Explore the best rated trails in North Kansas City, MO. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Burroughs Creek Trail and Linear Park and Kill Creek Streamway Trail . With more than 62 trails covering 432 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
_0_st.jpg)
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...
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...
Located along the north bank of the Kansas River, the Lawrence Levee Trail runs along the top of the flood-control levee on the outskirts of Lawrence. The trail offers views of nearby farmland and the...
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,...
_103731_sc.jpg)
The Rock Creek Trail links Country Club Park and Rotary Park on the west side of Independence. It offers nice views of the tree-lined creek that it follows and crosses several times. Between the...
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 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...
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 Gary L. Haller Trail lies within scenic Mill Creek Streamway Park. Although the trail was not built on a former railroad, it parallels an active rail line for about 6 miles of its length at its...
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...
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...
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...
The Southern Platte Trail is a hard surface, shared use path in the Kansas City metro area, Missouri. The trail begins in the City of Parkville, and then sandwiches SR 45 as it heads east into Kansas...
The Center Street Trail is little more than a sidepath paralleling N. Center Street in the community of Gardner. The trail provides recreation and transportation opportunities to the residents of...
The Switzer Road Trail parallels Switzer Road in Overland Park. The sidepath connects to the 133rd Street Path, 143rd Street Path, 151st Street Path and Tomahawk Creek Trail, making it an important...
Pedestrians and cyclists alike can take advantage of these 3.4 miles of smooth asphalt trail for exercise in a calm outdoor setting. The trail sits within a greenway along Coffee Creek and winds...
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...
_0_sc.jpg)
The Brush Creek Trail offers a serene and scenic walking and biking experience in southeast Kansas City. The concrete greenway occupies both the north and south banks of Brush Creek, which was...
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 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...
Although short, the Route 152 Trail is an important connector in Kansas City. The paved pathway begins at 88th and Madison and intersects with the Line Creek Trail as it heads west, paralleling its...
Located along the north bank of the Kansas River, the Lawrence Levee Trail runs along the top of the flood-control levee on the outskirts of Lawrence. The trail offers views of nearby farmland and the...
_0_sc.jpg)
The Highline Trail is only 0.7 miles, running from State Route YY southwest to Main Street. This short and easy walk, ride or roll was built on a former railroad bed, likely that of the Frisco...
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...
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,...
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...
In 2018, this 117-mile rail-trail across northeast Kansas officially became a state park. Formally known as the Flint Hills Nature Trail, the trail's new name is Flint Hills Trail State Park. It links...
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 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 St. Joseph Riverwalk, sometimes referred to as the Riverfront Trail, hugs the eastern bank of the Missouri River in this northwestern Missouri community. The paved pathway spans just over two...
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...
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...
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...
Running from the small town of Weston to the nearby Weston Bend State Park, the Weston Bluffs Trail provides a safe and scenic means for park visitors to visit the quaint town, and for town residents...
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,...
The Switzer Road Trail parallels Switzer Road in Overland Park. The sidepath connects to the 133rd Street Path, 143rd Street Path, 151st Street Path and Tomahawk Creek Trail, making it an important...
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...
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...
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 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,...
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...
Running from the small town of Weston to the nearby Weston Bend State Park, the Weston Bluffs Trail provides a safe and scenic means for park visitors to visit the quaint town, and for town residents...
The Brush Creek Trail offers a serene and scenic walking and biking experience in southeast Kansas City. The concrete greenway occupies both the north and south banks of Brush Creek, which was...
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...
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 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...
_147088_sc.jpg)
The Urban Trail system in St. Joseph is a suburban jewel, with lush, green scenery along most of its route. The system branches off in several directions, offering a number of customizable routes for...
The Gary L. Haller Trail lies within scenic Mill Creek Streamway Park. Although the trail was not built on a former railroad, it parallels an active rail line for about 6 miles of its length at its...
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,...
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...
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...
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 St. Joseph Riverwalk, sometimes referred to as the Riverfront Trail, hugs the eastern bank of the Missouri River in this northwestern Missouri community. The paved pathway spans just over two...
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...
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 Center Street Trail is little more than a sidepath paralleling N. Center Street in the community of Gardner. The trail provides recreation and transportation opportunities to the residents of...
The Rolling Ridge Trail winds through the city of Olathe on the southwestern outskirts of Kansas City. At its northern end, the paved route provides access to Prairie Center Park, a 75-acre...
The Highline Trail is only 0.7 miles, running from State Route YY southwest to Main Street. This short and easy walk, ride or roll was built on a former railroad bed, likely that of the Frisco...
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...
Pleasant Hill to 1 hour and back. Nice trail with normal overhead canopy debris here and there. Very smooth concrete bridges. Some short washed out sections repaired with larger loose gravel not yet compacted. Very monotonous compared to some other rail trails , but good for conversation. Averaged 13-17mph. The highlight of the day trip was the Wyoming Street Wine Stop after the ride.
Newly completed in 2018, this trail is in great condition, and services continue to be added (such as bathroom facilities at the Heritage Park trailhead). I look forward to the future completion of this trail past Switzer, along Coffee Creek!
