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

This is a beautiful park with super interesting geological formations (especially striking at the…read morelower level picnic area and the Punchbowl Trail). For a quick visit the Punchbowl Trail is a good short hike (a couple of miles to and back?) but there are some steep stairs if you end up on certain paths. To avoid the stairs park at the lower level and hike on the (mostly) level path to and back... The Boundary Trail is also awesome and usually very peaceful, but it takes quite a bit longer and there will be a few steep hills... The Pine Creek Grist Mill is a picturesque historic site in the park, with its own spacious parking lot, a cool bridge across the creek, and an old schoolhouse and cabin...the mill is open limited hours during part of the year...it was interesting to see the mill machinery and learn about the historic flour-making processes (but it's very hot in the building during the summer months)... Nice shelters and campsites, too, some with fireplaces and fire pits...there's probably not a spot in the park that is not scenic!

Visited for the first hike of the spring. It is my first time here. We drove from Iowa City and it…read morewas about 50mins of views of empty corn field (well it is just Iowa). The park is not very big. We went on an hiking trail near the parking lot. It would have been nice to have some sort of map or marking/signs in the park but we failed to find any. As an result I think we made a wrong turn and had too short of a hike as the result. No running water available in the bathroom so be prepared to bring hand sanitizer. But otherwise the visit was enjoyable, my friends' bunny enjoyed hopping around on the grass near the picnic area (pretty clean).

Great park and historical site in Rock Island that's an important part of Native American culture…read more If you want to know more, come here and check out the museum about it. Black Hawk State Historic Site is located on the former location of an amusement park, that's no lie. Lodge has a museum about the famous warrior and the village that was here. The rest of the park has other feature such as trails. Black Hawk was a famous chief. In the 1800s the Sauk tribe was living here. They were later forced to move west. Soon this area became an amusement park. The railroad was used to bring people here, and when cars got popular, the park didn't have as many visitors. It soon closed. Then the Civilian Conservation Corps build the lodge and made the area a park. All this can be learned by visiting the museum. This is located in the lodge, and you can watch a video about the history of all this. Also there's trails for hiking. One overlooks the Rock River. Elsewhere in the park is the site of an 1886 coal mine. There's also a pioneer cemetery with a few old tombstones. Also there's lots of deer. The last time here we came across a bunch in the woods just standing around and eating leaves. Cool place as far as this area goes. It's got a lot of history to it. The museum in the lodge is helpful for learning about whatever.

I spent three days in Moline for a business function at the iWireless center. I needed a break so I…read morefound this park on Yelp. Moline is rather compact so this is a about 15 minutes from the downtown area. The park is named for Black Hawk, the leader of the Sauk people who built a rather sophisticated culture in the Mississippi basin area. The draws are the native peoples museum and the surrounding park with hiking trails. I visited the museum and walked down to the banks of the Rock RIver. The musuem has about five or six dioramas which give you a pretty good idea of everyday life for the Sauk people of the area. As I walked the path straddling the river I couldn't help thinking that this path was in everyday use hundreds of years ago.. From my visit I learned: * the native peoples in the area had a rich culture * it wasn't exactly a picnic living in the path of Europeans as they moved westward (google Black Hawk War) * my knees aren't what they were as I made it down the steep path to the river. Here is the lowdown from the website: Pause a moment and picture a forest in the middle of the city -- an urban paradise... Hiking trails that wind deep into the woods, up rugged hills and along the banks of a gentle river, remote spots where nature wraps around you...the songs of birds...scampering squirrels...oaks that were here when the first pioneers came... Picnic shelters with stone fireplaces, a museum of Native American life, a nature center where children can learn the values of the natural world, playgrounds, a rustic lodge that a duke would envy...

We hiked at both the main park and the Ralph Martin Conservation Area (off of Loud Thunder Road)…read more The latter is 240 acres of conservation land, with wide mowed paths (a few long uphills); the Conservation Area might be a good place to hike if you like very peaceful walks but I would recommend visiting the main park first especially if you have limited time). At the Conservation Area we found only one small deserted parking lot and walked about half a mile in and back, never encountering a soul but traipsing through various fields and wooded areas....bring some sort of bug repellent! So.....the main park is where you probably want to be...this covers a huge area, has a beautiful scenic lake, boating ramps, playgrounds, a horse arena, camp sites and of course, plenty of hiking trails, many difficult to navigate and easy to get lost on... The Sac Fox South Trail goes through a meadow (the South Prairie Restoration I think) which is filled during the summer with an abundance of wild bergamot. But this trail is very long...make sure to have a map and water with you and allow plenty of time....

