Who cooks for you? Who cooks for you?
That’s the traditional hoot of a Barred Owl. What we heard, around 3 a.m., sounded eerily like monkeys in our backyard — or hyenas about to attack. Turns out Barred Owls have many different calls, and this one was ‘laughing.’ No need to panic.
These birds of prey are a magnificent sight, and always a pleasure to view up close at the Ernie Miller Park and Nature Center. With three miles of trails winding through 116-acres of wooded areas, native prairies and small streams, it’s a perfect place to take your kids for a morning or afternoon of outdoor exploration.
The excitement starts right away in the parking lot with animal tracks stamped into a winding concrete path, which you follow down to the entrance. In the summer it's teeming with wildflowers.
The Barred Owl and Red-tailed Hawk are on display in coops directly outside the main building, and this is always the highlight. We spend a lot of time running back and forth between the two before heading out on a hike.
South Trail
Distance: 2 Miles
Difficulty: Easy
I use the term ‘hike’ loosely. This usually involves me pushing the double stroller as my kids constantly hop in and out and I try not to run them over. Many of the trails are paved, so it works out.
We often take the South Trail past the outdoor amphitheater. During the summer we’ll stop there to have a picnic and pretend to put on a play. There was recently construction equipment parked nearby for a bridge that was being repaired, so we had the added bonus of getting up close and personal with an excavator and front loader. (My knowledge of large machinery has grown exponentially since having children). Overall, this is a just under two-mile loop — unless of course we decide to veer off onto the unpaved Fire Road Trail so I can run the jogger over all the bumps as the kiddos hang on and beg me to go faster.
Bittersweet Trail
Distance: 0.5 Miles
Difficulty: Easy
My other favorite hike is the Bittersweet Trail, where I make them actually hike. Yes, I wind up carrying my littlest a good part of the way, but it’s fine; I’m prepared for a workout. It’s a half-mile loop along a dirt path that crosses over a stream with stepping stones — which my 4-year-old is able to do unassisted.
This is a hike full of mud, splashing, bird watching and sticks. We come back dirty and happy. It takes about as long to walk this short hike as it does for me to push them in the stroller on the longer one. The two trails are also connected, and can easily be combined.
Kids or no kids, Ernie Miller Park is definitely a hidden gem in Olathe. It’s free, and the trails are open daily from dawn to dusk. It’s definitely worth a visit any time of the year.