Hit the Trails (& Parks!)

There are few places where you can have brunch in a city's downtown one moment and enjoy an outdoor oasis right in city limits the next. But in Springfield, Missouri, you can! Considered a Gateway to the Great Outdoors, (catchy, huh?) Springfield, Missouri, is a paradise for nature lovers with our parks, trails, rivers, lakes, and more.

With more than 90 parks in the Springfield-Greene County Parks system, you can explore everything from playgrounds to working farms (and even playgrounds at working farms!), pools, tennis courts, dog parks, and much more.  

Rent a kayak and paddle through local waterways, enjoy dozens of public gardens and a botanical center, or check out a free butterfly house where native species live.

Plus, you'll also find miles of paved and dirt trails leading you through urban areas and wooded hills near (or even in) the city. For information on some of the Springfield area's trails, check out Ozark Greenways!