With an extra day and temperatures slowly receding, how can you make the most of Labor Day weekend? Although the Kansas City area offers numerous parks and trails worth enjoying, we offer these five options for anyone who may be undecided.

The allure of natural bridges compels hikers. Missouri’s karst topography makes these landforms fairly common. The forces of nature – particularly water – was away softer stone and leave a bridge behind. This article isn’t a comprehensive listing of natural arches, but lists three prominent ones that can be accessed via a daytrip or weekender from the Kansas City Area. Carpe diem!

The Kansas Flint Hills are a well-kept secret. There are no traffic jams and no tourist season. Yet their stark and remote beauty is unsurpassed. In addition to their scenic charms, they are also one of the largest unspoiled areas of North America.

Beyond the landscape, the Flint Hills are dotted with picturesque courthouses, ghost towns, bison and abandoned one-room schools.

Get off the interstate and explore 200-foot limestone bluffs, rocky spires and natural bridges only two hours from Kansas City.

It’s always a relief when a summer holiday hits. Finally, a little time to unwind. But after the relief sets in, what do you do? And if you love the outdoors, where do you go?

There are more options around Kansas City than we can list here. And you probably have some personal faves. But if you don’t – or if you’re looking for new ideas, we offer five of our faves for the Fourth of July weekend.

Historic Downtown Pleasant Hill, Mo., is home to a seasonal Farmer’s Market, century old (and older) buildings, restaurants, boutiques and a train depot. For hikers, it’s the location of two trailheads. A visit to Pleasant Hill is an easy day outing that’s near all points in Kansas City.

Waterfalls are fairly infrequent in the Kansas City area – especially any that are more than a foot or two high. That’s what’s unique about Lake Olathe Falls on Cedar Creek. It drops at least six feet and rumbles after an abundance of rain. It’s also one of the easier falls to reach in Kansas City.

Is Northern Missouri at the top of your hiking list? Or is it even on it? This sparsely populated area is characterized by rolling prairie, pockets of preserved forest and even some steep hills. When everyone else is heading south to the Ozarks, the north is open for the rest of us to experience the quiet solitude of nature. Let’s seize the day!

While Kansas City is short on mountains and beaches, we’re home to an abundance of stunning wildflowers. They populate our prairies and forests. Here are some of the best locations to view them in their natural environment.

Kansas City Hiker lists nine trail systems in Lawrence and Douglas County (but of course there are many more). The area is a great location for day trips because it’s close to Kansas City and has plenty of creature comforts to sustain you before and after hiking. All the amenities and weirdness of a college town are nearby.

Warsaw, Mo., has quietly distinguished itself as a standout hiking location. This Central Missouri lake community doesn’t get all the hubbub of our state’s better-known lakes. And that’s great for those of us who prefer nature and serenity.

Should you hike solo or with a group? Yes! While some only want the wind as company, others wouldn’t think of hiking without a group. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle. What are some factors to consider when deciding whether to go alone or with hiking buddies?

The 117-mile Flint Hills Trail takes hikers and bikers through Kansas’ rural, eclectic backyard. Crumbling history, stunning views, monuments to Native Americans and more are all waiting to be discovered.

First it snows, then freezes. Then it thaws and everything turns to slush. Most natural surface trails will either be closed or turn to a sea of slop. What’s a hiker to do? While there’s no perfect solution, some trails offer viable options even in the sloppiest of winter weather.

Apart from remote destinations in the Ozarks, the Columbia, Mo., area features one of the state’s most concentrated series of scenic hiking areas. This may indeed be a well-kept secret.

Winter hiking is paradoxical. It’s cold … yet invigorating. The landscape is mostly brown, yet it reveals horizons usually blocked by green foliage. When snow is on the ground, contrasts are vivid: a fox, herd of bison and numerous birds leaped to the forefront of my vision. All of these phenomena were apparent as I hiked on the Flint Hills Trail at Council Grove and at Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve.

Most hikers are friendly, but are in pursuit of solitude and lonely places. Using data from state and national parks, we've ranked the quietest and busiest state parks for Missouri and Kansas, as well as national parks.

In this episode of the Kansas City Hiker podcast, host Roy Harryman interviews Chris Blunk, District Supervisor with the Missouri Department of Conservation, about how hikers can safely navigate Missouri Conservation and other public areas during hunting seasons. Can hunters and hikers safely co-exist, or even thrive? The answer may surprise you.

Kansas City Hiker speaks with Seth Brooks, author of the recently released Falcon Guide "Hiking Kansas." Seth discusses the unique ecosystems and hidden gems that Kansas offers, challenging its common perception as merely flyover country.

Prairie doesn’t deliver the quick fix of Rocky Mountain National Park or the Grand Canyon. But give it time, and it can deliver its own unique brand of beauty. Ready to explore? Here’s a “starter kit” of six local and regional prairie hikes in Greater Kansas City that won’t disappoint.