Columbia Parks and Recreation

Columbia Parks and Recreation Creating Community through People, Parks and Programs The purpose of this site is to connect, inform and engage community stakeholders.

TERMS: This is a family-friendly page. City staff will be courteous and professional in their postings and stay on topic. We will abide by Facebook’s terms regarding the safety, privacy and the rights of others. We expect others to do the same. Comments and postings in violation of these terms will be reported for review and possible removal by Facebook. Social media posts and comments are open to

the public and subject to a variety of uses beyond the City’s control. By commenting or posting, you specifically agree to hold the City of Columbia, its employees and officers harmless from any liability associated with your comment or post. Public opinions expressed on this site do not reflect the opinions and position of the City of Columbia government, its employees or officers.

Have you picked up a tally sheet? If not, we'd like to entice you to do so based on a little science. Every time a chi...
06/18/2026

Have you picked up a tally sheet? If not, we'd like to entice you to do so based on a little science. Every time a child climbs, something amazing happens - and it goes way beyond playground climbing structures.

Climbing builds spatial awareness, balance, and coordination while quietly supercharging the brain. A University of North Florida study found that proprioceptive activities (the body's ability to sense its own position) like climbing can boost working memory by 50% within just two hours. That’s a serious cognitive workout disguised as fun! But the benefits don’t stop there:

- Problem-solving: Every climb is a puzzle. Kids plan, set goals, and think critically with every step up.
- Social skills: Climbing together teaches teamwork, patience, communication, and trust.
- Confidence: Reaching the top builds real, healthy self-esteem.
- Imagination: One minute they’re scaling Everest, the next they’re a superhero!

Science backs it up. Fun makes it happen. Your local playground might just have it all! Drop a comment or a photo and tell us your family's favorite piece of climbing equipment in the Columbia's park system.

Email [email protected] for a Visit Your Park Playgrounds tally sheet or pick up multiple copies at #1 S. 7th St., Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (excluding holidays).

(Four images show various colorful playground structures all with climbing walls.)

06/18/2026

Those tall plants with delicate white flowers popping up along roadsides and field edges may look harmless. They are not. Poison hemlock is a toxic plants in Missouri and every part of it is poisonous, whether green or dried. This plant spreads aggressively, with a single plant producing up to 38,000 seeds.

How to identify poison hemlock:
• Height: Can reach 6 feet or taller
• Stems: Smooth, hollow, hairless with distinctive purple blotches or streaks
• Leaves: Fern-like, finely divided, with a strong unpleasant odor when crushed
• Flowers: Small white flowers in umbrella-shaped clusters
• Growth cycle: Low rosette the first year, tall flowering plant the second year
• Poison hemlock is often confused with Queen Anne’s lace, but that plant is shorter, hairy and not toxic

How to get rid of it safely:
• Hand removal: Only for small infestations and with full protective clothing
• Mowing or tillage: Can help reduce spread
• Herbicides: Most effective in the early rosette stage before flowering

Safety tips:
• Wear gloves, long sleeves and eye protection when handling
• Avoid inhaling plant material during removal
• Never burn poison hemlock — inhalation can be dangerous
• If unsure, do not touch the plant

Get more info: https://brnw.ch/21x3mpd

Consult the W**d ID Guide for additonal photo of Poison Hemlock and Queen Anne's Lace: https://brnw.ch/21x3mpe

⚠️COMO TRAIL STATUS UPDATE ⚠️Thank you for your patience as trail and forestry crews work to restore the Columbia trail ...
06/17/2026

⚠️COMO TRAIL STATUS UPDATE ⚠️
Thank you for your patience as trail and forestry crews work to restore the Columbia trail system following last week's flood event. Cyclists should continue to use caution and expect unstable and compromised trail surfaces throughout the system. For safety reasons, cyclists should dismount and proceed on foot through all unrepaired trail sections until restoration is complete.

Notable Updates:
MKT TRAIL
- Downtown's Flat Branch Park at mile marker 8.9 to mile marker 2.5 (bridge #16 at the City's water treatment cells -locally known as the "Florea Loop) - open and mostly repaired. Use caution and be aware of loose rock and areas with slight scouring throughout the trail.
- Cyclists are advised to avoid the section from mile marker 2.25 to 1.5 (locally known as the "Florea Loop") until further notice. The City Utility's maintenance road through the water treatment cells is available for access to the Katy Trail.

