Weston Bend State Park is located in northwest Missouri near the Kansas City metropolitan area. The park is beautifully located along the Missouri river and offers relaxing, camping and other recreational opportunities for park visitors.

Gail and I are hunkered down in our home near Kansas City this time of year. We aren’t traveling right now. Our van Alice is in storage most of the winter months. Generally, our excursions are limited to places an hour or less from our home.

Recently, we had an exceptionally warm weather weekend and we decided to venture out and explore the park.

The Weston Bend State Park has a total of 10-miles of hiking tails. The main trail is a paved 2.75 mile loop that meanders up and down the wooded hills of the park. This trail is perfect for hikers of all ages and skill levels. We consider this trail one of the best walking trails near Kansas City. It also has some beautiful overlook areas of the river.

The Tobacco Barn

Another attraction is the historic tobacco barn located within the park. Built in 1931, the wooden structure can hold 24,000 pounds of tobacco.

The ventilation doors in the sides of the barn allows free circulation of air to help the crop cure properly.

Because I have spent my career in the construction industry, I find the design of the building to be very interesting. The interior has posts and piers, beams, rails and rafters running in seemingly every direction.

The Weston Area

This area of Missouri also has history associated with the Lewis and Clark expedition of 1804. Nearby the park, sits the town of Weston. The quaint town was a jumping off point for the Oregon Trail and prospered in the 1830’s due to busy river traffic. The town was a notable exporter of tobacco and hemp and a producer of whiskey.

Today, Weston is a fun day trip for many area local tourists. Shopping, visiting a winery or eating in one of the town’s local restaurants are true local attractions.