Places To Go

Trail Guide

Rockwoods Reservation

• Trails: Seven trails more than 12 miles
• Unique features: Historic mine sites and lime kilns
• Contact by phone: 636-458-2236
• Detailed information: visit our online atlas, keyword "Rockwoods"
  

In the 1700s, fur traders traversed Rockwood Reservation on their way to and from St. Louis. Early settlers established rock quarries and lime kilns, remains of which are still visible today. The area has also been designated by Audubon Missouri as an Important Bird Area, due to the abundance and diversity of birds present, making it an ideal spot for birdwatchers. Three of the area’s trails offer interpretive brochures explaining the area’s natural and cultural history. These are the Trail Among the Trees (1.5 miles), the Wildlife Habitat Discovery Trail (.1 mile) and the Rock Quarry Trail (2.2 miles). The .1-mile Wildlife Habitat Discovery Trail is accessible to visitors using wheelchairs, while the Turkey Ridge Trail (2 miles), the Lime Kiln Loop (3.2 miles) and the Green Rock Trail (3.6 miles) are more rugged and primitive. The Conservation Education Center offers displays and interpretive programs.

Refresh With a Nature Break!

State Fair native plant garden and aquaria

Conservation Department offerings at the Missouri State Fair Aug. 9 through 19 cover both wild plants and animals. Stop and admire hardy, low-maintenance native ferns, grasses and wildflowers, such as royal catchfly, rose verbena and rattlesnake master, growing around the building. Escape the midday heat while touring aquaria holding huge blue and flathead catfish and other native fish, including bass, crappie, bluegills, spotted gar, carp, drum, buffalo and suckers. Other aquatic creatures, including mussels, turtles and amphibians will round out the watery show. The Conservation Pavilion is at the south end of the fairgrounds.

Wild Discoveries

Year-round adventures at the Discovery Center in KC

Looking for something wild and natural to do in Kansas City? Try visiting the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center at 47th Street and Troost Avenue in downtown Kansas City. Start with a relaxing walk on nearly half a mile of trails surrounded by postage-stamp wetlands, woodlands and prairie, as well as hummingbird and butterfly gardens. Step inside the “green design” building and learn how architecture and nature can work together. The Discovery Center offers programs year-round on topics from natural gardening to history and outdoor skills. Over the course of a year, you can take part in hands-on programs to learn everything from fishing to how Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery cooked and what they ate during their two-year odyssey. For more information about the Discovery Center and upcoming programs there, see below or call (816) 759-7300.