PERCHE CREEK TRAIL - open with silt and mud on the most northern section at Gillespie Bridge Rd.

COUNTY HOUSE TRAIL - the underpass at Chapel Hill Rd. is flooded with debris. City sewer work from Ridgemont to Twin Lakes Recreation Area is still underway.

BEAR CREEK TRAIL - Significant trail damage (including areas with significant wash out, 3" rock and debris on trails). Cyclists should continue to avoid the section from mile marker 0.75 (west of Creasy Springs Rd.) to mile marker 3.25 at Northland Dr. until further notice.

HINKSON CREEK TRAIL - unstable and compromised trail surfaces west of Grindstone Nature Area to the access at UMC Drive- cyclists are advised to avoid the trail section south of the Capen mulch site.

HOMINY CREEK TRAIL - open with mud and debris at the I-70 underpass.

GRINDSTONE CREEK TRAIL - open, slow and use caution where a thin layer of mud/silt remains on the paved trail.

For specific concerns, please email [email protected] (photos are greatly appreciated) .

(First image shows the comparison of the MKT Trail surface at mile marker 2.75 before flooding with significant scouring and a smooth surface after repair. The 2nd image shows an orange cone and barricade at MKT Trail mile marker 2.0 indicating the trail is impassable. The 3rd image shows a green dump truck on a repaired section of the MKT Trail. The 4th image shows a Parks and Recreation staff person on rolling equipment repairing the MKT Trail near mile marker 2.5. The 5th and 6th images show a tree down and damage to the Bear Creek Trail between Garth and Providence Rd.)

With multiple weather forecasts showing a strong chance of severe weather, gusting winds and a tornado watch this evenin...
06/17/2026

With multiple weather forecasts showing a strong chance of severe weather, gusting winds and a tornado watch this evening, we've made the decision to cancel tonight's Family Fun Fest at Cosmo Park. These are always difficult decisions but the safety of park visitors, vendors, volunteers and staff is our first priority.

Please take advantage of other Juneteenth activities planned in our community over the next several days; you can find out more about them at https://www.como.gov/juneteenth-celebrations/

We hope to see you at the next Family Fun Fest on July 15 at Twin Lakes Recreation Area!

(Image Description: Background of grayscale raindrops on a window. Foreground text reads "EVENT CANCELLED", followed by "For Additional Details, Call or Email Columbia Parks and Recreation". The Columbia Parks and Recreation logo sits in the bottom right corner.)

Today is the last day to guarantee your spot at CYBA Summer Camp! Players in grades 2–5 can join the Columbia Youth Bask...
06/15/2026

Today is the last day to guarantee your spot at CYBA Summer Camp!

Players in grades 2–5 can join the Columbia Youth Basketball Association on July 6, 7 & 8 from 8:00 AM–12:00 PM for a fun 3-day camp focused on staying active, building skills, and having fun.

For more information, contact [email protected] or sign up at cybahoops.org/teams

(Image Description: Photo of a basketball going through a hoop and net, viewed from below against a sky background. Foreground: "CYBA Summer Camp" in text on a blue banner. "July 6, 7, & 8" and "Register Today!" in text on dark orange banners. At the bottom, a pair of logos: Columbia Youth Basketball Association & Columbia Parks and Recreation.)

We offer both indoor and outdoor Little Swimmers in the summer! Join us at the ARC Monday - Thursday, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.,...
06/12/2026

We offer both indoor and outdoor Little Swimmers in the summer! Join us at the ARC Monday - Thursday, 11 a.m. - 12 p.m., or at Albert-Oakland Family Aquatic Center Tuesday - Friday, 10:45 - 11:45 a.m., now through August 14. Little Swimmers at both locations is for children ages 8 and under with adult supervision, and it is $2 each for all participants.
(Image description: Labeled photos of the water play structures at the ARC Water Zone and the Albert-Oakland Family Aquatic Center on a yellow background. Text on the top in blue reading Summer Little Swimmers. The ARC logo is on the lower left, and the Parks and Recreation logo is on the lower right.)

