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Best Mountain Hikes near Kansas City

The directory currently contains 13 quality-checked routes matching this guide near Kansas City. Their average mapped distance is 10.5 km and average recorded ascent is 85 m (279 ft); the longest route in the set is 87.6 km.

This subset represents 30% of the 44 quality-checked routes near Kansas City. Its average distance is 10.5 km, compared with 5.7 km across the full local set.

These routes carry the mountain tag. Their measured distance and ascent are shown separately so the label is not used as a proxy for difficulty. Within this set, 8 routes (62%) are rated easy, 1 (8%) are rated hard or expert, and 8 (62%) are recorded as loops. Ratings are computed from available distance and elevation data and do not establish current terrain or access.

Data refreshed September 2026

Choose by the details

How do these routes differ?

A closer look at the first 6 routes in this page’s default ordering. These comparisons describe this sample, not the entire destination or a field-tested recommendation.

Shortest mapped distance in this sample

1.0 km

Shawnee Trace Nature Trail - Red Trail

Compare the climbing too; shortest does not necessarily mean easiest.

Lowest recorded ascent in this sample

0 m

Shawnee Trace Nature Trail - Red Trail

6 of 6 have ascent data. Missing measurements are excluded.

Return logistics

3 recorded loops

Check start and finish for every option. An unknown shape does not mean a loop, and a loop does not establish access to its start.

Plan the return journey →

Distances follow stored route lines; ascent and time are estimates. Current access, surface and technical difficulty need separate checks. How to turn a comparison into a shortlist.

Trails

Burlington Northern Santa Fe 5399(C44-9W), 777(C44-9W), Kansas City Southern 4807(ES44AC) and 1890(SD40-2) Lead a Westbound Manifest on the BNSF Emporia Sub near Timberland Blvd West of Northgate Street in Olathe, Kansas Photo Taken: 3-5-17
Expert

ADT - Kansas - N - Seg 1

Kansas · United States

Distance
87.6 km
/ 54.5 mi
Elevation gain
320 m
Typical duration
20 hr
  • Mountain
  • Long-distance path
Easy

Eleanor

Missouri · United States

Distance
4.7 km
/ 2.9 mi
Elevation gain
28 m
Typical duration
1 hr 1 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Moderate

Slim Jim

Missouri · United States

Distance
4.6 km
/ 2.8 mi
Elevation gain
158 m
Typical duration
1 hr 11 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Moderate

Lower Rock Ledges Loop

Missouri · United States

Distance
5.2 km
/ 3.2 mi
Elevation gain
116 m
Typical duration
1 hr 15 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Moderate

Rock Ledges

Missouri · United States

Distance
7.5 km
/ 4.6 mi
Elevation gain
138 m
Typical duration
1 hr 46 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push
Easy

Upper Rock Ledges Loop

Missouri · United States

Distance
4.2 km
/ 2.6 mi
Elevation gain
51 m
Typical duration
57 min
  • Mountain
  • Summit push

The shortlist, side by side

The ten highest scoring routes on this page, so you can compare effort before opening any of them.

Distance, ascent, walking time and difficulty for the top routes
RouteDistanceAscentTimeDifficultyBest season
ADT - Kansas - N - Seg 1Kansas87.6 km320 m20 hrExpertApril to October
Shawnee Trace Nature Trail - Blue LoopMissouri1.9 km8 m24 minEasyApril to October
Shawnee Trace Nature Trail - Green LoopMissouri1.2 km15 m17 minEasyApril to October
Shawnee Trace Nature Trail - Red TrailMissouri1.0 km0 m12 minEasyApril to October
Carl L. Chinnery Nature TrailMissouri4.3 km67 m59 minEasyApril to October
Monkey Mountain Nature Reserve SouthwestMissouri5.3 km113 m1 hr 17 minModerateApril to October
EleanorMissouri4.7 km28 m1 hr 1 minEasyApril to October
Larry Mattonen Memorial TrailMissouri4.1 km40 m55 minEasyApril to October
Slim JimMissouri4.6 km158 m1 hr 11 minModerateApril to October
Monkey Mountain Nature Reserve NorthEastMissouri4.5 km54 m1 hr 1 minEasyApril to October

ADT - Kansas - N - Seg 1, Shawnee Trace Nature Trail - Blue Loop, Shawnee Trace Nature Trail - Green Loop currently rank highest in this filtered set according to the directory score. Open an individual route to inspect its mapped line, elevation profile, data source and planning caveats. Check live access, conditions and local rules with an official source before travelling.

Frequently asked questions

Plan with more confidence

All planning articles →

Choosing a route

How to choose a hike beyond the difficulty label

Compare distance, climbing, route shape and missing information to build a shortlist that fits your day.

Read article →

Understanding the map

Read an elevation profile without misreading the climb

Understand total ascent, net height change, profile scale and the section breakdown on each mapped route.

Read article →

Planning your day

Build a hiking time plan with room for your own pace

Separate moving time, climbing allowance and stops, then explore how changing your assumptions changes the plan.

Read article →

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