Missouri’s largest city offers a cultured getaway—with scenic landscapes nearby.
Explore art, history, entertainment, and even the great outdoors in Missouri’s largest city, Kansas City, which stretches into Kansas. Downtown, the eclectic Power & Light District is the hub for restaurants, bars, and live entertainment. Sample the famous barbeque while in town to decide whether it truly is the nation’s best. Numerous RV parks and camping spots can be located in the suburbs and surrounding towns, with state parks and public campgrounds among the mix. Campers can even stay at Worlds of Fun theme park, a unique option offering big-rig friendly RV sites and cabin rentals with roller coasters whizzing overhead.
Downtown is dotted with mesmerizing museums, like the National World War I Museum & Memorial, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. To explore all KC offers, you may find camping and cabin accommodations sprinkled throughout the city and its suburbs, including the towns of Independence, Raytown, Lee’s Summit, and Liberty. Private RV parks and campsites offer free wifi, swimming pools, full hookups, and more.
Northeast of downtown, the Watkins Woolen Mill State Historic Site showcases a sliver of Missouri history, with a well-preserved 19th-century textile mill to explore. Get a taste of the 1870s life and then hit the biking and hiking trail, which loops around a 100-acre lake. The onsite campground is well wooded, offering electric hookups at the majority of the park’s 96 campsites.
About 40 minutes northwest of downtown is another of the Kansas City region’s scenic state parks. Offering views of the Missouri River, hiking and biking trails, and a historic tobacco barn, Weston Bend is a retreat from the bustling city. Campers will find tent sites and RV campsites with electric-only hookups.
If you want to hit the waters while in town, trek over to Lake Jacomo, Longview Lake, or Blue Springs Lake, hot spots for sailboating, boating, fishing, kayaking, and more. A number of hiking trails line the waters. Jackson County Parks & Rec operates three public campgrounds along the shores, including Blue Springs Campground, Jacomo Campground, and Longview Campground, all of which have tent camping and RV sites with full hookups, as well as primitive and electric-only sites.
Spring and fall are the best time for visiting Kansas City. Cooler temperatures prevail, making outdoor adventures more pleasant. Summer brings heat and humidity, but travelers can still enjoy all that the city offers. Winter is generally not a recommended time for camping, as freezing temperatures and winter precipitation blast the region, but decent weather can often be found amid the mix.