Best of KC 2026: Picturesque Parkville, complete with a waterfall
English Landing Park // Photo by Samantha Russell
Earlier this month, we published The Pitch’s annual Best of Kansas City issue. You can take a peek at the results of the readers’ poll here. The issue also included a list, compiled and written by our editorial staff, of some local people, places, and things that we think make 2026 KC life feel like a winner. We’ll be publishing these online throughout June and July.
Though the Missouri River cuts through Kansas City, there are few places you can actually walk alongside its banks. Parkville’s English Landing Park is a choice spot.
It offers a scenic view of the muddy Missouri along a gravel path, with a glimpse of Kansas on the other side. Staid benches memorializing a grandmother or a couple’s long-enduring relationship turn outward underneath the shade of cottonwood trees. For those who enjoy a good wall-staring pastime, I highly recommend river-staring.
Sit on one of these benches and stare at the river’s swirling undercurrent. It is hypnotic and serene and conjures a semblance of purpose. The landing as a whole crafts a picturesque scene that is every historical impressionist painter’s reference for a perfect park day. The only things missing are actual parasols and wide-brim hats fond of frivolity.
Just across town is the Parkville Nature Sanctuary, contained in 115 acres of protected land.
In spring, summer, and sometimes fall, the sanctuary boasts a natural waterfall not far from the start of the trail. A trickling stream runs beside the footpath and leads to a towering Midwestern waterfall, all of 20 feet tall. The sanctuary has over three miles of hiking trails. You can combine all of them to hit the full 3 miles, or take them piecewise, with trails ranging from 1.5-mile loops to ADA-accessible paths. Or, the I’m-only-here-for-the-waterfall short hike that’s less than a mile round trip for prime viewing.
No matter what you pick, Parkville Nature Sanctuary resurrects the enchanting childhood belief that fairies really could exist.
