Parkville Nature Sanctuary & White Alloe Creek Conservation Area, Parkville, MO

Since starting this blog, I have moved to Kansas City, which takes me to the eastern edge of the plains.  I've had to discover new trails in the area, and the Parkville Nature Sanctuary / White Alloe Creek C.A. trails are a couple of my favorites.  The names get confusing, as the western side of the trail is part of the Parkville Nature Sanctuary, and the eastern portion of the trail is part of White Alloe Creek Conservation area.

The trail lengths are as followed (I will be covering the longest of the trails, Old Kate Trail and White Tail Trail) --

Whitetail Trail -- 1.3 miles
Old Kate Trail -- .9 miles
Bluebird ADA Trail -- .3 miles
Butterfly Pass -- .1 miles
Paw Paw Path -- .2 miles

These trails are located in Parkville, MO, just about ten minutes from downtown KCMO.  The parking lot is located just off of 12th Street, just about a quarter mile east of East Street.


View Parkville Nature Sanctuary Trailhead in a larger map

Old Kate Trail is a loop trail, which takes you into the Parkville Nature Sanctuary. It is a well maintained trail winding through hardwood forest. Along the trail you follow a small section of stream, as well as a nice waterfall that is coming down from Rees Lake above. For a small forested area in a fairly developed area, there is quite a bit of wildlife running through this park. I have regularly seen deer, turkey, snakes, and plenty of birds in this wildlife area. When water is up, there is also a nice little wetland/pond which has an accompanying boardwalk and overlook area. The trail is rather easy, with very little elevation change. For a .9 mile trail, the trail sure packs a lot of beauty!

Near the end of the Old Kate Trail loop is the adjoining Whitetail Trail, which feels slightly less remote than the Old Kate Trail. Some of the trail can be fairly rocky, and there are more changes in elevation. The Old Kate Trail winds through the timber, giving you some nice views of a forest canyon and also a short switchback area of the trail. Coupled with the Old Kate Trail, the total hike is just slightly longer than two miles.

For a map of the entire trail systems, click here.

Just one of the rewards along the trail!