How One Woman Turned Kansas City Streets Into Hiking Trails

In 2017, Stacey Davis attended a talk in Kansas City given by a woman who spoke of hiking close to home in San Francisco. In fact, those hikes were in that city, a form of recreation known as urban hiking.

“That got me thinking, and I started doing it on my own,” says Davis, who manages the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center in Kansas City.

Davis, an avid hiker and backpacker, used Google Maps to find clusters of green spaces within the city. She then selected a neighborhood with a rich history, activated Strava to map her route for future reference, and began walking. Initially, she hiked three miles, but eventually, she extended her journeys to 12 miles, stopping occasionally at breweries for a beer.

“I can do it on any old Saturday or Sunday,” says Davis. “I don’t have to take extra days off work to be able to hike somewhere for 10 miles.”

Enjoying the experience immensely, Davis wanted to share it with the public. In 2021, she launched a program in Kansas City, guiding groups of about a dozen people through the metro area while sharing information about plants, wildlife, and the histories of various neighborhoods.

Davis isn’t alone. Outdoor enthusiasts across the country have begun creating urban hikes and, in some instances, guiding others, all with the common aim of helping people recognize that there are still ways to enjoy nature while frequently walking on concrete.

“The benefits of being outside in nature and within green spaces have been proven to enhance both mental and physical health, yet so many people think, ‘If I want to go on a hike or to a nature spot, I have to drive my car,’” Davis explains. “I’m trying to help people realize that there is nature close to home and that they can benefit from it simply by stepping outside and exploring a new neighborhood.”

Urban hikes have gained popularity through a blend of volunteers and businesses now offering them. For instance, in San Francisco, citizens established a 17-mile intracity route called the Crosstown Trail, along with a website filled with information about the path. It became so busy that the founder, Bob Siegel, told The New York Times, “It’s gone too viral.”

Miles Howard, a journalist, hiked the Crosstown Trail and was inspired to create a similar trail in Boston. Companies in Kansas City and San Francisco also provide paid guided hikes, while in New York, park rangers conduct free hikes.

Davis and the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) typically offer five free guided hikes each year during spring, summer, and fall. One of their most popular hikes traverses the River Market and Columbus Park neighborhoods. During the hike, Davis often notes that River Market has become a nesting site for peregrine falcons, a bird that was on the state’s endangered species list until 2021. She also discusses surrounding native plants, such as little bluestem, purple poppy mallow, and fragrant sumac, as well as invasive species, like the Callery pear tree and wintercreeper (a vine), highlighting why they are problematic and how people can manage them.

“My goal is to point out the good stuff and the things that you would want to remove from a neighborhood,” says Davis. “Hopefully, more people will take what they learn back to their own neighborhoods or homes and try to improve their green spaces.”

Most of the routes pass through historic neighborhoods, including Union Hill, which dates back to the 19th century and is home to the city’s oldest public cemetery.

“Not only are there great big trees to talk about, but there’s a lot of symbolism connected to trees and plants on the headstones,” says Davis. “There’s that historical component and how nature and the arts intersect.”

Of course, people have walked through cities and enjoyed green spaces long before the concept of urban hikes emerged. However, it seems this label has sparked renewed interest in the activity. The hikes offered by the Kansas City and San Francisco companies mentioned earlier boast hundreds of five-star reviews online.

The Missouri Department of Conservation says it will post details of this year’s hikes on its events page starting May 1. (The first hike is set for May 27 in Parkville, near Kansas City.) Registration opens about a month before each hike, and spots tend to fill up quickly. 

Will there be more urban hikes offered throughout the state? Not at this time, says the MDC, but in the long term, we wouldn’t bet against it. Davis notes that the demand for such hikes stems from people being “aware of how much better they feel if they get outside.”

Author: Eric Berger is a contributor to Terrain.

Top image: David Stonner/MDC.