My husband & I enjoyed camping at Rock Creek. The only thing you NEED to know is the campsites are…read morenot gravel/concrete and most are not level so be sure to bring lumber or a LOT of those plastic pads. We camped in a grove of trees but still had room for our awning. It's quiet and worth the effort to camp at Rock Creek. Plenty of shade

Great campground just north of I-80. We visited in late October for an overnight stay with our 20…read morefoot travel trailer. We had a electric hook-up, potable (frost free) water was available to fill our water tank and there was a dump station and trash dumpster. A great deal for $11/night (off season rate?). Only slight negative was the amount of pesky flies.

FW Kent Park continues to be a family favorite. Both because of how close it is to Iowa City (it's…read morejust three miles west of Tiffin on Highway 6) and it's beauty. We popped over this weekend for some fresh air and fall family photos. I am always just in awe of how busy the park is year round. Since my last review both of my kiddos have had the chance to take school field trips out to visit the Conservation Education Center, which is located at the park. It offers year-round educational programs and workshops. The staff is knowledgeable and the kids always have a blast. There's something for everyone at this gem. A bird blind for bird watchers. Access to the entire shoreline for anglers. Nine miles of trails for hikers and cross-country skiers. Seven historic bridges for photographers and families looking for fun family photos :) A large campground for campers-- available April through October. As well as a handful of picnic shelters (available via reservation). And, of course, Kent Park beach, my family's favorite (open Memorial Day through Labor Day) -- it is pristine, free and a great time. Overall, FW Kent Park is a wonderful place to get outside and clear your head. Drive over and explore today!

Definitely a favorite! Now that the lake has been re-opened, the park is better than ever. What I…read moreenjoy most about Kent Park is the diversity of options for activities. The park boasts a swimming beach, a nice trail around the entirety of the lake with benches if you want to stop and enjoy the views. There are many picnic shelters around the park, and a gazebo in the middle of a prairie area. I recommend taking a hike through the prairie trails. I'm also partial to taking a hike through the forest as well, or around the lake...heck, try them all at whatever length or difficulty you choose! There is a large playground area as well as a campground, so something for everyone. It's common to see many people out around the lake fishing and kayakers exploring the water.

This is a small state park with eight full hookups and a tent area. That being said it has large…read morelake and many well maintained trails plus areas for picnics. On our most recent trip, two teens and their dad built a shelter and bench for people to enjoy. Also had some young teens deliver "random acts of kindness" gift bags - so cool. Individual showers and bathrooms also available.

Fun stop on our Mother's Day waterfall tour. Clean and well kept. Beautiful areas to walk and fish…read more Fun for the whole family.

What a great park! There are several playgrounds, gazebos, and leisure areas so you never feel…read morecrowded. It's kept very clean and well maintained. The local flower beds throughout the park are a nice touch too. Fishing in the Ioway Creek is quite fun as well. Even the wildlife says hello every now and then

Lovely park! I like to drive to this place when I feel down or have had a long day. Love to walk…read morearound, absorb in the park's beauty and have some quiet time to myself. Sometimes, I don't even get down from my car, just sit inside and look at the sunset in an amber sky and the park getting dark all of a sudden. I'll come back during summer and post better pics :)

Photo taken 4/24/26…read more This is such a lovely place! We have been here several times, and we love it each time we visit. We've been here twice on field trips with my child's class, and several other times outside of that. There is an information center and plenty of outdoor activities. It's very well maintained, and the staff here are all wonderful. It's definitely a fun place for fishing or just simply walking around and enjoying nature. For those that enjoy birdwatching, this is also a great location to do so. The information center has quite a few activities for anyone interested in learning about any type of nature. You can ask for kits to inspect tadpoles or water creatures as well as binoculars for birdwatching. There's also a natural play structure for kids to explore. It's so peaceful and serene; this also makes it perfect for a picnic! There is a path that goes around the water, and there are also a few gazebos and benches for you to stop at to take a break or just enjoy the day.

This is a really neat park north east of Ames. It's the home of the Story County Conservation…read moreCenter and a lot of classes and programming. There are some deceptively long hiking trails here that will let you traverse the various biomes of the state of Iowa. There are wooded, riparian and native prarire areas along trails immediately adjacent to the park and it also serves as a great launching point and connector for the Skunk River Greenbelt system of trails that continue to the north. There are primitive campsites and mutli-use hiking and biking trails. There is actually a lot to do outside in Story County, it's just not obvious & McFarland Park is a great place to get acquainted.

Fun park! Kids 3&6 loved it. Has benches, picnic tables, water fountain. Tennis courts are located…read moreright next to it.

