Whether you like to hike, bike, fish, swim or picnic, there’s no shortage of outdoor fun in Johnson County. Johnson County Park and Recreation District manages 17 county parks with acres upon acres of green space and plenty of amenities for recreation and leisure.

As summer approaches, it’s the perfect time to dive into nature and plan your next park outing. In this guide to JCPRD’s parks, you can learn more about the parks in your county – from the adventurous ecosystem of Ernie Miller Park to the athletic opportunities of Heritage Park.

Antioch Park

Located off Antioch Road in Merriam, Antioch Park is JCPRD’s oldest park. The park features two fishing lakes, basketball, bocce ball, and tennis courts, a fire circle, horseshoe pits, a multi-functional shelter, and more. The Historic Dodge Town play area is themed around the Wild West, and the Helen S. Cuddy Rose Garden has a variety of roses and shrubs.

Arthur and Betty Verhaeghe Park

Arthur and Betty Verhaeghe Park is an 11-acre park, accessible along the Coffee Creek Streamway Trail off 167th Street in Overland Park. The park’s playground is farm-themed, and the park also includes a shelter. The land for the park was donated by Arthur and Bette Verhaeghe of Overland Park.

Big Bull Creek Park

The largest park operated by JCPRD, Big Bull Creek Park spans more than 2,000 acres across Edgerton and Gardner. In addition to a nature-based play area and splash pad, the park also offers picnic shelters, a prairie restoration area, hiking and mountain bike trail access, and an 18-hole disc golf course.

Camp Branch Glade

Camp Branch Glade is located off W. 175th Street and Nall Avenue in Stilwell. This 58-acre park features 1.5 miles of unpaved nature trails, picnic tables with charcoal grills, a drinking fountain and more. It’s one of the only sites in the county with prickly pear cactus and limestone features.

Cedar Niles Park

Cedar Niles Park is JCPRD’s newest park, opening in 2022. The park is located west of K-7, stretching more than 1,000 acres from 119th to 135th Street. Cedar Niles Park offers four miles of multi-use paved trails and 4.5 miles of mountain biking and hiking trails. The park also features a shelter, playground and bike fix-it station.

Coffee Creek Streamway Park

Accessible from Heritage Park and Arthur and Betty Verhaeghe Park, Coffee Creek Streamway Park is a 3.4-mile paved trail in Olathe. This park is part of JCPRD’s strategic efforts to promote conservation along major streamways in Johnson County.

Ernie Miller Park

Ernie Miller Park is a nature park featuring tallgrass prairies, upland meadows, nature trails and more. The park features a medium shelter. Ernie Miller Park also consists of a nature center, which provides educational programs and exhibits where visitors can learn about plants and animals. The center also has a 500-gallon aquarium and wildlife viewing room.

Heritage Park

Heritage Park, south of 159th Street between Black Bob Road and Pflumm Road in Olathe, offers a wide variety of amenities. This includes 10 picnic shelters, a 30-acre dog off-leash area, an 18-hole disc golf course, and softball, football, and soccer fields. The park also features the 18-hole Heritage Park Golf Course and driving range.

Kill Creek Park

On the western side of Johnson County is Kill Creek Park, an 897-acre park that includes TimberRidge Adventure Center. The park features four picnic shelters, a swimming beach and marina, and a lake for fishing and boating. You can climb the Russell and Helen Means Observation Tower for scenic views, and hike and bike on the park’s 12 miles of trails. Please note, TimberRidge Adventure Center is only available by reservation or as part of programming.

Kill Creek Streamway Park

Kill Creek Streamway Park consists of a paved shared-use trail, as well as a 16-acre dog off-leash area. The trail totals approximately 8.9 miles near Lexington Avenue in De Soto. This park is part of JCPRD’s strategic efforts to promote conservation along major streamways in Johnson County.

Lexington Lake Park

Located west of De Soto near K-10, Lexington Lake Park is a prairie environment with plenty of amenities. It features a 27-acre lake, shelter, disc golf course and a 1.6-mile paved multi-use trail around the lake. The park also offers nine miles of mountain bike trails to the north of the lake.

Meadowbrook Park

Meadowbrook Park offers 80 acres of green space off Nall Avenue in Prairie Village. Amenities abound with the Treeline Adventure destination playground, the Grand Pavilion, four shelters, an inclusive playground, The Grove playground, pickleball courts, paved trails, three lakes and the Meadowbrook Park Clubhouse.

Mill Creek Streamway Park

With its more than 17 miles of multi-use paved trail and three miles of equestrian trails, Mill Creek Streamway Park extends from the Kansas River south through Shawnee, Lenexa and Olathe. This park is part of JCPRD’s strategic efforts to promote conservation along major streamways in Johnson County.

Shawnee Mission Park

Highlights at Shawnee Mission Park, located off 79th Street and Renner Road in Shawnee, include numerous walking and biking trails and a 120-acre lake. Featuring a swimming beach and marina, with available boat rentals, the lake is a popular spot for boating, fishing, sailing and more. The park also offers 11 shelters, picnic areas, an inclusive playground, an archery range, a 44-acre dog off-leash area that includes a beach, an 18-hole disc golf course and the new Art Nine disc golf course.

Stilwell Community Park

Off 207th Street in Stilwell, Stilwell Community Park is the location of JCPRD’s first inclusive playground, as well as a shelter and one-mile multi-use trail. The park encompasses diverse terrain, including wetland, grassland and riparian woodland in the county’s southeast edge.

Sunflower Nature Park

Just south of K-10 near Edgerton Road is Sunflower Nature Park, a 57-acre park in De Soto. The park’s amenities include a one-mile loop trail, small pond, picnic shelter, restrooms, grill and multi-purpose fields.

Thomas S. Stoll Memorial Park

Thomas S. Stoll Memorial Park spans 80 acres in Overland Park off 119th Street and Quivira. The park features a paved walking trail, picnic shelter, playground, small pond, dog off-leash area and seven athletic fields. The park was named after Thomas S. Stoll, who played a key role in the park’s development.