What we’re about
### Sierra Club Kansas City Outings
Welcome to our Meetup site, where as volunteers we manage activity announcements and sign-ups.
### Our Programs
We offer various outdoor programs, including beginner backpacking. This is typically held in spring and fall, supported by our modern equipment library and a separate wilderness navigation course. Additionally, we organize day hikes, service days, other activities, and backpacking trips.
### Our Mission
Part of the National Sierra Club's "Local Outdoors" program, our outings focus on the Kansas City area community. We are a coalition of the Sierra Club's Thomas Hart Benton, Kanza & Wakarusa groups. We aim to be inclusive and welcome individuals from all backgrounds, with many members committed to conservation, equity, and social welfare advocacy.
If you're looking for advocacy opportunities - check out our Sierra Club | Kansas City | Advocacy | Environment Meetup Group.
### Locations
Our activities take place in well-known locations like Missouri and Kansas, and sometimes farther afield. Historically, these areas had different names and inhabitants. Here are some resources to explore these historical contexts: mapping tool, trail references, and additional perspective.
### Get Involved
Looking to connect with nature, meet new people, or get some exercise? Our local outings are here on Meetup; together with Sierra Club's domestic and international outings, we have something for everyone. Join us today! While membership is not required to participate, joining the Sierra Club for as little as $15 supports our programs.
### Support and Contributions
We may ask for small donations to cover the costs of things like leader training and maintaining our gear lending library. Note, donations to the Sierra Club are not tax-deductible (we're a Section 501(c)(4) non-profit organization under the Internal Revenue Code.) Our leaders are unpaid volunteers who generously give their time. Speaking of that, we're always interested in finding new leaders and assistant leaders.
### Join Our Leadership Team!
🌟 Love the outdoors and having fun? We're looking for additional leaders to join us to take people on amazing adventures! Start as an assistant leader (sweep) and grow into a leadership role, all while building valuable skills and making lifelong connections.
Our training and certification, including Wilderness First Aid, ensures you lead safely and confidently. And yes, there's a bit of paperwork—it's simple.
Join the team, make a real difference, and enjoy the journeys! 🚶♂️🌲💪😉
### Backpacking Trips
In addition to our beginner backpacking program, we host beginner and advanced backpacking trips locally and regionally, with options for national and international outings. These trips offer progression for those who complete the beginner program and provide team-building opportunities for leaders.
### Activities and Leadership
Our volunteer leaders organize diverse activities based on their interests, including both backpacking but also day hikes, cycling, and camping. We also engage in conservation efforts like picking up trash, bird watching, and trail maintenance. And sometimes we take social trips with a community or historical connection. Our leaders are certified and trained in first aid, which sets us apart.
### Participation Requirements
- RSVP: Please RSVP in advance; walk-ins are not accepted.
- Minors: Minors can join some activities with a responsible adult. Please check the outing description to see if it allows minors. Please understand that there is additional work a leader has to complete to include minors.
- Pets: Generally, pets are prohibited unless specified; bona-fide service (versus emotional support) animals are generally permitted, but it also depends upon the venue's requirements and the activities involved. Leaders are not certified or trained in pet first aid or rescue.
- Standards: Leaders may establish the focus for their activity, and may require certain minimums, e.g. for: fitness, experience, and equipment.
### Carpooling
Carpooling is encouraged among participants who use their own judgement on doing so. It is important to note that carpooling arrangements are strictly private and not covered by Sierra Club's insurance. As such, the club assumes no liability for any issues arising from carpooling or ride-sharing arrangements.
### Participation Agreement
All Sierra Club outing participants must sign a standard participant agreement as part of the sign-in process. This agreement will be linked in individual Outing announcements so that you can easily review it beforehand and be ready to sign.
### Medical Form
You must complete a medical form if you plan to go on a backcountry, overnight, or day trip more than an hour away from an emergency medical facility. The trip leader will review the form and respect your privacy. We take the privacy of our participants very seriously and ensure that the responses on the form are kept confidential. In emergencies, the form will be available during the trip. After the trip, we will either return or delete the form. Whenever possible, we prefer to collect medical forms at the trailhead. However, for backpacking trips, we need to conduct a more thorough advance vetting process of the participants to ensure everyone's safety, so we can be happy and inspired along the way. Therefore, we require the medical forms to be filled out and submitted upfront for backpacking trips. If you feel unwell or show symptoms of illness, please do not attend outings.
### Feedback and Concerns
If you have any concerns during or after an outing, inform the outing leader immediately. For unwelcome messages on Meetup, follow Meetup’s guidance and contact us if needed.
