike gear. We had 32 mm tires (which are perfect) and our lightest member had 28 mm and did fine. We comfortably ride at 12 mph on the trail, but with stops, average about 10 mph.
Along the trail we met couples from England, Ohio, Colorado and a lady from California who all had made riding the Katy Trail a destination vacation. Some were going a very leisurely 35 miles a day.
Amtrak:
Start point for us was Jefferson City Amtrak station. 2 of us drove a car from St. Louis and parked it at the station. The other 2 took the morning train from Lee’s Summit and left our cars there. The St. Louis guys bought a one-way afternoon ticket back from Lee’s Summit to Jefferson City for 3 days later. We all arrived at noon in Jefferson City.
Getting on the Amtrak train with your bike is easy. You leave your luggage on the bike if you can physically hoist it up the stairs. As you stand on the station platform, the conductor will point you to the car you will be getting on and where to put your bike once on the train. - They only have room for 4 bikes on the train, so you need to buy your ticket for you and your bike well in advance as a first step to make this trip. - The bikes are parked side by side behind some seats on a coach car. – When you get to the destination station, you should be ready to move with your bike in advance of the stop. The conductor will usually offer to stand at the bottom of the steps and take the front of your bike as you descend the stairs carrying the back. – They leave the restroom open at Jefferson City station, but we all arrived dressed to ride.
Day One – 53 miles to Boonville
We grabbed a quick bite to eat and a beer at “Arris’ Pizza” on High Street at the top of the hill above the Jefferson City Amtrak. It’s across the street from the capitol.
We rode northwest on High a couple of blocks, then down the ramp past Mulberry, turned right on Missouri and then left on Main. When you get to Clay (just before the highway), you will see the “Pat Jones bike path” on the right, that takes you on the bridge across the Missouri River and puts you on the path to the Katy Trailhead.
We went left or west on the Katy Trail. That’s milepost 143. - Our first stop was “Coopers Landing” at milepost 163.5. This is campground and restaurant on the river bank. It’s a wooded area near houses on stilts. Some of the campers are long-term, living in houseboats on blocks. It’s a great place to grab a beer on their back deck on the river bank. - Our next stop was Rocheport at milepost 178 where we stopped at the “General Store” located at the far end of town and just a couple of blocks off the trail. We had another round of beers and some chips. – Then we set off for the “Hotel Frederick” in Boonville which is milepost 191. The Frederick is located at the south end of the bridge over the Missouri River so is convenient and easy to find. They lock your bikes in a basement room that is accessed off the street. In the morning, they will loan you a pump for your tires. – It’s a historic hotel which has been restored. We stayed in a couple of suites that had twin queen beds and two daybeds. They showers were terrific and the beds were very comfortable. They have a great restaurant in the lobby called “The Fred” which was very good. We had a round of beers in the pub room and then ate dinner on a second story outdoor patio that overlooked the bridge.
Only word of warning is to pace yourself to get off the trail before sunset. Since we started at noon in Jefferson City and ate first, we arrived at 6:30 with a 7:15 sunset.
Day Two – 57 miles to Windsor
The path to the Katy Trail begins on the far side of the street from the Frederick Hotel. - There is a 12 mile climb up a grade out of Boonville to Pilot Grove. It’s only a 220 foot climb, but you know it’s uphill. – Pilot Grove at milepost 203 is the last source of water before Sedalia 24 miles later, so be sure to fill up. – There is another uphill grade the last miles into Sedalia.
You travel on well-marked streets a couple of miles to get into Sedalia and return to the actual trail. We were tired from the ride in 90 degree heat. A block after you pass the big cemetery, there is a little Mexican restaurant called “Tacos Santa Cruz”. We ducked in there for some fruit drinks, tacos and tamales.
The Katy Trail continues at its old depot. One of our bikes had a broken shifter cable on the rear derailer. There is a great bike shop “Champion Bicycles” in the depot that set to work on the bike repair as we waited. Unlike my friends, I was “popped” from the ride and my friends were having to repeatedly wait for me. I asked the bike shop about a shuttle service for the next 19 miles to Windsor. The bike shop gave me the number of a lady named Laura who will haul up to 4 bikes and riders for $1/mile/round trip distance. I did that and it cost me $60 with tip.
