A tucked away playground that isn't so secret…read more.. Found this playground through a friend who lives in the neighborhood. It's tucked away in suburbia and a collection of baseball diamonds. You wouldn't know it was here unless you live close by. Wonderful place to play! Must be new to the baseball diamonds. During COVID19 review: A playground that isn't so secret...Many visitors were here while we came out during the middle of a work day. There were a lot of kids running around including my own and a friend's. Kids were not social distant. Two kids wore masks while their mom had one on as well. The rest of the kids were not masked. The playground is super fun! Slides, slides, and more slides. Rubber playground surfacing and updated equipment make it phenomenal. The mini zip line seat is the highlight! Rolling slide and horizontal rolling slide. Plenty of swings as well. The playground is an all inclusive one: accessible pieces of equipment that were created and designed that allows all children to play of different abilities, skills, and conditions. We love these playgrounds! Highly recommend visiting! Will be coming back if there are smaller crowds.

I live right by this park and raised 50 dollars to help fund it, unfortunately my brother stole and…read morespent it, but its the thought that counts. Its a great park for all ages, adults too. Its got a zipline and a seesaw and a huge play set. I recommend visiting. Its a miracle park for handicapped people. And there is a bathroom nearby but its usually locked unless the miracle field is being used. I love going here at least weekly if not more. If you stand from the park side of the (well kept) trail, and go right down the trail. After a five minute walk there is another fun park with a little library. You have to cross the street once though (if you have little runners). I recommend the miracle park no question it is an amazing resource for disabled children and is wheelchair accessible. If you want to know about more good parks in the area, walker johnston park, terra park, and if you are willing to go for a 35 minute ride from the north view park area (urbandale), big creek park. I will leave reviews on these three parks for more information. - local helper, Via w.

Aside from it being what appears to be a nice park with a swimming pool and a concession stand,…read moreEarl Grimm has a mighty nice baseball field with a rather shallow outfield fence. Des Moines has a semi-pro baseball league. Did you know? We were camping north of the city and happened upon this park. The Nite Hawks were playing the Cubs. The game was free and the entire experience was charming and the announcer plays little samples of classic rock between innings. I tried to buy a T-shirt, since they were advertising shirts for sale, but the DJ/announcer regretfully informed me that the guy in charge of merchandise plum forgot to bring any that night. Mind you, he didn't say "plum" but in my heart, that's what I heard. Nite Hawks!

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.

This place is awesome and always a destination when we need to touch Ledges State Park is one of…read moreour favorite places to take visitors when we want to show off just how beautiful this part of Iowa really is. It never disappoints. We've spent so much time here exploring, hiking, and driving through the water crossings -- which is always a blast, especially when you accidentally (on purpose) splash water all over the kids waiting nearby. So much fun. I have way too many pictures from this place, and somehow it still feels different every time we go. On our most recent visit, we brought Kim's parents to see the fall colors. We missed peak color by a bit, but honestly, it was still beautiful. Even when it's not at its "perfect" moment, Ledges is still worth the trip. If you want nature, scenery, and a spot that never gets old, this is it

Nestled in the Iowa Central Plains, just north of Des Moines, is a hidden gem called Ledges State…read morePark. Established in 1924, this 100-year-old park has beautiful vegetation and wonderful camping spots. Picking Chris are available for those. They just want to stop in and check out the area for the day. Camping spots are a mixed combination of primitive, electric only, and electric / water,/ sewer combo spaces. Bathrooms include showers and are kept in very neat and clean manner. Reservations for camping can be made online and there are a number of spots that are walk in only. June is definitely their high month so checking out availability ahead of time is recommended There are a number of hiking / running paths in the area that allow for all levels of ability. The park includes a boat ramp to the Des Moines river so bring your fishing poles too. Smaller streams in the area offer little swimming spots and splash pads for kids, but does require parental supervision. Camp spots typically include picnic table firing, and well cleared out area for your equipment. Check park rules for details. Leashed pets are allowed. Nice playground offers a great central meeting area for the kiddies. There are camp hosts on site that will immediately attend to any maintenance issue. Within short distance to some of the most excellent bike paths in Iowa including the famous high trestle bridge and definitely some awesome ice cream parlors at trailhead in small towns. The Iowa Arboretum is a short drive from the campground if you want to see some beautiful Flora and Fauna (there is admission fee). An abundance of aviary wildlife in the area for birdwatchers. Exceptionally quiet and a great spot for stargazers. Don't forget your bug spray!

A hidden gem in Des Moines?…read more We think so. We have ridden by here a lot on our bikes following the Neal Smith bike trail, which is another gem of the Des Moines area! It goes right by on the levy and you can see this park just off to the northwest. We have also been here for several concerts as part of the river view concert series that are hosted by the City of Des Moines and parks and recreation systems. They host a fantastic and safe party. Please keep doing this!!! They bring in vendors and food trucks to provide food and refreshments for the attendees. They are parked right of the sidewalk and easily accessible without being in the way! Whether or not there is something happening on the stage, the place is perfect to enjoy with kids of all ages. The park equipment is all newly installed, Ada compliant and have historical themes, based on the rides that used to be here when this was an amusement park. The place is great, check it out and check out my pictures!

Came here during 4th of July and it was so much fun! Two very cool bands played on the stage which…read morewas such a cool experience. Plenty of food trucks and beer options too. Parking was right across the bridge and there were outhouses available as well

This park is pretty alright. The playground is a naturescape arrangement, and there's a large…read morewater fountain too. There's a mini suspension bridge, tiny tunnels, a sand pit, rocks to climb, good trails for scooters and skateboards, a covered picnic shelter and relatively clean bathrooms. The only thing I wasn't so stoked about was that in order to get to the swing set, you have to walk a different sidewalk that is parallel to Douglas. That could create a problem if you've got multiple kids and have to keep an eye on all of them.

How lucky were we to find this! The county should be really proud of what they've done here. They…read morehave many very affordable sites, our has full hookups and it it cozy and spacious at the same time. The entire park is beautiful and even has a great looking public golf course. Easily reservable online, we were able to line it up same day and pop right into our pull thru spot as soon as we arrived. The is one street light in the campground and I wish it wasn't right next to site 26, but not enough to spoil a perfect evening. As our campfire dwindles in the late evening, we know the memories and appreciation we have will never fade. Thanks to Hamilton county for a truly wonderful park!

Lovely waterfalls Peaceful trails…read moreNot nearly as crowded as Ledges

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.