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

Saylorville Lake Marina is a lovely slice of lake living or out doors smack in the middle of Iowa!…read moreJust north of DSM, if you need to get away and feel some sand in between your toes without traveling more then 40 minutes from the City center this is your spot! It's man made but, man made lakes can be just as beautiful as non man made ones! You can rent a boat, do some fishing, go swimming or tubing, but be careful after heavy rains it can get scary out there, I have had friends who have been in the danger zone! Take a picnic, see some nature, get your toes wet, all in a half hours drive!

High prices, average marina experience. Nice people there. Will be nicer once the construction is…read morecomplete.

The park looks good but not big enough I rate it 5 star the the down hill look smooth and I would…read moreagree going to prairie Ridge Skate Park!

Good park geese are a little too tame for my preference was hoping to be chased maybe lose a toe. I…read moreeven honked at them while I approached. They did not respond. Maybe nothing worth protecting.

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.

This is not a business but it is a highlight of Des Moines!!Wow this is a mega park!!!…read more This specific playground area is extremely large for your typical park. The only playground I've ever seen with canopies to provide shade. (My favorite part of the play equipment) I love the wheelchair access to the playground equipment too. We visited on a Tuesday afternoon and there was a large school bus full of kids. There was PLENTY of room to play and run for many families including my own! I wasn't as disappointed realizing how much room there was for all the kids to play. I love there are hiking trails within the woods. One was closed due to the wetness of the trail. Another trail was beyond the soap box derby track and was open. Over all it was a very pleasant visit and i really enjoy this park! This park is a highlight to the south side of Des Moines!

Being from out of town, I'm always unsure when I look for a park. You never really know what you're…read moregetting in to. This park, however, is one of the good ones. It's clean, there is a lot for the kids to do, and even though it was packed there was still enough room for my 9 y/o and 1.5 y/o to play. The people we met were nice and it seemed everyone was looking out for each other. That's hard to find at a park, so I appreciated it. There was also a lovely trail to walk if you're tired of the playground. Oh, and there was a less busy playground across the street. While it wasn't as new as this one, it was still a good place. There are bathrooms with water fountains and porta-johns as well.

8/2026 Park/Swim Area/Marina…read more We've been here several times now and really enjoy it. The playground structure seems really well maintained and is quite large with several options for kids to choose from. There isn't any trash throughout the area and there are many trash bins provided all throughout the park. The bathrooms are also pretty well maintained and stocked. The only downfall with those is that there are no light fixtures in there; they are strictly natural light. The three main large covered picnic areas/gazebos have plenty of tables and quite a bit of room for gatherings; you can also reserve them. Same goes for the little individual gazebos along the shoreline. Each of those has one picnic table that is covered, with a grill and trash bin close to it. The water is clearly marked throughout the lake and the swimming area is pretty large. The entire lake is a no-wake zone, which is nice when you're kayaking. We have also rented a few kayaks and a pontoon boat from the marina. This is such an amazing option! Each time we have gone there, the guys that help us are incredibly nice as well as patient. They helped load the kayaks into the water and they helped eve

We visited the beach area. The enormous play area was pretty impressive. The entire area…read moreaccommodates large groups and has multiple areas of shelter for gatherings. Restrooms were clean and stocked. Plenty of parking spaces available. It would really awesome if there was some type of concession stand.

My family got season passes for Cascade Falls last summer. These passes were worth every penny,…read morebecause this place is an all-day activity that my kids never got tired of. The entire facility is kept very clean, and all of the lifeguards are super friendly. My girls both took Red Cross swimming lessons here, which added to our level of comfort with all the staff. My eldest daughter got dubbed "Junior Life Guard" on account of her tendency to literally shadow the lifeguards around the park. Every single one of the guards were so nice and patient with her, and never made her feel like she was bothering them. There is ample space to spread out, with plenty of tables, chairs, lawn area, etc. so that even when there are tons of people, there is still room to move around have plenty of personal space. The snack bar is well-stocked and fills in the gaps when picnic lunch isn't enough. All of the water slides are a good time! You can go bare, with a single or a double tube. The boogie board wave maker is super fun to hang by and watch, but not so fun to actually do if you aren't coordinated or familiar with that kind of force. Despite growing up on the beach, this thing kicked.my.butt, and more than a handful of people got to see MY butt when I totally wiped out on it. If you feel cool, try this thing out...you may just need to be taken down a notch or ten. The kids play area is laid out in such a way that parents have a clear view of the entire space, which is SO nice when you've got multiple kids to keep an eye on! I love this place and will definitely be back again this summer!

The waterpark itself is a good place but the staff there suck. The staff there suck because this…read moreone life guard decided to have a problem with me and management placed a boundary on that specific life guard even though she started the accusation of me staring at her when I was in a line full of other people on the flow rider. When I asked one of the managers if I could explain my side of the story she rudely said "no" and so I said "ok, have a good day." And complained to a different manager of the park about that life guard. The rules they have there are also very dumb like you can't butt bomb off the diving boards you can't flip into a dive or if you accidentally flip in the toilet bowl slide they'll get onto you about it. The same life guard that accused of staring at me she's also grumpy all the time and shows attitude while others even if they're having a bad day they're still polite. Again the managers most of them are rude especially this manager that wears a white head band or a head band in general. As I said this place is good I've been there since I was little and is my child hood waterpark but this year I'm not sure who picked the managers or life guards but they sucked which made the park not fun anymore unless there are people who are a similar age range or you decide to go with other friends.

A small park and splash pad for this Waukee neighborhood…read more First day of June and it was packed! It can be overwhelming when there's a lot of people. Great way to meet new friends tho. Splash pads open up earlier than pools so this place was a hit. I would say the splash pad is aimed for ages 1-5. Any age older might get really bored. The water is a spray ground with two sprinkling trees. The park was kind of hidden between houses. You can definitely miss it to the drive way in. Google maps has the entry marked incorrectly. There is a building you can rent for parties and two covered picnic table areas to seat outdoor parties. No mature trees yet. Tree shade was very few. The play ground is very spacious and open. I would say the playground is aimed for ages 5-10. Overall I think this park is a cool addition for the neighborhood. Bring little kids out here....but be mindful: BIG kids might get bored. 3 stars for esthetically pretty and function. Lost a couple stars because it didn't hit all the fun for my older kids and the water pad wasn't a full splash of fun.