Skip to: site navigation | page content | footer (site information)

• Fishing
• Hunting & Trapping
• Forestry
• Nature
• Private Land
• Education

Kansas City Area links:

• Conservation Areas in Kansas City Region
• A Guide for Kansas City Hunters
• Kansas City Guide to Disabled Angler Fishing Facilities
• The Nutshell Newsletter
• Volunteering
• Hunter Education

Address Information

• Regional MDC Office
  3424 N.W. Duncan Road
  Blue Springs, MO 64015
  Phone: (816) 655-6250
  Fax: (816) 655-6256
• Discovery Center
  4750 Troost
  Kansas City MO 64110
  Phone: (816) 759-7300
  Fax: (816) 759-7333
• Liberty Office
  1 Victory Drive
  Suite 100
  Liberty MO 64068
  Phone: (816) 792-8662

Destinations

• Burr Oak Woods Nature Center
• Discovery Center
• James A Reed Memorial Wildlife Area
• Lost Valley Hatchery
• Shooting Ranges

The Missouri Department of Conservation invites you to explore the Kansas City regional web page. If you have any questions about where things are, just go to the navigation area at the bottom of the page. And feel free to click on the Comments/ Questions button to let us know what you think.

Kansas City Regional Notices

• **Burr Oak Woods Conservation Nature Center will cancel public programs if the Blue Springs School District is closed due to inclement weather.**
• Blind Pony Lake is closed for renovation for the next several years. Only Blind Pony Lake itself is closed. The rest of the area, including four small ponds, is open as usual.
• Other nearby lakes available for fishing include: Malta Bend Community Lake, Marshall Habilitation Center Lake, Maple Leaf Lake Conservation Area near Higginsville, Edwin A. Pape Lake near Concordia, and Lake Wooldridge at Van Meter State Park.
• Blind Pony Hatchery is one of six locations in the nation that is hatching the federally endangered pallid sturgeon and the Department of Conservation is taking advantage of federal funds to replace hatchery water supply lines, construct an additional building, and drain and deepen the lake. Blind Pony’s capability to raise other fish for statewide stocking will also be enhanced.

James A. Reed Wildlife Area

1. Area hours: October 31, 2009 to March 14, 2010 – area open from 6:00am – 7:00pm daily.
2. Portions of the James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area’s Multi use trail will be closed for managed dove hunts September 1 – 4th. See office for details.
3. Portions of the James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Areas roads are closed for repairs. Other portions of the area roads are under construction. Check with the area office for up-to-date information on roads.
4. James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area will be closed to public use except for Managed Muzzleloader Deer Hunt participants November 9th - 13th and November 16th – 20th 2009. The area is open to the public during the Managed Archery Hunt October 31- November 8th.

Special Topics

National Hunting and Fishing Day

Come celebrate our outdoor heritage with free outdoor activities and family fun. Click here for more information.

Fishing Maps

• Smithville Lake Brushpile Locations
• Watkin's Mill Brushpile Locations
• Blue Springs Lake, Lake Jacomo, Longview Lake, and Prairie Lee Lake brushpile locations
• Kansas City Area Fish Attractors: Interactive GIS map showing individual fish attractors by county and by lake.

Archery Deer Hunting in Kansas City

• See the Urban Deer Hunting Resource for information on where to hunt in urban areas.
• Private Land Archery Deer Hunting in Kansas City - On December 18, 2003 the City Council of the City of Kansas City, Missouri unanimously passed an ordinance which allows “bow hunting of deer within the city limits by licensed hunters on allowed hunting areas pursuant to an archery managed hunt authorized by the Missouri Department of Conservation”. The hope of the council is to reduce the number of deer within the city and in effect increase public safety. However, based on concerns for public safety, the council decided on a managed hunting structure rather than opening hunting citywide.
• MDC Bow Hunter Education Courses - a listing of courses available in the Kansas City region.

Walk A Trail at Burr Oak Woods!

Visit Burr Oak Woods Nature Center and Conservation Area with your family!   Burr Oak Woods Nature Center has many interesting exhibits, a 3000 gallon aquarium, a nature gift shop, and a bird viewing area.  Call (816) 228-3766 to get information on programs currently available for adults and children.

Burr Oak Woods Nature Center is open Monday through Saturday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday 12:00 noon to 5:00 pm. 

Enjoy walking any of the five (5) hiking trails that wind through the woodlands and rock outcroppings.  Burr Oak Woods is home to many deer and turkey, as well as other wildlife.     Burr Oak Woods has 1,071 acres of woodlands, fields, glades, streams, and ponds and is located north of I-70, just west of 7 Highway in Blue Springs.  

From March 8th to October 31st ,  Burr Oak Woods Conservation Area will open at 8:00 am with gates locking promptly at 8:00 pm.

Burr Oak Woods is a great place to take your family!

James A. Reed Wildlife Area Bird List

Check out the birds of the James A. Reed Wildlife Area in Lee's Summit. This new bird checklist includes all the birds which have been recorded on this popular area.

The Discovery Center

The Discovery Center is a conservation learning center that emphasizes learning by doing. This facility is a joint project of the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

• News
• Blog
• Magazine
• Videos
• Events Calendar
• Atlas
• 
• 
• 

• MDC home
• MO State home
• MDC Nature Shop
• Advanced Search
• Site Help
• Contact Us

©2009 Conservation Commission of Missouri. All Rights Reserved. Accessibility | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use

About MDC | Jobs