Windsor
Windsor is enjoying an increase of business activity because of the junction of the Katy Trail and the new Rock Island spur trail. Its milepost 248 on the Katy. We stayed at “Kim’s Cabins” which are brand new cabins featuring twin queen beds and a pullout coach. The showers have terrific water pressure. However, they don’t have TV’s, but do have a complete kitchen. You can get to Kim’s Cabins off a short access trail that is just south of the junction of the two trails. Kim's gives you access to a locking shed to stow your bikes overnight. – As the advance party, I got some beers at “G&L Package Liquor” southeast of the main intersection in town. – We had a terrific Mexican dinner at “Cinco De Mayo” which is next to G&L Liquor. You can get a beer there, too. Getting home from there is very easy on a bike, you go one block to the northeast to Florence, turn left and coast downhill back to Kim’s Cabins.
Day Three – 60 miles to Lee’s Summit (sort of)
Overnight a thunderstorm poured rain and it was continuing when we woke up. In a break in the rain we walked a few blocks over to a breakfast/lunch diner called the “Sidetrack Café”. (Google Maps still has it under the old owners “Nita’s”.) This place has a great breakfast menu and I recommend it. It was a Sunday at 7:30 AM and the place was full of older gentlemen who were the informal chamber of commerce. We were alien bicyclists and so we had a good time talking to them.
The weather radar had storms continuing to pound the area for the foreseeable future and two of our group needed to catch that train in Lee’s Summit at 4:30 PM. We couldn’t wait it out and it was miserable biking weather with lightening. From Kim’s Cabins, I called back the Sidetrack Café and identified myself as a bicyclist who was just there. I asked the waitress on the phone to ask the group of men in the place if any of them had a pickup truck and would be willing to take all 4 of us to Chilhowee, 20 miles up the Rock Island Spur for $50. We had several takers, but none had a club cab to haul us 4 passengers. The waitress offered that she had a pickup with a club cab and would if we could do it fast enough for her to get back for the church crowd. – So that worked great and turned out to be a terrific strategic move. We ended up getting to the train just one hour before the departure.
The prior posts talk of the trail bed problems just east of Chilhowee and we skipped over that with our truck ride. We also were prepared for no water access until Pleasant Hill in 28 miles. We put water bottles in our luggage and back pockets to supplement the water in the bike bottles. The trail is beautiful and mostly a tunnel of trees. The trail was finished at the very beginning of 2017 and it has low spots and washout areas that are soft spots, but overall we found the trail to be in good shape, especially considering after a heavy rain. We quickly rode out of the rain and into sunny weather. – At the end of the trail, we exited onto a path to the right and it took us to a road. We turned left and then left again onto Hwy 58/First Street that took us ¼ mile into town. The road delivers you to the front door of “Big Creek Café”, which is a great place for a hearty lunch.
Directions to safely get to Amtrak in Lee’s Summit (15 miles – 90 minutes ride):
*From Big Creek Café go NE ½ block across tracks to Broadway.
*Turn left and go ½ block to Cedar – You will then see an entrance to a bike path to your left.
*The path runs for 2.2 miles. – Parts of it have soft silt/sand and puddles that bog your tires, so be careful.
*Path crosses 175th Street and ends at 167th and Smart (gravel road). Go straight ahead north onto Smart and climb the gentle grade.
* In less than ¼ mile, bear right at fork to stay on Smart.
*Smart will zig zag to the left twice over the next mile and half, then it continues straight north and finally becomes a paved road.
*Cross 150 Highway and continue on Smart one mile after crossing 150 Highway.
*Turn left on Browning (paved) at bottom of a hill and go into woods.
*After 2.1 miles turn right on Ronson.
*Continue on Ronson and cross 50 Highway on overpass bike path. Road become Todd George Parkway.
*Get on bike path on east side of road and continue north for about a mile to the light a Langsford.
*Turn left on Langsford and ride in street one mile to Highway 291.
*Continue across Highway 291 and road becomes 2nd street. We got on the protected sidewalk where 2nd bends to left and then re-entered the street in a bike lane after that bend to the left. (The street reduces traffic to a single lane while it goes through that bend to left.)
*After ¾ mile you will see the rail road overpass over 2nd Street. Turn left just before the overpass onto SE Main Street. There is a restaurant/pub there called “The Peanut”. You can change out of your bike clothes in the bathroom and have something to eat and drink as you wait for the 4:30 PM train. The actual train station platform is across the street, but you have to go south ½ block and go around the fence to get to the station platform. It’s on the other side of the caboose. Be ready for the train a few minutes early.