Awesome park. 4 stars due to only porta potty bathroom and little shade. There is a covered area…read morewith 4 picnic tables, trash and a grill. Also a water fountain for humans and pets. There is a small basketball court with 2 hoops at different heights. The play areas are very cool. The pirate ship is an awesome feature. It even has a "kid powered" music feature that I have not seen before AND a plank that bounces. Behind this is an island style playarea. Lots of slides, climbing features and a couple bridges. The ground is the springy kind and there are various fake boulders and other stand alone climbing features. Behind the play area are little hills to run around on and probably good sledding come winter months.

Chautauqua! This park is apparently named after an Indian…read moretribe that used to hang out around here. This large, green park is situated on the edge of town, along the Crow Creek (also named after an Indian tribe.) The park is along a big loop that you can barely fit a car down most of the way. There are plenty of places to pull off in the shade and park and get out and explore the varied landscape of Chautauqua Park. The park offers a wide range of activities, from frisbee golf, to horse and hiking trails, to soccer goals, and playgrounds. There's lots of areas to just explore, with big hills and the stream that meanders through the park. There's a little something for everyone here. The park is large enough that you can get your own area to play, or meet up with others to relax. The park seems to have a lot of history. It's clean. Not very well lit, but still feels safe since you're in this small town.

This is such a cute park. It had disc golf! It also connects to the loop trail which is amazing…read more Take a stroll there! You won't regret it.

We visited to specifically tour the Lowell Walter house, a.k.a. Cedar Rock, designed by Frank Lloyd…read moreWright. Cedar Rock does not disappoint!! Our tour guide Erick was great- knowledgeable and very engaging as was the other gentleman at the welcome center. Although we traveled by car, we loved that we saw a few guests actually arrived by kayak as the home's boathouse is right on the river- they did mention they called the park to prearrange their tour so as to meet the guide at the house. As avid kayakers we'll be doing this for a return visit. FYI kayakers/canoers- there's a sizeable sand bar forming a nice natural beach right across the river from the Cedar Rock boathouse that's perfect for a lunch stop/picnic. Thank You Cedar Rock staff!

I have been wanted to come here for years. Totally made for a nice day trip!!! All of the…read moreDNR employees were knowledgable and so nice !!! If you are a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright make this trip. The house is so well preserved.

This summer (somehow) I explored the outdoors a shi*t ton while also feeling absolutely trapped in…read moremy home? I don't know if that makes sense to you? But... COVID-19. Amiright?! Hickory Hill Park has been on my gotta-try list all summer. FINALLY on Labor Day weekend, we found the time to drive across town, to the wayyyyy east side to check it out. LET ME TELL YOU. THIS PARK IS BEAUTIFUL. There's tons of trails for jogging, walking and hiking! From wooded ones, to paths through the prairie. There is something for everyone. Picnic shelters, too. There are a couple reasons this is a four vs five star. 1. There's not a lot of signage on the trails, so it is very easy to get lost or not know where to continue on to! Make sure you have a map online pulled up when you visit. 2. Hickory Hill boasts very, very narrow paths. So during a pandemic-- BRING YOUR MASK! We typically are the family just try to distance when we are hiking outdoors... but distancing is hard on trails at this east side gem.

Clearly long cold Iowa winters have made me far more brave than I would have imagined. I mean who…read moresays, "It's a beautiful day lets go check out a new park" when its December and 30 degrees out. Never thought that would be me, but sure enough now knowing subzero temperatures have brainwashed me to think 30 degrees is a gorgeous winter day! With this new found appreciation for 30 degree days I packed the pups in the car and headed to check out Hickory Hill Park. What a nice park full of no shortage of multiple winding trails through the woods and prairies. All the trails were very well maintained and were perfect for exploring with our dogs. This is the perfect park if you are just looking to enjoy nature. So want to trail run, walk/hike, stroll with your dog? Then you found the right spot! I also imagine this would be a great spot for snowshoeing or cross country skiing if there was a significant snow fall. It wasn't muddy when we went since the ground was frozen but I imagine if there was recently a lot of rain this place could get pretty muddy.

Miracle Park All-Inclusive Playground is Ankeny's largest playground with more than 14,000 square…read morefeet of fun. The playground features double wide ramps going more than nine feet high and various play amenities that children with and without special needs can enjoy. There are roller tables, sway fun gliders, sensory play center, and an omni spinner for all to enjoy. We had a short road trip to Des Moines and this playground was close to the hotel that we stayed at. We had a little bit of time to kill so we stopped by on a late afternoon. Despite the hot weather, there were plenty of kids but it was not crowded.

Very clean park. Nice shaded picnic area. Access to restrooms. Parking was a little odd just to…read moreaccommodate schools around it.