Rotary Riverwalk Park was really enjoyable to walk around during the day and the evening time…read more There is limited parking on the west side during a weekend night but pretty open during the day on Sunday. During the day, we walked over the huge Bobber statue, walked down near the dam of the river where this is a walking area. We walked the bridge both during the day and night and really enjoyed it. The bridge itself is the Iowa Women of Achievement Bridge which was really cool to learn about. At night we checked out the Robert D Ray Asian Garden (parked on the street) and were able to enjoy that and the view of the river. Overall, this is a really enjoyable area to come check out. It is free and worth your time to see!

I came here for the first time last night and it is such a cute spot!…read more It's right next to the beautiful Landmark Bridge and has a giant fishing lure sculpture that has swings attached to it. One is even a safety swing for littles! Blue lighting illuminates the entire thing, making for a great spot to take pictures. There were lots of young kids and families laughing and playing together at 11:00 at night. Just another great addition to Des Moines!

The Anthene Pedestrian Bridge connects Raccoon River and Walnut Creek parks by foot or bike. The…read moretrail is nice and wide and the bridge has a great scenic view of the river. I was able to get a sneak peek as the official opening date is in another week. It's a 1/2 mile walk from the Raccoon River boat ramp.

Finally took time to check out the new connection bridge between Raccoon River Bridge and Walnut…read moreWoods Park. It takes a little walk from the Raccoon River Park side to get to it, but is closer to the parking at Walnut Woods. Great view of the river. Can't wait for it to be warmer so we can explore a little more.

Another day, another trail! This trail is pretty much the…read moreconnection between Ankeny/Saylorville (north) and downtown-ish area (south). It's a very nice, flat trail along the river. I do enjoy this one very much! It's much more quiet than the other ones in the heart of DSM.

Oh look I found a park before Kenneth K did !!…read more Granted I had to travel to Iowa to do so. Staying with my mom in the suburb of Urbandale, this small lake and park is literally out her back door. The park and lake are well maintained by the city. The lake has a nice fountain in the center. The lake is circled by a wonderful wide smooth trail for walkers and bikers. On the east side there is a shelter with tables and a grill. And a couple of massive Adirondack chairs to hangout in and enjoy the outdoors. One note- stick to the path, Iowa has its share of chiggers- small insects that love to bite you around the ankles and it itches.

This spot is the coolest part of West Des Moines…read more Especially at night. I loved coming out there 15 years ago to run and enjoy the scenery. And STILL love coming out here to enjoy it with friends and family. It has a little romantic feel to it. And some nostalgia. Many walkers, groups of people, and cute couples come out here to enjoy the scenery. Perfect first date outing! Come out to enjoy fresh air, a nice walk, a modest water fountain, an amphitheater and seating in the summer. Winter comes and the evergreen is dressed with Christmas lights. My favorite time to enjoy the Center is in the summer though. Patio seating at the restaurants point to this water area. My favorite patio to sit at and enjoy the water is Bravo. (They have the perfect angle pointing to the mall skyline and water) Highly recommend a summer time visit and make memories.

What makes Jordan Creek Town Center, above and beyond your normal mall?…read moreI believe sometimes you need to add a little life, and out door beauty to a shopping experience! This is where the Lake District comes in! A beautiful man made lake that sits in the middle of it all! The Lake District features a 3.5 acre (14,000 m²) lake with walking trails, a boardwalk with waterfront dining, a Residence Inn by Marriott hotel, an amphitheater, and several casual dining restaurants. In the summer there are ducks, fish, frogs, and other "wild life," everywhere! No one wants to hang out in a mall in the summer time, this makes the trip a worth while experience, having a picnic by the lake before you go inside to buy that new Ipad or whatever you do! I love this place!

Ashworth is literally the trail hub of Des Moines. I can…read moreget anywhere on this one. I love how flat it is and how easily accessible it is. There are posts at almost every intersection that let you know how to get where, how many miles it will take, and about how many minutes it might take to get there by bike. I can literally get from downtown Des Moines to Jordan Creek just by following this trail. There are always happy bikers, runners, and walkers on the trail and you definitely see some interesting things. Now that it's warming up, you can easily find me on this trail at least once a week. See you on the trail side!

I just moved to the area and was desperately looking for some running trails that were away from…read morethe main roads/cars. These paths I believe were at some point covered by water during the flooding, but when I recently ran them they were in good condition. I can tell the city maintains these trails and I would imagine once it warms up a bit more they are well travelled. I have found my running place! Secluded, well treed, and you feel safe even if there are only a few stragglers on the trail. You also run by the river which is nice. I would imagine this would be a good biking trail and dog walking trail as well. I highly recommend this park and the trails within it!

This was a beautiful riverwalk with well maintained paths and bridges. There was also gorgeous…read morelandscaping and nearby gardens. The path is about 1.2 miles long, and great to walk, bike, and jog. The riverwalk connects the east and west sides of downtown via two pedestrian bridges, so it's handy to walk to local attractions. I loved how there were maps of the nearby trails and businesses. The river itself smelled fresh, and I didn't see any litter or trash floating around. Props to Des Moines, Principal Financial and the Iowa state government for making this happen!

Great Place to ride a bike or walk. Also enjoy a nice picnic and with a nice view to take some…read morepictures . Must Visit With Plenty Restaurants near by.

One of the finer bicycle trails that I have ridden on. Scenery is beautiful, trail itself is well…read moremaintained. It meanders about and through a golf course, which is kind of fun! Several bars along the way to either grab a bite or get your drink on!

I regularly enjoy this route as part of bike trail and can share some insights…read more Pros: 1. The shade is always a pleasure on hot sunny days. 2. The incline and declines are gradual, despite a few small hills. On uphill, this allows you to keep your speed up and also work a bit harder. 3. There is enough space for three bikes across in the event someone passes another biker and miscalculated the oncoming traffic. 4. You have multiple options for bars! 5. You can enjoy nature along the trail if that is your interest. Cons: 1. As of summer 2018, there are numerous bumps/cracks in the asphalt that can honestly cause damage to some bikes, and can really slow your pace. There is evidence they tried to repair them with that black goo, but it's still bad. I wish they would fully repave it. 2. There are a few crossings that require slowing/stopping to watch out for traffic. 3. Near the golf course there are some sharp curves you have to slow down for (trust me). You do occasionally have to deal with golf carts crossing in your path.