While this trail may not be remarkable in any particular way it was fairly well maintained, nice rolling hills, shaded much of the way by the tree canopy, and perfect for a morning run. While it was not outstanding in any particular way it was free of litter, safe, and a great location on my morning commute for a work out. I gave it 3 stars initially but updated it to 4.
Plenty of shade, a little forest, a little city, a nice stream to ride alongside. Benches and parks if you want to stop and rest or let the kids play. Pretty flat. Super relaxing. I love it.
It's not 10 miles though. Not sure where they got that number. Riding it round trip, 75th St. to the end and back to 75th is more like 7.5-8 miles. Still a great ride.
Not a lot of bathrooms on the trail, but you ride right by a Sonic on the north end, a Wendy's on the south end, and there's a Phillips 66 just up from where you cross 67th St.
We sailed through the hot sun completing 98.6 miles which was intenseeeeeeee. We camped at Pleasant Hill City Lake which was lovely and started in Pleasant Hill early morning biking from there to Windsor and back. Loose gravel most of the way with a packed edge to it except for three or so miles from Chilhowee towards Leeton. Those three or so miles were very loose gravel which we came to say was "that hellish part." Hopefully, it gets more redone as years go by in that section. Nice wide spread to bike on for the whole trail with little ponds here and there.
Our intentions were only to go to Chilhowee and back but we felt that sense we could do the long haul. One of our group headed back at Chilhowee hanging with a cool crew of a German long distancer and two men with a small dog. It's that way on these trails although VERY little people were seen. We saw a total of maybe 5 bikers the entire day although the heat may have scared off a few.
We started at 7:30am and ended at 10:00pm. We did have an hour eating and napping at Windsor which was lovely and stopped both ways at the store in Chilhowee. You MUST stop at this cute rural mecca with a homegrown feel and easy to get tire tubes and a hot meal if needed(no hot food Sunday). Such nice folks too and a little room to eat and get air conditioning if needed. Needing water is a really big deal as this trail is pretty non established in terms of little stores and such. On this trail you can get water in Chilhowee and that's pretty much it unless you ask at farmhouses or go into the small towns more than a few miles off trail.
However, beautiful corridor of trees, fields and fields of corn, and the beauty of friends, the sun as it rose and set and sounds of nature.
Awesome!
I rode the part of the trail from Pickett Road to the Noyes parkway by the rec center and back. The ride was very enjoyable and staff at Rec center was very friendly allowed me to get some water and fill my bottles. great section for new riders.
We rode from the Medford Trailhead west for about 8 miles and back on 6/26/17. The trail was in fantastic shape and we enjoyed riding past Rock Island Lake where the locomotives used to refill their boilers.
We got caught in a torrential downpour for the last 3+ miles on our way back to the car. Although it didn't make for the best ending to a great ride, we were very impressed at how the trail maintained its integrity during such heavy rain.
We can't wait to go back and ride other sections of this trail.
I have ridden this trail a lot. It crosses many streets so you have to be very careful when riding it. Also there are numerous businesses that have driveways exiting onto 151st St and drivers have a tendency to only look eastward for oncoming traffick. I have had a few motorists come very close to hitting me when I was riding east on the path because the motorist didn't pay attention to bikes on trail.
Rode this and enjoyed even though there are several steep grades. Flowers in bloom and cows in the pasture to see. Many families out and dog walkers so be considerate.
We rode the Western 10 miles out of Pleasant Hill and found the trail to be in excellent condition. The scenery is excellent and the getting out of the city/suburban setting is really there. Great job Missouri!
Kids really loved it! Lack of bathrooms is an issue if you have kids though
I ride fairly regularly, rode one longer ride from Pleasant Hill to Windsor then on to Sedalia on the Katy. PH to Windsor was about 46 miles, total to Sedalia was about 70 to the Amtrak station.
There was about a 6 mile stretch near Chilhowee that had larger rocks, was a bit of a pain. I've heard they have rectified that, now smaller rock, but haven't ridden that far again to verify.
Other than that small stretch, a great trail. The only reason I didn't give 5 stars is the relative lack of water and restrooms. The Katy has nice water stops in many areas. Not much water on the Rock Island, and it's pretty far from Pleasant Hill until you get to a store, i.e. Chilhowee or Leeton. Make sure to take water with you.
Pleasant Hill PD was very kind, let me park my car overnight in their lot. I took the Amtrak back home from Sedalia to Lee's Summit, then caught an Uber to PH the next day to retrieve my car.
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