Upcoming events (3)
See all- Wildflowers, Wildlife & Wild Areas at Lake of the OzarksLake Of The Ozarks State Park, Kaiser, MO
Join Sierra Club for several spring dayhikes at Lake of the Ozarks and Ha Ha Tonka State Parks including trails at both a state designated wild area and a natural area. We will look for wildflowers and wildlife on the Woodland Trail in the Patterson Hollow Wild Area, the Turkey Pen Hollow Trail in the Woodland Natural Area and other scenic trails in the two state parks. If we are lucky, we will see the last of the flowering dogwoods which are designated as the Missouri State Trees.
Structured Activities Led by Sierra Club
Friday 3:00- 5:00, Lake of the Ozarks State Park, Wild Area
Afternoon Loop - Woodland/Patterson Hollow Trail Hike , 3 mi loop, 2 hours, moderate difficulty. Wear boots or sturdy shoes (no sandals) and bring water and optional hiking poles. You may experience dirt/mud/gravel, shifting rock, slippery surface, etc., with rocks roots and/or downed vegetation on trail.
Evening Discussion & Campfire - Missouri State Parks & Parks & Soils TaxSaturday 8:30 - 4:30, Ha Ha Tonka State Park, Natural Area
Morning Loop - Spring to Dell Rim to Castle to Colosseum to Spring, 4 mi loop, 4 hours, easy to strenuous. Wear boots or sturdy shoes (no sandals) and bring water, lunch and optional hiking poles. You may experience paved, boardwalk, 314 wooden steps, natural surface of dirt/mud/gravel, shifting rock, slippery surface, etc., with rocks roots and/or downed vegetation on trail.
Afternoon Loop -Turkey Pen Hollow Trail, 5 miles, rugged, 4 hours
You may experience the above plus steep grades and water crossings.
Evening Discussion & Campfire - Federal wilderness & state park wild areasSunday 8:30-10:00, Lake of the Ozarks State Park
Lake Trail Loop , 1.5 mi loop, 90 minutes, moderate difficulty.
Wear boots or sturdy shoes (no sandals) and bring water and optional hiking poles. You may experience dirt/mud/gravel, shifting rock, slippery surface, etc., with rocks roots and/or downed vegetation on trail.Unstructured Activities Not Led by Sierra Club
You don’t have to attend all the hikes, You can spend the afternoon relaxing at your campsite or the lake. Unstructured activities are without a Sierra Club leader where each participant is personally responsible for all risks associated with these activities. Please sign out and inform the leader of where you are going and when you will be back.Make your own arrangement for camping/lodging or stay at Camp Redbud which is a group camp located in a quiet section of the Lake of the Ozarks State Park.
Sierra Club has rented Camp Redbud for those interested in staying two nights in cabins/bunkhouse. Priority is given to those people who have helped at a trail maintenance outing. Cost for Camp Redbud: $25 per person for the weekend and includes dinner on Saturday night. There are 8 cabins and space is limited to around 16 people. Cabins will be assigned by couples or by separate cabins for males and females.
The cabins have electricity but no heat - bring your own sleep system. There is a central indoor restroom with hot showers - bring your own soap and towels. There is a kitchen with refrigerator, freezer and stove - bring your own food and plates/glasses/utensils for Fri dinner, breakfast on Sat snd Sun, and a sack lunch on Sat. There are grocery stores and restaurants right outside the parks.
https://mostateparks.com/page/55102/camp-red-budFor more info about Lake of the Ozarks State Park camping and trails-
https://mostateparks.com/sites/mostateparks/files/LOSP_0.pdf
For more information about Ha Ha Tonka State Park trails-
https://mostateparks.com/park/ha-ha-tonka-state-parkHow Do I Get to Go?
Your RSVP does not confirm your spot. Please answer the question about whether or not you would like to stay at Camp Redbud. I will send out the PayPal link the first week in April for the available cabins.Participants will sign a standard participant agreement form at the trailhead. Bring a completed &medical form to keep with you throughout the weekend. I will check for your medical form before each hike.
Bring a personal 1st aid kit to all hikes.
We will use LNT practices.
The Outing officially begins & ends @ the location designated by Sierra Club, i.e., the trailhead, & does not include carpooling, transportation, or transit to & from the Outing; each participant is personally responsible for all risks associated with this travel. The times shown on Meetup do NOT account for travel to & from the Outing.
There are no vaccine, mask, or testing mandates.
- If you're sick, please do not attend.
- If you develop symptoms/illness during the trip, you may be removedv for your and others' safety.
- Knowing the above, it is your choice to attend the outing.
