Explore Odessa through a range of interests: lakeside trails, birdlife, local history and wine. Choosing a hiking trail at Odessa Reservoir is especially straightforward, as a loop and a trail with an additional return walk call for different route plans. Other distinct themes include Odessa City Lake, railroad history and Odessa Country Winery. Before looking for a vacation rental, consider which of these themes you would like to shape your stay.
Trails at Odessa Reservoir
The Rocky Roots Trail is one mile long and loops around the older of the two lakes at Odessa Reservoir. It was established in 2024. Its loop shape matters when planning: the stated distance covers the loop, with no additional return walk over the same distance.
The Raptor Point Trail opened in 2025 and is also one mile long, but it does not form a loop. The return walk adds another mile on foot, for a total of two miles there and back. So when comparing the trails, consider their respective layouts as well as their identical one-mile distances.
The Raptor Point Trail also takes hikers close to resident birds of prey, including bald eagles and ospreys. If you are interested in birdlife, you can take this connection with nature into account alongside the trail length when choosing a route.
Boating at Odessa City Lake
Odessa City Lake offers a different focus from the hiking trails: boats are permitted on the lake. Facilities include a boat ramp, a dock, a pavilion and picnic areas. When planning your trip, you can weigh whether to spend more time hiking or boating and using the facilities at the lake.
Discover Odessa’s history
Odessa owes its beginnings to the railroad’s construction through Lafayette County in 1878. The Bowlan Hotel is also part of this history: it was moved from Mt. Hope to Odessa and rebuilt in the new town. The railroad and the hotel’s relocation represent distinct stages in the town’s development.
The Odessa Area Historical Society Museum is located at 203 South Second Street, in the southern part of the Bank of Odessa. Its exact address is a useful reference for culturally minded travelers interested in Odessa’s history.
Wine and a seasonal event note
Odessa Country Winery offers wine tastings and tours. Its selection includes semisweet to sweet grape and fruit wines. There is also a vineyard on site; its grapes have won first place in statewide competitions. The selection therefore includes fruit wines as well as grape wines, all in the semisweet-to-sweet range.
The city’s 2021 annual report described Puddle Jumper Days as an annual summer fair held on the first weekend in August. If the event is important to your trip, check the current dates in advance.
Explore more destinations: Higginsville, Napoleon.
Go to the main travel overview: Lafayette.
