Kansas City Day Trips

Take a day off and explore these scenic hikes in Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa.

The six-county Kansas City area offers more walking trails that most of us will ever be able to experience. But everyone needs a change of scenery now and then. To help you make the most of short getaways, we offer this guide to local day trips where you can experience more natural delights of the Midwest. Here’s a few highlights, all within three hours of Kansas City (more or less):

• Iowa has one of the largest concentration of Loess Hills (more on that) in the world, plus more forest than you’d expect.

• Kansas Experience the majesty of the Flint Hills, bluffs along the Kaw River, and rocky ranges of hills to the south.

• Missouri Loess Hills rise above the Missouri River in the northwest, while the Ozarks invade Central Missouri, even north of the river.

• Nebraska is home to Indian Cave State Park, where Loess bluffs rise 300 feet above the Missouri River.

Iowa hiking trails

• Hitchcock Nature Center, Crescent, Iowa

• Waubonsie State Park, Hamburg, Iowa

Kansas hiking trails

• Baker University Wetlands & Discovery Center (Lawrence, Kan.)

• Clinton Lake, Sanders Mound Trail at Overlook Park, Lawrence, Kansas

• Clinton Lake George Latham Trail, Lawrence, Kansas

• Clinton Lake North Shore Trails, Lawrence, Kansas

• Eisenhower State Park (Osage City, Kan.)

• Elk City State Park (Independence, Kan.)

• Elk River Trail (Independence, Kan.)

• Flint Hills Tallgrass Prairie Preserve (Cassoday, Kan.)

• Flint Hills Trail (117 miles from Osawatomie to Council Grove)

• Iliff Commons, Topeka, Kan.

• Kaw Nation Memorial (Council Grove, Kan.)

• Kaw River State Park (Topeka, Kan.)

• Konza Prairie Biological Station (Manhattan, Kan.)

• KU Field Station Trails (Lawrence, Kan.)

• Lawrence River Trail (Lawrence, Kan.)

• Lawrence Rotary Arboretum

• Marais Des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge

• Mt. Mitchell Heritage Prairie (Wamego, Kan.)

• Oregon Trail Nature Park (St. Mary’s, Kan.)

• Perry Lake Old Military Trail (Ozawkie, Kan.)

• Skyline Park (Topeka, Kan.)

• St. Philippine Duchesne Memorial Park (Centerville, Kan.)

• Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve (Strong City, Kan.)

• Willkomm Trail (Lawrence, Kan.)

• Wolf Creek Environmental Education Area (Burlington, Kan.)

• Woodridge Primitive Park (George Latham Trail), Douglas County, Kan.

• Crowder State Park, Trenton, Mo.

• Dunn Ranch Prairie and Pawnee Prairie Natural Area, Hatlfield, Mo.

• Graham Cave State Park, Danville, Mo.

• Ha Ha Tonka State Park, Camdenton, Mo.

• Harry S Truman State Park, Warsaw, Mo.

• KATY Trail at Eagle Bluffs Conservation Area (Columbia, Mo.)

• KATY Trail at Hart Creek Conservation Area (Jefferson City, Mo.)

• KATY Trail at Diana Bend Conservation Area (Rocheport, Mo.)

• Knob Noster State Park, Knob Noster, Mo.

• Loess Bluffs National Wildlife Refuge (Mound City, Mo.)

• Mark Twain National Forest, City Creek District (Columbia, Mo.)

• Moon Loop, Mark Twain National Forest (Columbia, Mo.)

• Pawnee Prairie Natural Area and Dunn Ranch Prairie, Hatfield, Mo.

• Pershing State Park, Laclede, Mo.

• Pinnacles Park, Columbia, Mo.

• Rock Bridge Memorial State Park, Columbia, Mo.

• Shawnee Bend Bluff Trail, Warsaw, Mo.

• Star School Hill Prairie Conservation Area

• Three Creeks Conservation Area, Boone County, Mo.

• Van Meter State Park

• Wallace State Park

• Warsaw Riverfront Trails (Warsaw, Mo.)