Knob Noster State Park: An island of forest in Central Missouri
Surrounded by farmland, 4,000 acres of woods are preserved, with 18 miles of trails.
Trails There are seven trails at Knob Noster State Park, totaling 18 miles.
Overview
The drive from Kansas City east on U.S. 50 Highway may seem pleasant, if uneventful. However, the town with a funny name is home to a park that preserves 4,000 acres of native woodland. The small town of Knob Noster (German for “our hill”) is best known for being the nearest community to Whiteman Air Force Base (home of the B-2 Stealth Bomber). It’s less known for this pristine park. It’s located in a geographic region known as the Osage Plains, which was originally a transition zone between forest and prairie. In its pre-agricultural environment, there was more prairie than remains today. Now it’s mostly forested. You’ll find gently-rolling terrain throughout the park. In addition to trails, there are campgrounds and a few small lakes. At Knob Noster, you don’t traverse the forest in search of other highlights – the forest is the highlight.It’s comprised of trees including cedar, hickory, oak, hackberry, pawpaw and redbud. Woods and lakes provide a home for great blue herons, pileated woodpeckers, turkeys, deer, fox, opossum, raccoons, owls and numerous birds.
Once you get away from the roadways, sounds of civilization fade. The woods are deep, dark and wild. Need to get away from it all? This is the place.
Length There are 18 miles on seven trails.
Address and location Knob Noster State Park, 873 SE 10 Road, Knob Noster, MO 65336.
Conditions Trails are natural surface and single track and well marked. You’ll encounter muddy conditions when it rains or snow melts.
Kid friendly? These trails aren’t oriented toward strollers. There are a variety of trail lengths, so children can walk as little as a half-mile. The longest trail system is 6.5-miles in length.
How busy? This is generally a quiet and remote area.
Pets Yes, on a leash (unless otherwise designated).
Bikes are allowed on some trails.
