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.

This park was a stop on a road trip for a leg stretch break. It's awesome, there is everything you…read morecan think of for a park. They have plenty for little kids and big kids. There's also a trail. An hour passed before we blinked! We will be back and highly recommend putting this on your list if you chase parks like our family!

Can I be a kid again??? Even as the parent, this park is 10x better than I imagined it to be. It is…read moreimportant to note that Triumph Park is not only a playground but also a recplex of sorts with multiple ball fields, small lake with a fishing dock, and walking trails. But I am am here to talk about the playground portion because I was blow away! Everyone else must be as pleased and excited as I am because on a Friday evening the place was packed. Pulling up I was fearful I made the wrong choice seeing all of the cars and kiddos running around but there is so much to do on the playground and it is a large enough space that it still was enjoyable for my step daughter. I also want to note that my stepdaughter is upper elementary school age and parks are hit and miss given her size/age. Triumph Park playground is a HIT and reminds me of those expensive indoor obstacle parks you pay to go to - Did I mention this is a public park so it is FREE!? There is also ample parking since it is adjacent to the ball diamonds. One of my favorite parts is that the base (floor) of the playground is solid with a rubber mat or faux grass materials with padding underneath for a little cushion to protect your littles. Also no mess! - Who ever allowed sandbox/woodchip playgrounds anyways, yuck! I am not sure I can describe this next feature well but most of the structure is sort of built into the ground. The main portion is dug into a "hole" so the landscape itself is fun for the kids to run up and down, it is also lined with faux grass and cushion. (I told you I wouldn't describe that well, you will just have to go see it for yourself!). There is plenty of play spaces for little kids but the tall, tall slides for the big kids and towers to get to them are INSANE. I have never seen anything like it in a public, outdoor park. They also have really fun spins (literally) on a merry-go-round and teeter-totter, the kids really seemed loved these. I not sure how else to describe it other than I was extremely impressed. We will be visiting many times this summer and telling all of our friends!

What a fun place! One of the last open air skating rinks in the country .. in the world? Really…read morenice campsites and grounds. But, the skating rink! It is so cool!

A beautiful campground, just the right distance away from home…read more Lots of electric sites with easy access. There is a Lake, there is two sides to said Lake. No matter which side you pick to camp on you are going to be close enough to walk to the middle. Or somewhere where there is water to fish in. In the middle is beach area. You can swim at the beach. You can get snacks at the snack house or you can get a paddle boat, kayak, or canoe and rent from the snack house. (They have ice cream too) There is a is even a wood floor skating rink! This was my favorite thing. I am a grown woman and I still love to skate. They pull up the window shutters and play music you can hear all the way out to your camper if you are on the waters edge. We took advantage of their Frisbee course. Its a smaller one, but it was set up nice and a perfect size to teach my parents how to play Frisbee golf. There is a golf cart that comes around in the evenings selling firewood and ice. What a fantastic idea. We only wished there was a little better signage or maybe another dump station. We only located one to fill up and dump for this big campground. I will be back. FYI- this was new. The local golf course was offering free golfing to campers. So it was purchase 9 holes get 9 free for the campers here. They don't have rental clubs yet, so you'll want to bring your own.

The views and it's a nice place to spend with family and dogs!! It haves a nice little water splash…read morefor the kids and great trails to walk

Wow! Beautiful lake and grounds, covered with grass and highly established trees. Walking and…read morebiking paths, along with a cool concession area, bathrooms and a park with swing set! I sat here and soaked up the warm air under a shade tree, drinking my coffee. No better way to end this work trip.

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!

This is our favorite park in Ankeny for the kiddo. It is a huge park with tons of play areas for…read morekids. It has a bunch of slides, swings, and climbing rocks. The facility has a small kids play area and a big kids play area. It has a concession area that is open on game days. It has a baseball field with a special surface for disabled kids so that they can play baseball. One of the other great parts of the park is that it is all handicap accessible. If you're going to pick a park to take your kids to in Ankeny I recommend this one the most.

The slides, swings and playground area was great. I brought my friend's 12 year old (who didn't…read morewant to leave) while I got my steps in. There were two decent sized shaded area with picnic tables. I only knocked off a star for the dead cockroach I saw. That being said, it is outside around lots of green things so it is understandable. I would still totally go back.

Every time I drive across the country lake Anita state park is an oasis in the prairie lands…read more The camping spaces are lovely, varied in natures offerings and views, the walking paths are full of beautiful flowers and fields of tall grasses that leave one in awe of Iowa's beauty. Anita is a super cute small town packed with charm and this state park is the perfect place to rest and relax and stretch your legs. They have nice basic facilities and a little free library you can peruse. It is a wonderful park and well kept. It's become one of my favorite places in Iowa to visit and my fondness grows each time.

Lake Anita is a nice little campground in southwest Iowa. They have spots with electric hook ups…read morefor RVs or tent and then non electric spots too. It was pretty basic: a lake, playground, basketball court, beach, and docks. Each spot has a fire ring with a cooking grate and picnic table. Every few spots is a water pump. They have several bath houses around the grounds. It was a pretty quiet time, no one was rowdy or too loud, most people kept to themselves. The campground offers wood and fun events like movies each Saturday. Great hosts, easy to find and book!

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.

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.