The metro area has a wealth of cycling opportunties, including world-class rail trails, excellent singletrack mountain bike trails, various paved neighborhood trails, and an extensive boulevard system within the central city. Here are our recommendations to check out:
Paved Trails
Jump down to off-road/moutain bike trails
Trolley
Track Trail
Popular 6-mile, multi-use trail linking the Country Plaza, Brookside, Waldo
in southern KCMO. Be sure to continue through the Brookside parking lot, the
trails picks up again on the other side.. Alternate
map (PDF). (KCATA)
Riverfront
Heritage Trail
New trail under construction. Opening in 2004 and linking Downtown
KCMO with Downtown KCK, including the Missouri Riverfornt, River Market, and
other areas.
Riding
in the city
Some great rides on the city streets around Downtown, Midtown, and Southtown.
Mill
Creek Streamway Park
Really nice paved trail in Johnson County, KS. Runs along the creek from the
Kaw River, south through Shawnee Mission Park, to 119th Street in Olathe.
13-15 miles parallel to I-435. Map.
(Johnson Co. KS Parks)
Longview
Lake Trail
Short paved trail along the lake in southern KCMO & Lee's Summit. From
I-470 take Raytown Rd. south and follow signs towards the marina. (Jackson
Co. MO Parks)
Little
Blue Trace Trail
In eastern Independence along the Little Blue River, from 24 Hwy south to
I-70. Crushed gravel. Popular trailhead east of Little Blue Parkway and north
of I-70, across from the Hartman Heritage strip mall. (JaCoMo Parks)
Indian
Creek / Tomahawk Creek Greenways
Very nice paved trails in southern Johnson County, KS, connecting a few different
neighborhood parks. Now extending eastward into southern KCMO. (Cities of
Overland Park, KS and Leawood, KS)
Northland
Trails
A new bi-county master plan for trails and greenways in northern Kansas City,
MO and the rest of Clay and Platte Counties.
Outside of town:
KATY
Trail State Park
Excellent cross-state rail trail in Missouri - 185 miles - Sedalia to St.
Charles/St. Louis. Very popular trail with many small towns every 10 miles.
Prettiest is section is from Rocheport eastward, along the Missouri River
bluffs. (Missouri State Parks)
St. Joseph Parkway System
Just north of the metro, St. Joe's has 20-plus miles of beautiful parkways
that are popular with bikers and hikers. (Map)
Prairie
Spirit Rail Trail
Located in southwest of the Kansas City metro area in Ottawa, Kansas. This
trail is approximately 20 miles long.
Offroad/Mountain Bike Trails
MTB Review: 70-plus Missouri trails and 40+ Kansas trails.
Landahl
Park Reserve
Several miles of excellent MTB trails in eastern Jackson County, just north
of Blue Springs, MO. Landahl is one of the best and most popular MTB areas
in the KC area. Map
from Earthriders. (Jackson Co.MO Parks)
Smithville
Lake
Newly developing trails at the north end of the metro area include both technical
and friendly sections. Scenery and wildlife. 4-5 miles and growing. Relatively
undiscovered and less crowded than Landahl or Blue River. Newer
map from Army Corps of Engineers (Clay Co. MO Parks)
Blue
River Parkway
Great trails along the river, various difficulty. In far southern Kansas City,
MO near Holmes and Red Bridge Roads. The link above is a volunteer site with
great info and maps, see also the County's
page. (Jackson Co. and KCMO Parks)
Shawnee
Mission Park
Some mountain bike trails in Johnson County. This park connects to the Mill
Creek Streamway Park trails. (Johnson Co. KS Parks)
Truman
Sports Complex Trail
New trail next to Kauffman and Arrowhead Stadiums. Haven't tried this one
yet, but it sounds cool. (Jackson Co. MO Parks)
Outside of town:
Lake of the Ozarks Trails
Two excellent trails around Osage Beach, at the Lake of the Ozarks. For information
and maps, stop by Oz Cycles (www.ozcycles.com
or 573-348-6221) near the Wal-Mart on Hwy. 54. Horseshoe Bend Trail
and Trail of Four Winds are both excellent, lots of ups and downs,
rocky terrain, in the woods. As of spring 2003 a new trail system is under
construction in the state park, and will eventually total 50 miles.