Antioch Park
This sprawling 44-acre space is one of the city’s oldest areas of urban greenery. It’s also extremely popular, for many good reasons. It’s beautiful and well-maintained, and as you stroll through it, you’ll come across many amenities, such as tennis and basketball courts, charcoal grills, picnic shelters, and two scenic fishing lakes.
Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Garden
This wonderful natural spot is a paradise for kids who love outdoor adventures. The arboretum features an “Enchanted Forest” full of tiny gnome houses and exciting pathways. There’s a great deal of beautiful plant life to be seen in the botanical gardens. There’s also a koi fishpond, and a train park, with a full train carriage to play in.
Maple Woods Natural Area
This mature forest of maple and oak is a wonderful, protected swathe of wilderness, right at the northern end of the city. It’s famous locally for the beautiful fall colors as the leaves drop, and for its flocks of resident and migrant songbirds. If you’re lucky, you’ll catch sight of white-tailed deer as you stroll around this magnificent area of city parkland.
Cave Springs Park
A little outside town, you can explore a cave in this fascinating area of natural beauty. Here, you’ll also find a waterfall and a picturesque water garden. For a little educational value, you can even visit a nature center and explore some historical ruins.
Penguin Park
If it’s playgrounds your children are looking for, this is the place for you. This wonderful park on the Missouri side of town has excellent play areas for children of all ages. Most popular of all are the giant animals to climb on, which include an elephant, a kangaroo, a giraffe, and a penguin.
Wyandotte County Lake and Park
For a more adventurous day of hiking or biking, this spacious 1,500-acre stretch of woodland close to the city offers superb trails with awe-inspiring views. There’s an abundance of wildlife to be spotted as you stroll or cycle around, and many other interesting things to stop off for, such as picnic shelters, boat rentals, fishing, an environmental center, and an archery range.
Shawnee Mission Park
A favorite for dog-walkers, this vast park on the western edge of the city has 53 acres of off-leash grassland, where your dog can race and frolic to its heart’s content. This impressive park also has a large lake, for sailboarding, fishing, or swimming. On land, it has playgrounds, archery, disc golf, and more.
If you’re in Kansas City, you’ll find it easy to escape into a patch of either well-tended nature or pristine wilderness. Explore any of the above mentions, and you’re sure to have a wonderful day. Afterward, pay a visit to Gary Crossley Ford, and experience the Crossley Difference. We look forward to providing solutions for all your vehicle purchasing and servicing needs.