Explore, Enjoy and Protect the Planet 🌎
The Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. www.sierraclub.org.Why America must protect 30x30 (w/ Sen. Tom Udall, Dr. Enric Sala) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4VmOchhp8o
- Wildflowers - Phone Photo PhlowersAnita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, Kansas City, MO
Today's sophisticated phone cameras have opened up a whole new way to shoot and enjoy nature photography. Learn about spring ephemerals while making great images as we explore the Discovery Center's native landscape. Pat Whelan will teach you three basic photography skills that will instantly make you a better photographer using your phone. Pat is a conservation education consultant at the Missouri Department of Conservation. He has taught children and adults through creative and artistic environmental projects. He has led many hikes to the Kansas City wild places that he loves to photograph.
The photo above shows Pat’s photographic record of anticipated or phenological natural events that happened in the landscape of the Discovery Center from spring through fall of 2024. Phenology is the study of natural phenomena or happenings. It is applied to the recording or study of the dates of recurrent natural events such as the flowering of a plant or first appearance of a migrating bird or insect in relation to seasonal and climatic changes.
At sign-in, all participants on Sierra Club outings are required to sign a standard participant agreement you can read here, if you would like to read it b4 you choose to participate, www.tinyurl.com/sonsite
About the Sierra Club : The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.
Why America must protect 30x30 (w/ Sen. Tom Udall, Dr. Enric Sala): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4VmOchhp8o
- Introduction to Wilderness NavigationAnita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, Kansas City, MO
Would you like to learn how to read a topographical map for wilderness travel and how to use a compass and GPS with that topo map so you don’t get lost? Join a three- part course “Introduction to Wilderness Navigation”.
YOUR RSVP DOES NOT HOLD YOUR SPOT!
Class size is limited to the first 15 people who enroll. Once you have enrolled I will confirm that you are in the classes.COURSE ENROLLMENT: $70 exclusively via PayPal -https://paypal.me/kcsierracluboutings
SCHOLARSHIPS: $20 if you are in your 20s or 30s, and can help at a monthly trail maintenance. Please message me if you are interested.
Outdoors for All programs ensure that each new generation stays in touch with nature and learns the importance of protecting it for the next generation.Part of your payment ($20) is for class materials: UTM booklet with grid tool, USGS Hilda topo quad map, and worksheets/handouts. The remainder of the payment, is a fundraiser/donation to finance the Gear Lending Library, local leadership first aid training, & trail maintenance in KS & MO. Instructors are volunteers & not compensated.
Before the class, read the book “Wilderness Navigation: Finding Your Way Using Map, Compass, Altimeter & GPS” by Bob & Mike Burns, Mountaineers Books, 2015. The book is not included in the materials that I will be giving you at the first class.
You may be able to find the book at the library -
https://search.worldcat.org/title/88994130
or you can purchase on Amazon. For class you will need a compass with a clear baseplate and adjustable declination. One basic compass that the book recommends is the Brunton Tru Arc 5. You can order the compass online at several sites including here - https://www.target.com/p/brunton-truarc-5-compass/-/A-1001311684May 24 (SAT) 9:15 AM - 3:30 PM, ANITA GORMAN DISCOVERY CENTER
CHAPTERS 1 & 2, MAP AND COMPASS BASICS
“With the exception of your brain, a map is your most important navigational tool. No one should venture into the wilderness without one, nor without the ability to interpret it.”
CHAPTERS 3 & 4, NAVIGATION AND UTM BOOKLET
"Navigation is the science of determining the location of your objective and keeping yourself pointed in the right direction from your starting point to this destination.May 29 (THU) 6:30PM - 8:00PM, ZOOM CLASS
CHAPTERS 5, 9 & 10, LOST!, TRIP PLANNING & GPS
“Routefinding begins at home. Before heading out the door, you need to know not only the name of your wilderness destination but also a great deal about how to get there and back. This information is accessible from guidebooks and maps and from people who have been there.”June 1 (SUN) 1:00- 3:00 PM, SHAWNEE MISSION PARK
Practice with map & compass at the Shawnee Mission Park Orienteering Course. Meet at 7900 Renner Rd Visitor Center, Shawnee, KS 66219At sign-in - all participants on Sierra Club outings are required to sign a standard participant agreement you can read here, if you would like to read it b4 you choose to participate, www.tinyurl.com/sonsite
Explore, Enjoy and Protect the Planet 🌎 - The Sierra Club is America's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with over 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.
Why America must protect 30x30 (w/ Sen. Tom Udall, Dr. Enric Sala) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4VmOchhp8o
