Hodge Park - Mountain Bike Trail

The Hodge Park trails are some of the best beginner-friendly trails that Kansas City, Missouri has to offer. They were originally about four miles long, but with the recent expansion, the trail system is now about 7 miles/11.3 km. You get two entry points connected through a paved trail. That said, the main singletrack trails are in a fairly woody area, so while they may not be technical, you’ll likely have to dodge the occasional branch.

Before you go:

Drinking water

Restrooms

Fee required

Lift service

Fat bike grooming

Family Friendly

Night riding

E-bikes allowed

Dogs Allowed

Obstacles

Shuttles

Detailed Trail Description

As mentioned above, the Hodge Park trail system is a trail network that can be accessed through two trailheads, and you can start from either. These trailheads are not accessible by car, and you may have to do some riding to reach them. That said, if you want to get as close as possible with your car, you can turn south from NE 96th onto NE Reinking Road. Follow it to the parking.

After that, you follow the trail at the end of the parking to an intersection with Shoal Creek Trail. Turn South and follow the Shoal Creek trail until you come across an intersection with the Twisted Branch Loop trail. Turn onto the trail with the trailhead for the Hodge Park Trails being just ahead.

The original Trail consisted only of the Farmtastic and Twisted branch loops. However, now you can branch out from Farmtastic onto the additional sections, including Hey Ride, Double Oaked, and Buffalo Trace. The Buffalo Trace trailhead connects to a paved trail that loops back to the first trailhead. As such, you can choose whether to double back on the singletrack or ride on the paved trail to your starting point.

While the rest of the trails are mostly easy, we noticed that Buffalo Trace is slightly more challenging. That said, if you can handle Buffalo Trace, it’s smooth riding on pavement back to the first trailhead.

There are also a couple of rocky sections, especially near the first trailhead.

Some named sections along the trail are Cedar Maze, Found Ation, OL’ Rocky Top, Skinny Bench, and Field Loop. It’s worth noting that the Hodge Park Trails may be closed occasionally, depending on the weather or when construction is going on.

Additional Trail Features

• Extra fees; Unless you’re using the Hodge Park Golf course, there should be no extra charges for using the trails.
• Obstacles; Apart from a few rocky sections that barely count as obstacles, the rest is smooth sailing.
• Shuttles; Most vehicles can’t get past the parking lot, so you’ll have to make it all the way back there without the help of a shuttle or your car.

Sights of Interest, landscapes, views

The newer trails give you access to the Shoal Creek Living History Museum, so you might want to stop by and have a look.

Recommendations/precautions

•       Before you go, it might be a good idea to check the Urbantrailco website for availability. The trail may be closed due to weather or construction, and it’s safer not to use it during these periods.