“After a day’s walk, everything has twice its usual value."

Jackson County: Discover trails through the big city and off the beaten path

You can hike in the shadow of Kansas City’s skyscrapers or enjoy the serenity of rural solitude.

Jackson County, the home of Kansas City, Mo., has the metro area’s most diverse trail system. You can walk under highway and railroad overpasses while viewing wildflowers at the same time. Take in a sunset along a Missouri Riverfront trail in the shadow of Kansas City’s skyline. But head east and things get much wilder. The Little Blue Trace Trail winds 15 miles through the suburbs and rural pasture lands of central Jackson County. And in the far east, you’ll find woodland hikes at Lake Jacomo, Blue Springs Lake and Monkey Mountain. Ready to take it in?

This is not a comprehensive list of Jackson County trails. Our policy is to only list trails we’ve visited. The list is growing constantly. Thanks for your patience. Contact us to suggest a favorite of yours that is not listed here.

Featured Trails

Jackson County, Mo., trail directory

• Alphabetical listing

• Listing by city

• Urban hikes

Alphabetical

• Anita Gorman Conservation Center - Kauffman Center Trails, Kansas City, Mo.

• Augie Trail, Lake Jacomo, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

• Berkley Riverfront Park, Kansas City, Mo.

• Bridger Conservation Area, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

• Blue River Trail System, Kansas City, Mo.

• Blue Springs Lake North Shore Trail, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

• Burr Oak Woods Conservation Area, Blue Springs, Mo.

• Carl Chinnery Nature Trail, Unity Village, Mo.

• Charles David Hartman Memorial Park, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

• Cliff Drive walk at Kessler Park, Kansas City, Mo.

• Country Club Plaza Walking Trail, Kansas City, Mo.

• Ferguson-Herold Conservation Area

• Hartman Memorial Park, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

• James A. Reed Memorial Conservation Area, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

• Jerry Smith Park and Saeger Woods Conservation Area, Kansas City, Mo.

• Kauffman Center Trails - Anita Gorman Conservation Area, Kansas City, Mo.

• Lake Jacomo Trails, Lee’s Summit

  • Lake Jacomo: Augie Hike/Bike Trail, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

  • Lake Jacomo: Bobcat/Hoot Owl Trail

  • Lake Jacomo: Larry’s Trail, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

  • Lake Jacomo: Larry Mattonen Trail, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

  • Lake Jacomo: Mun-Ni-Pus-Kee Wildlife Trail, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

  • Lake Jacomo: Rock Ledges Loop Trails

  • Lake Jacomo: Pa-Huska Trail, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

  • Lake Jacomo: Prickly Pear Trail, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

  • Lake Jacomo: Tcha-To-Ga Trail, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

• Lake Remembrance Trail, Blue Springs, Mo.

• Lake Vista Trail, Blue Springs Lake, Lee’s Summit-Blue Springs, Mo.

• Landahl Park Trail System, Jackson County (Independence address)

• Legacy Park Trail System, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

• Liberty Bend Conservation Area & LaBenite Park, Sugar Creek, Mo.

• Liberty Memorial/Penn Valley Park, Kansas City, Mo.

• Little Blue Valley Park, Kansas City, Mo.

• Little Blue Trace, Independence, Mo.

• Longview Lake Hike/Horse Trail, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

• Longview Lake Trail, Kansas City, Mo.

• Longview Nature Trail, Kansas City, Mo.

• Loose Park, Kansas City, Mo.

• Monkey Mountain Nature Reserve, Oak Grove, Mo.

• Nelson Art Gallery Art Walk Trail, Kansas City, Mo.

• Penn Valley Park/Liberty Memorial, Kansas City, Mo.

• Powell Gardens, Kingsville, Mo.

• River Bluff Reserve Nature Trail, Independence, Mo.

• Roanoke Park Trails, Kansas City, Mo.

• Rock Island Rail Trail, Lee’s Summit, Raytown and Kansas City, Mo.

• Unity Village Nature Trail (Carl Chinnery Nature Trail), Unity Village, Mo.