We're absolutely thrilled about our new partnership with Elevate CoMo Volleyball, bringing youth recreational volleyball...
06/11/2026

We're absolutely thrilled about our new partnership with Elevate CoMo Volleyball, bringing youth recreational volleyball to Columbia!
Check them out at their upcoming FREE Skills Clinic on July 9th at Columbia Sports Fieldhouse. Register here: https://app.teamlinkt.com/register/find/elevatecomovolleyball?cid=70890
To learn more about Elevate CoMo Volleyball and register for their fall season, visit elevatecomovolleyball.com

(Image Description: Background: A boy bumping a volleyball on a Columbia Sports Fieldhouse court. Foreground text: "NEW YOUTH VOLLEYBALL PROGRAM PARTNERSHIP!" At the bottom, logos for Elevate Como Volleyball and Columbia Parks and Recreation.)

⚠️ COMO TRAIL STATUS UPDATE ⚠️Edited Friday, 6/12, 4:40 p.m.*The floodwaters from Sunday’s June 7 rain event have signif...
06/10/2026

⚠️ COMO TRAIL STATUS UPDATE ⚠️
Edited Friday, 6/12, 4:40 p.m.*
The floodwaters from Sunday’s June 7 rain event have significantly receded, but Columbia's network of multi-use trails has sustained significant damage. For your safety, we respectfully ask all cyclists to refrain from using multi-use trails (especially crushed limestone trails) while repairs are underway and surfaces continue to dry out - trust us it wouldn't be a fun ride anyway. Additionally, heavy equipment is operating on select trails Monday- Friday. Cyclists and pedestrians utilizing the trail will significantly delay the repair process.

The good news - a crew of 10 staff members are out installing safety barricades, clearing bridges of heavy debris and spreading rock/gravel. We will provide updates as sections are cleared and reopened. Thank you for your patience as we safely work to get the trails back in shape.

*Current conditions include:
🔸 Significant trail damage to crushed limestone trails (including complete wash out, loose rock and debris on trails)
🔸 Low-water crossings and underpasses still affected (flowing water, downed trees, and mud/silt)
🔸 Unstable and compromised trail surfaces including thick mud/silt on paved trails and neighborhood connectors.

Multi-use trails with minimum impact (or recently repaired) include:
1. Scott's Branch Trail: passable (with the exception of Scott Blvd. underpass).
2. Hominy Creek Trail: passable (with the exception of the I-70 underpass) - access from Green Valley Rd.
3. MKT Trail from Flat Branch Park to Jay Dix Station: Trail users should use caution and be aware of loose rock and scouring throughout the trail. (Note: the MKT Trail received significant damage southwest of Scott Blvd. - cyclists are advised to avoid the section from the Perche Creek Trail access to the Katy Trail until further notice).
4. Grindstone Creek Trail: passable
5. County House Trail: clear from Stadium Boulevard to Chapel Hill Rd. The underpass at Chapel Hill is flooded with debris.
6. Bear Creek Trail: crews completed repairs from Albert Oakland Park to Big Bear Boulevard. (Cyclists are advised to avoid the section from Rangeline to just west of Creasy Springs until further notice).

Updates will be published here.

Are you looking for a fun way to learn something new this month? Do you like beer, wine, mead? Ever wanted to learn to m...
06/10/2026

Are you looking for a fun way to learn something new this month? Do you like beer, wine, mead? Ever wanted to learn to make your own? We've got you covered.
Saturday, June 27th, join us for an interactive demonstration where you learn how to brew at home! We'll cover the different brewing methods and a wide variety of beer styles, learn about the ingredients and process, and discuss making other fermented beverages.
Pre-registration is required via WebTrac on CoMo.gov. For assistance with WebTrac, call us or email [email protected]. Attendees must be at least 21 years old, and the class price is $20. Thanks to Worts & All for their in-kind donation of ingredients for the class.
Meet us at Worts and All, 8650 N Highway VV, on Saturday, June 27th from 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM and Let's Brew!

(Image Description: "LET'S BREW!" title text centered at the top over a photo of two people standing at a table with homebrewing equipment. Event details below: 21+ | Saturday June 27 | 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM. Columbia Parks and Recreation logo in the bottom right corner.)

Address

1 S 7th Street
Columbia, MO
65201

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 5pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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