James A. Reed Wildlife Area

As a birder, JAR provides one a variety of habitats in which nearly 200 species have been recorded via eBird. There are several hiking locations & multiple stocked lakes for fishing (only downfall is that it gets busy on weekends & many leave trash behind). The are also provides good bike riding with many miles of paved & gravel roads. Easy to get to & find, recommend birders to check the area out.

James A. Reed Wildlife area is located in between Greenwood and Lees Summit Missouri off of 50 highway and Ranson Road. It’s a good hike, some of it rugged and some not with varied scenery. I started at Bodarc lake and followed Big Creek until I hit the Water fowl marsh. The trail took me through a rocky craggy watery area, then to a savannah, and out towards the the Water fowl marsh. I missed the savannah area the first time because some of the trails are over grown. I originally tried to hike this trail in the Fall but couldn’t due to hunting season, at this time of year, summer months, only fishing was allowed.
Before starting to hike I recommend talking to one of the rangers in the station. The one I spoke to gave me a map and advice on which trails to take.
This is a great hiking area but can be challenging, also some ticks were abound.