This place has grown a lot since I was a kid and there was a worn dirt path around a pond, an apple…read moregrove and some picnic tables. I just discovered a driving range, $3 a bucket, bring your own clubs. A giant soccer area. tennis courts. Outdoor fitness equipment. Softball fields. Frisbee golf - which looks incredibly hard for some holes. I think I remember seeing volleyball nets somewhere. Oh and what draws me is the running path that goes over the interstate to the high school on the other side and beyond. I do miss the apple trees. We used to collect them and press them and make cider. I know you can also rent the gazebos for parties through the parks and rec division. Lots of open green space!

Nice campground here, medium lake a great outdoors experience for walking, bringing pets, running…read moregetting that exercise in. I overall liked it.

Advertisement says 25 a night. We got charged 30 for broken rotted picnic tables, unkempt campsite…read morewith no pad, closed restrooms, open restrooms were filthy.

Pretty place, alot of paths to explore. Its quiet, quaint. The cave, in which this place is named…read moreafter is closed for the bats. So it should just be named Starr. Kinda the only reason I went was to see the caves. Theres alot of litter as well. I didnt get to see inside the building, but the rock climbing literally has boards nailed to it so its closed I guess. No mask requirements but I mean the only thing you can do it walk through paths, everythings out of order or closed. They have benches everywhere so you can enjoy the view of the many closed sites. If you want a workout rather then an experience, here's your wet dream.

Fun place to keep going to! A definite recommendation for…read morethose who like to get out of the house. Don't forget your camera and mosquito repellent.

What a beautiful park!…read more During a quick trip to Iowa we kept our activities limited to outdoor activities and carry out eats. I pulled up the Yelp app to find a park to explore and voila, there was Vander Veer Botanical Park. It was a toasty 93 degree day so we were quickly drawn to the plentiful shaded spaces found throughout this large park. In addition to a botanical garden (which we didn't visit specifically), they also have a rose garden, small pond with a fountain, long shaded promenade, and plentiful paved paths for walking. We strolled through the rose garden and then were naturally drawn to the long shaded walkway that leads up to a large and entertaining fountain at the end. This park has so many lovely uses for varying audiences and interests. Highly recommend giving it a visit if you find yourself in the Quad Cities!

It the most fun me and my kid add I love how handicap accessible it was in the summerread more

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.

So fun. Fun little out of the way place. Be warned if you go to the back end of it like we did it's…read moredown a long road that says dead end.

There's been a bridge over this a deep gulch for more than 100 years. It connects two residential…read morestreets that would otherwise require a long walk around. It's a cheap thrill and free diversion for any age. However, I wouldn't advise it for anyone with a fear of heights, who's unstable on their feet, or is anxious about a moving pathway. This bridge spans an 80-foot gulch. It does sway profoundly in the middle. It moves up and down and sideways. It's also about 15 minutes from highways 218 in Iowa or 61 in Illinois. That puts you about 30 minutes out of the way round trip , plus time to cross the bridge over and back. There's a Dairy Queen style ice cream shop nearby for a cool treat. So, if you need a break or diversion for the kids this is a novelty for no or little cost.

Beautiful park with plenty of scenic picnic areas, a campground, boating access, and hiking…read moretrails...we went on the shorter, woodsy Honeybee Hollow and Loop Trails--about one and a half miles total. The trailhead is located across from the park office. The Honeybee Trails aren't too strenuous or hilly, but you won't see the lake (there is a longer trail around its perimeter, about seven and a half miles). The main park road was a little difficult for us to find (GPS took us to a back entrance which was closed) so if you end up on Agency just make sure to take the right turn if you want to find the beach and park office (which is off of Racine). There also wasn't any signage for the park until we were right at the Agency Road entrance. The drive was well worth the visit, though.

Came out here for a recent trip with the family in June. Not many people here when I came for my…read morevisit, but that could be because the park is very big. Beautiful lake and many areas to bbq and have a picnic. The park is maintained nicely. I saw workers manicuring the grounds for the upcoming summer.