River Front Trail
- 1.8 mi
- round trip
- 160 ft
- climb
- 730 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Mar–Apr, Jun
- best months
River Front Trail is a short, easy hike in Missouri, about 0.8 miles from the town of Courtney. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages the land, and the trail is an out-and-back route that covers about 3.5 miles round trip with a total elevation gain of about 11 feet. The trail starts at roughly 717 feet and reaches a high point of about 730 feet, with the steepest stretch at about 0.78 miles in, where the grade reaches about 6 percent. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Independence show May highs around 74°F and October highs around 67°F, while July averages about 87°F and January highs sit near 38°F. The trail is not open to bikes or horses. For more time on foot, S. Meadow Trail and Rush Creek Trail are both within about 6 miles. Climbers can find The Overhang and Fun Wall "AKA The Book" roughly 9 miles away.
- S. Meadow TrailHiking5.6 mi
- Rush Creek TrailHiking5.8 mi
- The OverhangRock climbing9.2 mi
- Big and Small Crack Areas "AKA Lefty Wall"Rock climbing9.3 mi
- Fun Wall "AKA The Book"Rock climbing9.3 mi
- Cliff Drive's BacksideRock climbing9.3 mi
- Maple Woods NaHiking9.5 mi
- Prairie Connector TrailHiking9.7 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- S. Meadow TrailHiking · ~10 min drive
- Rush Creek TrailHiking · ~10 min drive
- Maple Woods NaHiking · ~16 min drive
- Prairie Connector TrailHiking · ~17 min drive
- Bethany Falls TrailHiking · ~17 min drive
- Hickory Grove TrailHiking · ~17 min drive
- Missouri Tree TrailHiking · ~17 min drive
- Wildlife Habitat TrailHiking · ~18 min drive
- Paved Bicycle Lake TrailHiking · ~30 min drive
- Equestrian Trail SystemHiking · ~32 min drive
Best time to visit River Front Trail
Best months: March–April, June and September–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
38° / 19°
7 wet · 3 snow
Feb
43° / 23°
6 wet · 2 snow
Mar
55° / 33°
9 wet · 1 snow
Apr
65° / 43°
11 wet
May
74° / 54°
13 wet
Jun
83° / 63°
11 wet
Jul
87° / 68°
10 wet
Aug
86° / 66°
9 wet
Sep
78° / 57°
9 wet
Oct
67° / 45°
9 wet
Nov
53° / 33°
7 wet · 1 snow
Dec
42° / 24°
7 wet · 2 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Independence, MO, 7.1 mi away at 985 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