• Waterfall Park, Independence, Mo.

By City

Blue Springs, Mo.

• Burr Oak Woods Conservation Area, Blue Springs, Mo.

• Lake Remembrance Trail, Blue Springs, Mo.

• Lake Vista Trail, Blue Springs Lake, Lee’s Summit-Blue Springs, Mo.

Independence, Mo.

• Little Blue Trace, Independence, Mo.

• River Bluff Reserve Nature Trail, Independence, Mo.

• Waterfall Park, Independence, Mo.

Kansas City, Mo.

• Anita Gorman Conservation Area-Kauffman Center Trails, Kansas City, Mo.

• Berkley Riverfront Park, Kansas City, Mo.

• Blue River Trail, Kansas City, Mo.

• Cliff Drive walk at Kessler Park, Kansas City, Mo.

• Country Club Plaza Walking Trail, Kansas City, Mo.

• Jerry Smith Park and Saeger Woods Conservation Area, Kansas City, Mo.

• Kauffman Center Trails- Anita Gorman Conservation Area, Kansas City, Mo.

• Liberty Memorial/Penn Valley Park, Kansas City, Mo.

• Little Blue Valley Park, Kansas City, Mo.

• Longview Lake Trail, Kansas City, Mo.

• Longview Nature Trail, Kansas City, Mo.

• Loose Park, Kansas City, Mo.

• Nelson Art Gallery Art Walk Trail, Kansas City, Mo.

• Penn Valley Park/Liberty Memorial, Kansas City, Mo.

• Roanoke Park Trails, Kansas City, Mo.

• Rock Island Rail Trail, Lee’s Summit, Raytown and Kansas City, Mo.

Lee’s Summit, Mo.

• Blue Springs Lake North Shore Trail, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

• Bridger Conservation Area, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

• Hartman Memorial Park, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

• James A. Reed Memorial Conservation Area, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

• Lake Jacomo: Augie Hike/Bike Trail, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

• Lake Jacomo: Bobcat/Hoot Owl Trail

• Lake Jacomo: Hatchet Job Trail

• Lake Jacomo: Larry’s Trail, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

• Lake Jacomo: Larry Mattonen Trail, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

• Lake Jacomo: Mun-Ni-Pus-Kee Wildlife Trail, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

• Lake Jacomo: Rock Ledges Loop Trails

• Lake Jacomo: Pa-Huska Trail, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

• Lake Jacomo: Prickly Pear Trail, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

• Lake Jacomo: Tcha-To-Ga Trail, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

• Lake Vista Trail, Blue Springs Lake, Lee’s Summit-Blue Springs, Mo.

• Legacy Park Trail System, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

• Longview Lake Horse/Hike Trail, Lee’s Summit, Mo.

• Rock Island Rail Trail, Lee’s Summit, Raytown and Kansas City, Mo.

Raytown, Mo.

• Rock Island Rail Trail, Lee’s Summit, Raytown and Kansas City, Mo.

Oak Grove, Mo.

• Monkey Mountain Nature Preserve, Oak Grove, Mo.

• Ferguson-Herold Conservation Area

Sugar Creek, Mo.
Liberty Bend Conservation Area & LaBenite Park

Unity Village, Mo.
Unity Village Nature Trail (Carl Chinnery Nature Trail), Unity Village, Mo.

Urban hikes

These trails let you enjoy the outdoors in the heart of Kansas City, Mo.

• Anita Gorman Conservation Area-Kauffman Center Trails, Kansas City, Mo.

• Berkley Riverfront Park, Kansas City, Mo.

• Country Club Plaza Walking Trail, Kansas City, Mo.

• Cliff Drive walk at Kessler Park, Kansas City, Mo.

• Kauffman Center Trails- Anita Gorman Conservation Area, Kansas City, Mo.

• Liberty Memorial/Penn Valley Park, Kansas City, Mo.

• Loose Park, Kansas City, Mo.

• Nelson Art Gallery Art Walk Trail, Kansas City, Mo.

• Penn Valley Park/Liberty Memorial, Kansas City, Mo.