Riverside can be explored through a range of interests: paved trails along the Missouri, a longer multi-use route, an archaeologically significant park, and indoor recreation. When planning, it’s worth distinguishing between the trails with similar-sounding names. The E.H. Young Riverfront Park, the Missouri Riverfront Trail, and the Linear Trail each have their own length and route details. You can first decide whether river trails, a specific connection, history, or an indoor activity should shape your stay.
River Trails with Different Features
E.H. Young Riverfront Park offers 1.3 miles of paved park trails and a riverwalk along the Missouri River. The Missouri Riverfront Trail is a separate route: a 4.8-mile multi-use trail for hiking and biking. It runs near E.H. Young Park, crossing the Quindaro Bend Levee to English Landing Park. The different lengths and uses can help you choose: the park trails are paved, while the Riverfront Trail is designated for hiking and biking and leads to a named destination.
The main access point for the Missouri Riverfront Trail is the West Trailhead on 9 Hwy West, at the second entrance on the left after N Mattox Road. Check the official trail status before setting out.
Linear Trail and Riverside Waterfall
The Linear Trail is 1.3 miles long and runs along NW Platte Dr in Riverside. It connects Riverside with Briarcliff in Kansas City and offers a direct view of Riverside Waterfall. Unlike the Riverfront Trail, its main features are the connection to Briarcliff and this specific viewpoint. The Missouri Riverfront Trail, in turn, has a special place in the history of trails: it was the first trail in the Kansas City area to use the top of a levee for hiking and biking.
Archaeological History at Renner Brenner Park
Renner Brenner Park includes a prehistoric archaeological site that has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1969. The park grounds were a regional center for Indigenous people during the Hopewell period, from 1 to 500 CE. This gives the park a different focus from the river trails: archaeological history and a specifically named period take center stage.
Renner Brenner Park also serves as a starting point for the Line Creek Trail. Visitors interested in trails and cultural history can take this connection into account when planning, without confusing it with the routes of the Missouri Riverfront Trail or the Linear Trail.
Recreation Beyond the Trails
E.H. Young Riverfront Park has a large playground with a zip line, two-story slides, and a hillside slide. The play areas are intended for children ages 2 to 12. River Roll Skate Center is an indoor roller-skating rink in Riverside, Missouri, adding an indoor activity rather than another trail to the options.
Morton Amphitheater in Riverside offers an outdoor setting for private concerts and is connected to the Missouri Riverfront Trail. Bicycle parking is located near the trailhead. If you’re making specific plans around an event, check the latest information, as arrangements may change on the day of the event.
You can use these differences to choose your focus: the river trails provide details about length, surface, or type of use; the Linear Trail connects two places and offers a view of the waterfall; and Renner Brenner Park adds archaeology and history to the picture.
Discover more destinations: Platte City, Ferrelview.
For the broader travel overview: Platte.
