One Of Kansas City's Best Urban Gems Is A Historic Riverside Park Filled With Scenic Trails And Skyline Views

Just beyond downtown Kansas City, a riverside park tells the story of America's early days, when the land was still being charted by explorers. Kaw Point Park is located at the confluence of two rivers, a spot that was once a campout for the Lewis and Clark Expedition, according to the National Park Service (NPS). Today, the park offers views of the Kansas City skyline, but the land remains somewhat evocative of its past. Trails meander through wooded landscapes in the middle of the Kansas City metro area, including a 1,500-foot boardwalk along the river, with numerous native plants to observe along the way. 

While modern Kansas City is known as a barbecue capital and beer destination, Kaw Point Park harkens back to a time when it was at the edge of the American frontier. The park sits at the meeting point of the Kansas "Kaw" River and Missouri River, a site visited by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark during their westward expedition in 1804, per the NPS. The explorers stayed there for three days, mending boats, taking measurements, and building fortification structures.

Two centuries later, the site had become a neglected corner of the city, overgrown and littered with industrial waste. In 2004, various government and community organizations came together to rehabilitate the park, according to Friends of Kaw Point Park, adding paved trails, an amphitheater, and informational panels about the area's history, available to the public for free. Today, the park is widely admired, with nearly 1,000 reviews and a 4.4 star rating on Google Maps. Previous visitors praise the park's sunset views – with the city skyline to boot — and natural scenery along the trails.

Kansas is an underrated Midwest state, with many scenic parks that appeal to retirees and travelers alike. One of the unique elements of Kaw Point Park is the mix of urban and riverfront scenery, with shady wooded paths that lead to views of downtown. The park's trail network spans less than half a mile in length, but the paths are paved, making them suitable for cycling. The route winds through trees and leads to the waterfront, where the two rivers meet. Keep your eyes peeled for bald eagles, herons, deer, falcons, and foxes — some of the area's local species, according to Friends of Kaw Point Park. For botany enthusiasts, the park also has signs pointing out native plants that were identified by Lewis and Clark back in the early 1800s and have maintained a presence here over the centuries. These include plains prickly pears, purple coneflowers, Pawpaw trees, and over a dozen others. 

The best views are at the river's edge, punctuated by a silhouette statue of Lewis and Clark looking out at the water. The wheelchair-friendly boardwalk also provides views over both rivers. If you're feeling inspired to go on your own expedition, a boat ramp at the park makes it easy to enter the water on a kayak. Travelers coming from downtown Kansas City, Missouri, can drive under 10 minutes across the border to Kaw Point Park. On the Kansas side, you can drive another 10 minutes or so to Rock Island Bridge, a former railroad bridge that's now an entertainment district.