Spring Break
Hiking KC-style
Kelley Kates
Issue date: 9/7/09 Section: Sports
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The Kansas City area has several options for getting in touch with the great outdoors.
For instance, you could spend an hour or even a day hiking many local trails of which you may not be aware.
Burr Oak Woods
Burr Oak Woods in Blue Springs has four trails for hiking and sightseeing.
The Wildlife Habitat trail winds through areas of scenic nature at its best.
This trail is a mile and a half long but can be shortened by following a spur along the creek. It's great for people who are experienced hikers and those who love to photograph nature.
Burr Oak Woods also loves to boast about its Bethany Falls trail which has some difficult terrain and is just over a mile long.
The name comes from the Bethany Falls limestone outcropping it passes over, under and through.
Besides the beautiful scenery, a bit of a history lesson can be learned by visiting the old settler's cabins located throughout the trail.
James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area
Just east of Lee's Summit on Ranson Road, the James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area offers three hiking trails inside 2,456 square miles of unadulterated nature.
The Shawnee Trace Nature Trail, made up of three unpaved, distinctive loops - all a mile or less in length featuring easy terrain - begins at the scenic Bodarc Lake Dam.
The Habitat loop is heavily forested with huge sycamore trees and a swinging, wooden bridge.
The James A. Reed Wildlife area also has a nature center with plenty of activities for adults and children alike.
Maple Woods
For those who don't know, Maple Woods has a natural area that possesses the largest virgin Maple tree population west of the Mississippi River.
The area consists of 39 acres and a mile-long loop trail beginning near 76th Street.
After crossing a wooden bridge, the trail forces you to make a decision on whether you will begin hiking uphill or downhill. Since it is a loop trail, either way you will eventually have to do both.
The trail has a short spur where you can shorten the hike or proceed in a figure eight. The trail is a great way to take a short, scenic break from the hustle and bustle of the neighboring city.
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