Waterfall Park

This is a lovely place. Many trees make the place shady and cozy. There is a large Pavilion with several picnic tables, and several other picnic tables spread throughout the trees. Overlooks a large pond/​almost lake. Behind Bass Pro so check out the giant fishtank!

Nice park with lots of things to do. Great for kids who can’t stay put and a nice view of water where you can fish. Located behind the Bass Pro Shop. You can even walk to a waterfall, which was pleasant for me. Plenty of seats to sit and relax and trees everywhere. Parking is a few feet away.

Great urban birding spot. During the spring, expect to hear nearly all migrating warblers & vireos. The trees are alive with color in the summer with nesting pairs of Baltimore Orioles, Northern Parulas, & Red-​headed Woodpeckers. The lake attracts gulls & a good variety wintering waterfowl. Great Blue Herons are year-​round residents. I would give more stars, but seeing new development in the area disappoints & concerns me.

We had parked in the parking lot at Waterfall park and it is a really pretty setting. Kids playing on the playground, people feeding the geese, and just enjoying the outdoors. The bank was full of people fishing and we got in about 3 miles by the time we were done exploring and walking the trail.
If you are looking for a longer walk, park by the Lee Summit road entrance and start your walk/​run from there. I plan on doing this next time to get in more miles and get into my zone. I am also wondering if they plan on extending the trail further as the new construction gets completed. It would be nice if they could loop the trail. Easy trail that is paved, anyone can do it!

I was planning on taking a jog at Loose Park with my mum, but she didn’t have the time to make the trip out to Brookside. That’s when I remembered the nearby Bass Pro Shop and the Waterfall Park! Hurray!
It was a nice scenic trail with a pond, leaves rustling in the wind, geese doing their goose thing, etc. We passed some playground equipment that looked pretty nice. There are picnic tables and some public restrooms that reminded me of rest-​stop bathrooms. We didn’t feel the urge to take a peek, but they looked reasonably well-​kept from the exterior.
I do, however, have a few tiny complaints… 1) The waterfall is not on the trail! That really sucks. We had to run on the tiny road with cars whizzing by us just to see the thing up close. But I must admit, the view was worth risking an untimely death by SUV. The waterfall is beautiful! 2) The amount of geese was intense. Even more intense, was the amount of goose feces. ‘Nuff said. 3) The trail comes very near the rear of the Bass Pro Shop store. I may just be nit-​picking, but I found it to take away from the whole being-​one-​with-​nature thing I had going on.
Other than that, it was great. I would definitely recommend this park to my friends and I will probably come back with my kids when it warms up a bit.

I was going to Hobby Lobby, and I got caught in the turn around, ended up going another way and drove clear to the other side of Bass Pro Shop. Irritated me, but it’s alright. I found Waterfall Park. It is located just southwest of Hobby Lobby, and before entering the large parking lot of Bass Pro Drive. If you drive by it, you’ll see the parking lot. I go to Hobby Lobby often, I never thought to stop.
At first, I didn’t think it was much of a park, per se, but I was surprised when I got out of my car, and walked around. The Parks and Recreation Department created a nice little oasis, hidden in the «marshes» of the Little Blue River.
There is a small parking lot, which beckoned me to park. There were kids on the playground equipment, which is one large main unit. There is also a smaller playground, across from it.
Plenty of picnic tables, with a plethora of trees for shading. The trees were there, before the park was built. They make it look perfectly woodsy. There is a large shelter house, on the side of the lake, which was built for Bass Pro Shop.
The lake intercepts with the Little Blue River, and there’s trails, made with mulch, leading a short walk to the river bank. Around this area, people can fish, or sit and watch the river. I heard ducks, but didn’t see them.
In the park itself, the picnic tables have a few outdoor grills near them. There’s fully equip bathrooms, that are roomy and clean. Pretty good for a Missouri park. I saw plenty of people utilizing the many walking trails around the area. I also saw people with dogs on a leash.
In Independence, this is a plus. I love the river setting. It’s peaceful, and reconnects people with nature.