Winter Trails Along the Water’s Edge

The boat is winterized and stored, awaiting the first signs of spring for most of us, but there’s still plenty of opportunities to enjoy the water. Parks and conservation areas provide fabulous hiking trails around lakes and rivers throughout the region. And one of the benefits of winter walks is the chance to see views that are often blocked during the rest of the year — like this view of the Missouri River from the trail at Weston Bend State Park.

Are you looking to get out of the house and enjoy the water? Here are some helpful links:

• Smithville Lake https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/missouri/smithville-lake-trail-loop
• Clay County (MO) https://www.claycountymo.gov/departments/commission-departments/parks/trails
• Missouri Department of Conservation https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/activities/hiking
• Missouri State Parks https://mostateparks.com/activity/hiking
• Kansas https://www.travelks.com/things-to-do/sports-and-outdoors/hiking
• Kansas https://ksoutdoors.com/Outdoor-Activities/HIKING-BIKING-HORSEBACK-RIDING