This remote, northern Missouri refuge will delight bird watchers and lovers of nature. Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge is compromised of more than 10,000 acres of lowlands and wetlands in north central Missouri.

Cedar Lake Falls is an off-the-beaten path waterfall below the Cedar Lake Spillway in Olathe, Kansas. This guide explains how to find it.

Elk and bison used to freely roam the entire Kansas City area. Due to conservation efforts, they are slowly returning. Part of that effort is the Native Hooved Animal Enclosure at Lake Jacomo. The two species roam this 110-acre fenced area and often congregate near spectators.

Hiking across rural Missouri and Kansas leads to the discovery of lost and lonely places, including schools, churches and homes. Why do ghost towns elicit reflection and wonder? Here are some highlights of backroads Middle America.

Omaha’s Bob Kerry Pedestrian Bridge connects Iowa and Nebraska, bringing delight to hikers and bikers.

If you visit Tryst Falls Park, you’re part of a tradition that dates back more than a century. Although the park has only been in existence since the 1970s, visitors have frequented it for decades.

This serene waterfall and short trail are located in Lansing, Kansas.

Sailboat Cove, at Lake Jacomo in Lee’s Summit, Mo., is a destination to boat, relax, take photos and enjoy wildlife.

A geological phenomenon known as “concretions” has resulted in toadstool formations and more otherworldy shapes on the Great Plains.

The centerpiece of the area is the 35-acre Lone Jack Lake. It’s surrounded by 125 acres of timber and more acres of rolling meadows. If you want a quiet place to just “be,” then this is it.

Near Manhattan, Kan., this viewing area is one of the state’s most scenic places to catch a sunrise or sunset over the Flint Hills.

Wilkey Waterfall, on the Wakarusa River is located below the Clinton Lake spillway in Outlet Park.

History meets nature in this scenic region near Maple Hill, Kansas.

This quiet community provides blufftop vistas of the Missouri River Valley.

A lonely destination on a gravel road yields a glimpse of cattle drives, one-room schools and days gone by.

The town earned national attention by being the first to be 100% wind powered.

Kratzer Brothers Mercantile opened in 1913 and served as a social hub. New owners transformed the property into an arts center and meeting venue.

A tower and pavilion give a blufftop view of the Kaw Valley and university town.

John Brown Lookout is atop a hill that rises about 200-feet above the Marais Des Cygnes River valley near Paola in Miami County, Kansas. It's a remote location that apparently has ties to the radical abolitionist John Brown, a local anti-slavery guerilla fighter.

Prairie Fire Winery, Vineyard and Candle Co. is a destination for hikers + nature and wine lovers in Kansas’ Flint Hills.