Not sure why al the bad reviews but they were from a few years ago. Staying at the new Deer Haven…read morecampground, they have full hookups, just opened for this season. Quiet ,clean, friendly staff at Park office. Lake George is beautiful. The only thing lacking is some trees around campsites, but showers and flush toilets are clean.

A nice dog park with a lot of room for the dogs to run, and all the basic necessities. There's a…read morefew benches, tables, poop bag dispensers, trash cans, and water faucet for your pups to get a drink. We really love this dog park for the community of people that frequent it. There's usually a handful of dog owners and dogs of all sizes on any given day after work. Watch out as you watch around, this is one of the messier parks we've been too. There's some people who unfortunately don't pick up after their dog. It could also use a few more lights in the area. It's not well lit in the evening.

Nice park, all the dog owners seemed really attentive. Ground was a little mushy because of snow…read moremelt but they put down hay to try and mitigate that. Bring your own water until they turn the fountains back on in the spring.

This place is very fun to bring the family.You can rent a kayak and much more.Maybe even come here…read morewith friends.Who knew to get a Bosch stick and pepperoni pizza would take 20 minutesThe water is too cold and they need to get a heater.The service isn't good at all.The concessions had 7 people in there but 5 of them were just sitting around.

Outstanding county park. Very well maintained. Safe. With a nice play area for the…read moregrandchildren. Perfect.

Review Visit: November 17th, 2014…read more The Davenport Skybridge is a nifty pedestrian bridge that lets you take in the views of the city and see things from a 'high up' perspective. Right outside where Rhythm City Casino used to be, this bridge is easily accessible and free to use. You can take an elevator or stairs to the top and once up there, you can walk from end to end. There are glass inserts in the ground that lets you see traffic whizz by underneath you. The walls are mostly glass that lets you get a great view of the city. The only disappointing thing about the bridge is that at one of the ends, you are just overlooking a bunch of buildings, so the view is kind of lame. But to each their own. Overall, it's a great view and if you are in the area, just park at the casino and check it out.

An elevated glass bridge that connects downtown Davenport to the park along the Mississippi River…read more A nice free vantage point to check out the river, bridges and downtown Davenport and Rock Island. For a medium size city it is a nice attraction. Kansas City has something similar at our riverfront, but it is not as elevated to give as good of a vista of the downtown area. Certainly a must do when visiting the Quad Cities to acclimate oneself to the area.

John O'Donnell Stadium... I mean Modern Woodmen Park is the best minor league stadium in the United…read moreStates. I am not exaggerating, they have won the award to state it as a fact. Going to Modern Woodmen Park is a must for any baseball fan. It is one of the oldest parks in the nation. Many MLB stars got their careers started here in Davenport, Iowa. This family friendly stadium offers a wide variety of entertainment for the whole family. If the great game of baseball isn't for you, check out the different amusement rides. The Ferris wheel is huge and gives spectators a glimpse of the field and mighty Mississippi River. The concessions have many great foods and drinks to purchase at reasonable prices. You won't go broke here like at a MLB stadium. Where else can you watch a baseball game, see river boats cruise the river, and hear trains fly down the tracks? Modern Woodmen Stadium is the answer.

We came here from metro Minneapolis to watch a game. We were here in 2022, but the team was out of…read moretown. The ball park is unique as it sits on the banks of the Mississippi River. On one side is a bridge and another side, an amusement park with Ferris wheel and merry go round. I walked around a lot. The layout is graded up high, as you had to walk 20 steps up to it. The reason 4/5 stars is lack of good concessions. A couple of places such as a Mexican grill weren't open. The line for this one grill was insanely long the whole night. The Whiteys ice-cream did not have malt cups, supposedly sold out the night before. Piss poor planning for a crowd. I settled for Cheesesteak nachos without onions and peppers in a helmet. Also shared a chip witch or chocolate chip cookie with ice-cream between it. The stadium was really iconic and cool. The Ferris wheel lit up at night. Just work on better concessions with product and have more open. Review 94 in 2023.

Nice place to walk playground outhouses nature trails to walk cycling great outdoors plenty of…read moreparking space and shelters with fireplaces to have family gatherings

Beautiful scenery. Well kept paths. Very kind patrons. Great for walking and dogs! Highly recommend…read morevisiting!!