Maple Woods Natural Area Trail is a 1 mile lightly trafficked loop trail located near Kansas City, Missouri that features a river and is good for all skill levels. The trail is primarily used for hiking, walking, nature trips, and birding and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
dogs on leash
kid friendly
birding
hiking
nature trips
walking
river
views
Maple Woods Natural Area trail meanders through a small suburban forest of old growth timber. The trail begins by crossing a foot bridge, swings left along a small creek before ascending the hill, down the other side and back to the trailhead.
Nice walk through the “woods”. Like taking dogs on new adventures!
Shell H.
decent hike. sadly someone has vandalized some of the trees with demonic & swastika signs.
nice little nature trail..saw deer turtles ..pretty cool..
Clean trail. Beautiful view. Lots of traffic.
A very nice place to go for a short hike. There are several alternative paths not shown on any maps. Very clean for being next to very busy surroundings.
Kurtis H.
I went there few months ago. It is little tricky how to get there. Best direction is when you see Metropolitan Community College from NE Barry Road, turn left and stay on that road until you will see the park on left. I learned my lesson when I took the trail on right because it is up the hill with rough terrain. My suggestion is for you to take a trail on left, which is less difficult. What’s more? The loop is somewhat off. At last, enjoy the scenic.
Awesome little trail in town wow a bit about it on journalGeographica ... https://journalgeographica.com/maple-woods-natural-area-d367fbb40eba
Very hilly! It was super slick & muddy a few days after the big rain we had. The trail narrows quite a bit in a few places. The trail was nice & rocky and gave me a nice work out! I don't feel bad at all about skipping the gym!
This was a nice trail. Just be mindful of going after it rains. There are some steep spots that get really slick, but still well worth it.
Great trail. Not exactly "off the beaten path", as you'll see houses and hear road noises, but still very pleasant walk.
Perfect for kids! Nice wooded area. a little city noise, but the convenience is worth it!
I gave this 5 stars for mountain biking on my own or hiking it. Very intense trail. The "easy" rating it's given is a huge misconception, though. I went with my 2 kids and the trailer to pull them on my bike knowing that the app said it's easy and for all activities. I still did it, but had to push the bike and trailer with my 2 kids in it almost half the way. There are rocks everywhere and if I had to rate it I would give it a moderate to hard rating even if I was hiking or biking it by myself, just due to all the rocks and tree limbs everywhere.
I love it! Peaceful and perfect for hammocking!
Heckin rad, dudes
It was so fun! Our entire family enjoyed it!
I loved this trail.. Some great things to see while you are hiking as well.
Pleasantly surprised with this lushly wooded area.
Great little trail.
This is a great starter trail! Clean and challenging but not hard. Would recommend for families with older kids. Our nine year old loved it, but it was a little too much for our six year old.
Rachel J.
We really enjoyed this trail! It was a last minute stop, so we will have go again!! We saw several deer playing not too far from us!! The hills and natural terrain make it a little bit of a challenge and fun!
Good little trail. It has some good hills.
K M.
I love this trail! Rougher terrain (for KC area) makes it a bit of a challenge (definitely a hike vs. a walk), yet a short enough hike to make it very easy to fit in during the usual weekend activities. One of my favorites on cooler days, keeping bugs and snakes at bay. Last time I went I saw deer and turkeys. Be mindful of footing when leaves have fallen...they blanket the trail -- easy to lose sight of the trail if you are not familiar with it, as well as hidden rocks and tree roots.
Good little trail in nature. Came close to deer and a badger. If you can block out the noise of cars in a small part of the trail, you'd never know you were in the city.
This is a fast trial that's located in the center of the "Northland." The trail is mostly natural surfaces with some mulch near the trailhead. The west loop of the trail is rather rocky but overall its not to bad. I have hiked this trail several times and usually meet other hikers but its not too crowded like some city trails.
Did I miss something here? This trail was short and not well maintained. (lots of poison ivy too) It'll do for a quick early morning or after work hike but I wasn't terribly impressed. Sad.
As you're walking down this trail you would have no idea you are in the city limits of Kansas City. Great way to see some nature without leaving the city.
Liked walking this trail and happy to see that part of it led to Happy Rock Park. Lots of fun!
The trail is a nice in that it is tucked away in the middle of the city, but, gives you a nice walk through the woods without driving a long way. I walk it frequently for exercise on my way home from work.