Canoe Lee’s Summit’s Legacy Lake

Rent a canoe for an hour (or more) and explore the 22-acre lake.

By Roy Harryman
Publisher

I’ve wanted to rent a canoe at Legacy Park for years. The timing just never worked out. Finally, I called ahead, researched it online and showed up at 7:40 a.m. on a Monday morning (it was going to be 98 degrees that day, so I wanted to beat the heat).

I expected to enjoy the experience, but I was pleasantly surprised by the solitude and wildlife. I paddled past a Great Blue Heron perched high in a shoreline tree. As I rounded a cove, I startled yet another heron, who seemed irritated and launched across the lake to get away from me. As my journey wound down, I came across a mother duck and her offspring. They let me get surprisingly close, but let me know I wasn’t welcome. On land, none of these close encounters would have been possible.

Other reflections
The lake is small, so you can crisscross it multiple times in an hour, exploring every inlet. There is very little shade, so be prepared for intense sunlight. In mid-summer, the water level was low, so I had to be careful to avoid shallow, muddy areas (though I had no difficulty doing this). In addition to canoes, paddles and life jackets are provided. Finally, a couple of staff were waiting for me and hefted the canoe off the rack for me and pushed me off – a nice bonus I wasn’t expecting.

You can rent a canoe or SUP (stand-up paddle board). The fee for Lee’s Summit residents is $5 and for non-residents is $7. Checkouts begin at 7:30 a.m. and must be completed by 7 p.m. You can walk in or call to schedule the use of a canoe or SUP at 816.969.1500. However, it’s best to register and pay online here in advance so you can get that out of the way. Then, when you check in at the community center desk, you’ll only need to sign waivers.