Really nice pond in the middle of town. It has a trail around the pond that connects up easily to…read morethe bike trail and to other wide sidewalks adjacent to the park. The pond is stocked with fish, so there's usually a few people out trying their luck at that, either along the shoreline or at the fishing pier. You'll see families, bicyclists, joggers, and walkers out around the area. There's parking along the street and also a lot at the north side to provide plenty of parking. There are some delicious restaurants that back right up to the park if you get hungry while you're there or if you need a walk after your meal.

This is my happy place in town. Every bicycle path leads to it. You see families, dogs, bikers ,…read moreand runners. It is all around just a Happy beautiful place in town.

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.

I went to this park to sit at a picnic table under shelter and write Yelp reviews. :) It is a nice,…read morepeaceful park to go to that usually tends to not be very busy. There is a playground and swingset at this park along with some trails that head into the behind neighborhood. There was a family of 4 at the park playing on the playground when I arrived and they stayed for most of the time I was there. It was nice to sit outside in the shade and enjoy the outdoors. Will definitely return to this park, maybe even with my dog to take on a walk here.

By park standards, this isn't anything special unless you're a walker / jogger. There's essentially…read moresome open lawn area with a track circling it. The playground is very nice, though. There are two large structures with multiple slides of varying heights, and other things like ladders, firemen's poles, etc. There are also a few smaller stand-alone items, as well as benches for the tired old parents like me. The only downside to the playground is that it's not fenced in. It's in the center of the track / field, though. So the only ways your kid would make it into the street is either if your kid is the Flash, or you're a very distracted parent.

Great park we found out about from friends who discovered the ENORMOUS play structure here. The…read morepark includes the aforementioned playland, some baseball diamonds, an aquatic center and plenty of free space for the chilluns to burn off some energy. The benches and pavilions are quite nice as well and make for some perfect outdoor dining on spring evenings. It's located on the east side of Iowa City just past Sycamore mall, so it's a bit of a jaunt for those in North Liberty or Coralville. That said, it's not all that far and it's worth it for the playland. A must check out for families and close to Jimmy Jacks so you can get some legit takeout BBQ while you're here!

Do you ever wish there was an adult playground?…read more You know, where you could swing gleefully, strain to monkey across some bars or slide as you grin ear to ear-- maybe even build a completely BA sandcastle? Oh and most importantly, this mythical dream park is for ADULTS ONLY. If you have, consider yourself warned: DO NOT go to Mercer Park. Because oh my gosh, you'll be totally jealous at what the Iowa City kiddos get to play on. Iowa City's largest play area (I'm hard pressed to think of a bigger one) is only two years old and is pure magic. It's got a sensory play center, a net climbing course, a MASSIVE tower with enclosed slide and equipment meant for kiddos ages 2-to-5. There are also shelters, picnic tables, grills, lit baseball/softball fields, tee ball field, tennis courts, a refurbish old fire engine play structure... you name it-- it's got it. Even the indoor aquatic center lives at Mercer, too. There's ample parking and literally kids (and adults?) of all ages will enjoy it. My kids (ages 2 and 4) absolutely love the ginormous tower and crazy four person seesaw. Come check it out!

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

Love to camp at Flying Squirrel but it is very hard to get a spot. I grew up in Central City and…read morelike to come back to visit in the summer months but I have to have my niece put a tent on a spot on Wednesday and pay for two days to get one. Not inviting to out of towners! You never know maybe an out of towner may fall in love with this beautiful gem of a town and make it their home, maybe on line reservations may invite new people & money spending people!

One of my favorite parks in the area. They have kayaking/canoeing, fishing, camping, and lots of…read moretrails to walk. The park is always kept up nice except for the areas with the geese... you know what I mean... my favorite is to have a picnic in the park and walk the trails in the spring, fall, and summer. Even in the winter the trails are beautiful and they never get old. Definitely check this park out.

I've spent several weekends here tent camping at site 54 (walk up) over the past few months. This…read morepark is about a 10 - 15 drive on 94 (Blairs Ferry) from Cedar Rapids (now that Palo Marsh RD has reopened). Tent sites are generally 'walled off' from one another with patches of natural flora separating the sites, with a walking path leading the length of them. (Water spigots are also available on this center path). Each and every time has been ideal and serene. Most visitors adhere to the 'quiet time' rule (10:30 PM to 6:30 AM, I believe), so noise is generally not a concern. Washroom facilities in both the shower equipped and latrine are clean, and well stocked with toilet paper. DNR staff are both friendly, and generally 'hands off' during your stay. My most recent stay was on 10/22 through 10/23, and albeit a very cold morning, the views were breathtaking with the morning fog surrounding the park. (Image attached). I cannot speak to fishing at the park as I have not fished here, however camping is great, and I highly recommend this park.

We stayed in a 25 foot travel trailer in the middle of the week. Weekends are pretty much…read moreSold out. We love the area. Kayaking, biking, and fishing. Very well maintained grounds. Camp sites do not provide private water/sewer but there is a good water/sewer station on the way in. My only complaint. Thurs evening we had friends join us. The Ranger Man enforced a 2 car per campsite rule. He forced 3 over 65 couples to drive to a parking lot and I shuttled them back and forth. Really? Do us Seniors party too hard for you? Haha I understand rules but I don't have to like them...

Great place to explore. Beware that the river/creek runs fast some times. The suspension bridge…read moreis a great photo opp. Beyond the bridge, there are some trails. Nothing is paved. We enjoy taking the pup here for swims.

Traveling the river and staying in Dubuque overnight. Anxious to visit the park because all the…read morepositive reviews. Everything says it's open. (looking at you Yelp) ITS CLOSED. SEASONAL! Thank goodness there's lots of history to find in the oldest Iowa town. The one star is for all the review sights that don't check details.

Absolutely amazing view of the Mississippi River Valley flew my drone over the river and took some…read morepictures like no other it's definitely a must see for Dubuque Iowa

Came here to kill some time in between appointments. Being a native Cedarapidian, I've never…read morevisited City Park. On the coldest day of the year I decided to park my car and watch the birds ---- bald eagles to be exact. At least 25 of them. Just, wow! Is this an Iowa City thing? If so, I'd drive here just to bird watch at City Park more often. Looks like a fabulous little park (from what I can see under all the snow). Would be a fun place to come back and visit during the warmer months. Recommend - if for no other reason than to bald eagle watch!

One of Iowa City's signature parks, new investments in the last few years have really improved this…read moreriverside gem. At more than 100 acres, it's massive and divided into Upper and Lower City Park. Outdoor pool? Check. Huge, new adventure playground? Check. Trails? Check. In addition to standard play features, City Park also boasts Riverside Theatre's Shakespeare Stage, historic cabins and public art. I do wish the pool was a modern aquatic center and the park had more wintertime activities, such as an outdoor skating rink. All around though, a solid place to spend a morning or afternoon!