This scenic KC spot used to be a popular drive for motorists. Cars are banned there now

If anything in KC was postcard ready in the early 1900s, it was Cliff Drive. The four mile long loop built to connect parts of the city’s new Parks and Boulevards system was tranquil, scenic and offered grand views of the Missouri River below.

Best of all, if you had one of those new-fangled automobiles, it was perfect for a little adventuring.

So it’s no surprise that Cliff Drive adorned a number of different postcards, including this one published by the Hall Brothers.

The property it ran through had been owned by Nathan Scarritt, a Methodist minister turned real estate investor. In the 1890s his family sold the acreage, which included a popular mineral spring, to be used as the centerpiece of George Kessler’s North Terrace Park (now known as Kessler Park.)

Because it was originally intended for horses and pedestrians, the winding drive soon required lots of improvements — paving, stabilization of the bluffs, better lighting, safety barriers and turnouts so people could stop and enjoy the scenery.

As for the spring, a scalloped water fountain was installed there in 1908 and quickly became a landmark on the route. At least until it was removed n 1959, briefly replaced, then taken out of service altogether in 1962.

Twenty seven years later, a waterfall was installed in that location.

By the late 1990s, Cliff Drive had lost its luster. Illegal dumping, road deterioration and finally a rockslide shut it down completely. But a bill proclaiming it a State Scenic Byway spurred a massive cleanup effort, and in 2001, the road reopened.

Ironically, what was once the city’s favorite place for a Sunday drive is now closed to all motorized traffic. But bike riders and folks on foot can still admire the hills, valleys and views that made Cliff Drive such a picture-perfect destination.

Having trouble seeing the video? Watch it here.

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This story was originally published August 6, 2025 at 5:00 AM.