Kansas City gets due credit for being both the barbecue and jazz capital of the world. But one of the hidden gems of KC’s landscape is the land beneath its feet, offering a topography as diverse as the people that call the city home. With four distinct seasons, KC’s environs get an ongoing facelift with the change in temperature. Rolling hills, cascading waterfalls and vast prairieland all eagerly await explorers, just a stone’s throw from the iconic downtown scene. Check out some of our favorite local natural wonders, perfect for exploring this fall and winter.
Cave Spring
Tucked away in the crossroads of Raytown and Kansas City lies a quirky park with a unique past. Freestanding stone chimneys, a waterfall and a cave are distinguishing features and historic landmarks of this 39-acre park. Once owned by President Harry Truman’s maternal grandfather, the park (also known as William M. Klein Park) is now owned by Jackson County, while operated by a 250-member Cave Spring Association. Previously a watering hole for the Santa Fe Trail pioneers, Cave Spring morphed into a golf course and cabin resort during the Depression Era. Nowadays, visitors can enjoy nature center exhibits, four miles of walking trails, a water garden, campground and educational programs.
The Flint Hills
Just a few hours’ drive from the KC metro area lies the largest tallgrass preserve in the continental United States, the Flint Hills. This prairieland oasis gets its name from the rocky soil that makes it impossible to plow yet ideal for growing grass and wildflowers. It’s estimated that this region, a venerable stretch of land that encompasses more than four million acres, has more than 10 million people pass through it annually. Equally impressive, more than a million head of cattle claim these grazing grounds as home. A cornucopia of color, the Flint Hills boasts more than 800 varieties of wildflowers that bloom well into mid-September. As the seasons turn, so does the pageantry of colors, making it worth a visit in any weather. Multiple scenic byways, nature trails and fishing lakes can be enjoyed within the region. Most impressive is the Flint Hills Discovery Center, located in Manhattan, KS. All senses are engaged through its immersive theater experience, where wind blows through guests’ hair while smoke from a prairie fire rolls along the floor. Throughout its interpretive and interactive exhibits, visitors will discover the rich ecosystem and cultural history that make the Flint Hills such an endearing place of yesteryear and today.
Grinter Farms
Ted Grinter’s farm has made its mark on the world in one hue: yellow. Rows and rows of beautiful sunflowers have proven a welcome distraction for passersby wandering between the Tonganoxie and Lawrence areas over the past four decades. In time, word got round about the golden-hued landscape, and travelers began stopping by the side of the road to capture family photos in front of the illuminating field of Kansas state flowers. With the advent of social media, this small family farm found itself holding an unusual title: agritourism juggernaut. Crowds have come en masse—some estimate an astounding 150,000 crossed the dirt-laden threshold last Labor Day weekend alone—to get a coveted shot with the blonde blossoms. Regardless the growing appeal, the Grinters’ aspirations remain the same: to keep their fields free and open to the public so everyone can enjoy the natural beauty blossoming on 40 acres of farmland. Guests can anticipate the perfect time to make a visit this year by checking with Kris Grinter, a.k.a. the Farmer’s Wife, on the Grinter Farm’s Facebook page. Blooms are expected to be at their peak sometime before Labor Day weekend, lasting anywhere from one to two weeks. Visitors are welcome to roam the fields in pursuit of the perfect photo spot and are even invited to take a sunflower with them as a memento. Donation boxes are planted throughout the fields for visitors to show their appreciation. When visiting the fields, here are a few things to keep in mind.
- Wear comfortable shoes. Guests will be trekking through farmland. As to be expected, the terrain is bumpy, and broken stalks can be painful to tread over.
- Check the weather. If it rains overnight, fields can be muddy and mucky (yet one more reason to wear sensible shoes).
- Bring a water bottle.
- Avoid the rush (and heat!) by coming at dawn or dusk. Sunlight tends to be best for photos and the crowds at their thinnest first thing in the morning or as the sun is falling in the evening.
- Make a day trip of it by visiting nearby Lawrence’s charming Mass Street.
Freelance writer and boy mom Lauren Greenlee will be among the masses attempting family photos in front of the iconic Grinter Farms sunflowers. She resides in Olathe.