Very Scenic trail, very well maintained. Can not wait to see it this fall.
Have walked this trail from 114th st and Mill view to Nelson’s Island and back. It seems that it’s more catered to the cyclist, and For the most part most of them are respectful there are those few who blow passed you without warning and then complain that you didn’t move out of their way. Either way great trail an I love walking it, cannot wait to see the trail in fall colors.
The first half mile of the trail is by far the best, aside from that it’s an easy trail to walk.
This is a lovely trail. I camped at Vassar Lake for a few nights and rode sections out and back each day between Council Grove and Osawatomie. Trail conditions were great for a gravel, mountain or touring bike. There are a few rough bridges, and a few patches of ballast or deep sand, but nothing that will ruin your day. My first morning I followed a coyote following a turkey for the better part of a mile. In Ottawa you can also connect to the Prairie Spirit trail, which is also nice.
This trail is not ready for prime-time.
Unlike the R-Ts that I've done (GAP, Katy, Mickelson), there are no dedicated services such as water (cisterns or pumps), bathrooms or portapotties, no mileage signage, not even signs identifying towns at crossroads. Essentially NO SERVICES. I did count four (I think) benches on the 103 miles we rode. Though I have been told this will change quickly since the State has recently taken over the trail, about a quarter of it is virtually impassable due to inappropriate maintenance, if any. That's from about five miles east of Council Grove on and off to Osage City. 2-4 inch ballast rocks are dumped on the trail without grading or filling, no gravel for miles (just dirt jeep trail), no side rails on unimproved bridges (dangerous), grading done in wet weather where the grader tread tracks have become miles of almost-highway rumble strips and, finally, trash heaps along side the trail.. A terrible riding experience. Add to that an approximate three mile detour just west of Ottawa on yucky gravel county roads (not marked on any - including TrailNet - maps, but clearly a long-term function of the trail).
Now, from Osage City east to Osawatomie is from passable to good enough, mostly on the positive side of that spectrum.
BUT, the people we met were all wonderful, great experiences at every interaction. The Cottage House in Council Grove and the Koch Guesthouse (AirBnB) in Osage City were delightful, and Jeff and Yon at the Ottawa Bike Shop were outstandingly - I mean really - helpful.
If you want to do the Flint Hills R-T, do the eastern half or wait till the state at least fixes the surface on the western side. Otherwise, it can be a miserable experience. Either way, once the trail is fixed, it's still a long way from the standards set by the nearby Katy.
Ron Gossen
I began running along this trail on Friday afternoon on 4/12/2019. The weather was about 52°, sunny, and a bit windy. I found the trail to be difficult to run along. The trail is gravel, but not maintained very well. There was a steady undergrowth about 8” high that blanketed the trail. I found myself dodging bushes and dead, fallen trees lying across the path. In the two miles i ran, there were about three gates. After the fourth, i met a herd of cattle, and that’s when I turned back. Otherwise, the trail is very peaceful. I recommend it for walking or mountain biking. If tou do bike it, be sure to bring an extra tire!
As of summer 2018 the Riverfront Trail is open it's full length from the western trailhead at 9 Highway to the eastern one in EH Young Riverfront park. I ride it regularly, find it to be in excellent shape and quite peaceful.
Starting at the western trailhead the trail is asphalt as it winds through quiet woods in the bottomland next to the Missouri River. As you continue, the trail climbs up to the Quindaro Bend Levee where it becomes pea gravel. The trail travels under Interstate 635 and 169 Highway before dropping down from the levee adjacent to Argosy Casino. From here, the trail becomes concrete and parallels the roads. Traffic into the casino can be heavy at times, so be mindful at road crossings. The trail finally ends just past the casino at EH Young Riverfront Park. Directly across the casino you can also access the Line Creek Trail, which will lead you into downtown Riverside and provide access all the way up to Barry Road, as well as the Briarcliff Linear Trail.
Eventually the Missouri Riverfront Trail is supposed to connect to English Landing Park in downtown Parkville. A concrete path has been poured leading to the park and is rideable, but it's exit (only 50 yards or so shy of English Landing) is currently gated off. I suspect this is due to a railroad right-of-way issue, as the path would need to be perilously close to the busy railroad tracks. Hopefully this connection is finished soon, as it would provide a car-free commuting route between Parkville and Riverside.
I bike the Trolley Track Trail to get from the Country Club Plaza to Waldo frequently. The trail surface is similar to most rail-trails, and it can get quite crowded with walkers and joggers on nice evenings. There are also numerous road crossings, so it's difficult to keep up a decent pace. If you're in a hurry you're better off riding adjacent Brookside Boulevard. Overall this is a decent trail for commuting and leisurely weekend rides, but too short, with too many road crossings to make it any sort of destination.
Nice relaxing ride when it’s dry. Often sections will be closed after heavy rains for trail repair/ maintenance.
Get Your 2018 RTC TrailNation Jersey!
Download the TrailLink mobile app and take TrailLink with you!
Donate and Get a FREE 2018 RTC Guidebook!
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
Map Search
_0_st.jpg)
_137918_st.jpg)
_103731_st.jpg)
_147088_st.jpg)
