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.

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

We love this park! Our little one asks to come to this park specifically quite often. They…read moreespecially love the splash pad but there are a lot of things to do, and we usually get our steps in for the day running around from area to area. It's quite sprawling with a large field, an old fashioned long slide, a newer play area, a splash pad, a carousel. Also- The carousel has a short season but buying a ride pass is worth it for locals with little ones for sure!

I love it and it's the best place you could be it's very good and it's just the best because you…read morecan do all sorts of stuff good for kids I forgot what this the rules of the park separation I'm pretty sure it said to 2 12-year-olds

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.

Raccoon River Park is a great place to recreate. It brings the beauty of the great outdoors to Des…read moreMoines. It has a huge lake, lots of streams, a dog park, softball fields, and forest trails. It's a great place to have a picnic or just enjoy a beautiful sunset (see picture). I enjoy relaxing here and enjoying the outdoors whenever in Iowa. It's great for runs or family excursions. It's well-maintained. I love this place!

This is a great multi-use park located near Valley Junction. They have a family friendly beach…read morearea, a newly installed accessible playground, dog park (permit required), walking/bike path, and boat house where you can rent kayaks and stand up paddle boards. There are also soccer fields and baseball/softball diamonds close by. Lots of parking lots near various areas.

Really great park. Nice baseball field, Tennis courts, lots of green space, shaded picnic areas,…read moreplayground equipment for all ages and yes here it comes the ultimate... A splash pad for hours of summer fun! I dig that you can be far enough away from any roads here, so as a parent you are less stressed about your child running off or something. Big parking lot and it's super clean.. Really one of the best parks in town and also hidden secrets it's never too busy!

Serves free summer lunch on weekdays and has a good playground with a little jungle gym of ropes…read morenear.

We spent a few days in the Des Moines area recently and there are definitely a lot of beautiful…read morespaces in the area. One of my favorites was the Robert Ray Asian gardens. We spent about an hour here walking through the gardens and appreciating the quiet, calm, and beauty of the area. There were lots of people walking and hiking and multiple people that stopped to take photos in front of the bridge at the end of the park. We also saw people fishing as it is located right next to the Des Moines River. This is a gorgeous spot to get out and be in nature, listen to the water and feel the sun on your skin. You can tell it's truly loved and cared for by the community and there were lots of other little pups for our dog to meet while we were there. My only regret is that I didn't grab some food before we stopped here so that we could have enjoyed a nice little picnic. If you are in the area it is definitely worth the stop.

What a gem in the middle of the city! Nestled along the river, this garden is easy to visit yet…read morefeels tucked away. The path winds through various areas of the garden and also offers a few seating options. It felt organic and not so pre-planned. The views of the water, bridge and city make this spot even more enjoyable. Parking is very plentiful.

This is a great park, situated around a small lake. There is a playground on the premises and a…read moreshelter. There are also modern toilet facilities. Clean. Well kept. Family friendly. Plenty of parking. Great walk around the lake. Good for dog walking. Marcydiner tantrum scale of 5/5-no screaming kids. We have also seen people fishing here, although we haven't tried it yet. We used to come here frequently, not so much now that the kids are older.

This is a fun park to take my 3 kiddos to, they have several swings and although it looks like a…read moresmaller playground, there's lots to do on it! We also walk/ bike around the lake. Shady areas and picnic tables are around as well.

Spacious park with nature in mind…read more Huge park with 3 playground sets to play on! What kid WOULDN'T like this park? During COVID19 review: Came out on a week day 9:00am-11:00am with a friend with her two kids and it was pretty busy. 5 other families with at least 3-5 kids in each family were out here. They were not affiliated with each other. Social distancing is challenging with kids. Families tried to keep their kids together but many wanted to play with each other. No one was wearing masks but adults were keeping distance. BEAUTIFUL park with great scenery (if you don't mind the construction by the IPTV station) Soft trail for walking near the playgrounds and lake and a hard trail for walking/biking into the woods. Fishing is allowed at the lake! Picnic shelters and amphitheater near by. There is also a community center up the hill. Playgrounds are very fun and unique with 1 structured as a tree house. It's a fully equipped park! We enjoy coming here since it's close to our home. Highly recommend exploring this beautiful Johnston park. Might be the best one in Johnston yet!

Beautiful outdoor park that you spend a good 30+ minutes walking around to admire the art. It was a…read moregreat place to walk through between locations on a hot Saturday.

Whenever I travel I make it a habit to visit sculpture parks and public art installations…read morethroughout the area I'm in. Overall I really enjoy our local parks here in the Des Moines metro including the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park. I think it ranks right up there with parks in some of the major metropolitan areas throughout the United States. That being said... I have to take issue with one piece... Gymnast III. Can we stop pretending that it doesn't look like what it really looks like? Lol It's described as it "captures the basic strength of a bending and stretching athlete..." I was on a school trip with my young daughter when the guide steered our kids away from a nearby nude female bust that used to stand near the Gymnast III statue. We passed by that statue...and headed right over to this one. I whispered to one of the other chaperones... "Really? Away from that one to this one...?" She quietly asked me what I meant. I told her "Just wait... As we walk around it... Let me know when you see it." A few seconds later she grabbed my arm tightly... "Oh my God!" she said in a hushed voice. But with enough emphasis I knew she was seeing it too... We both had a good laugh as the tour guide went on with her explanation of the piece to the children in the group. Both hoping none of the kids would see "it"... I didn't need those questions that day. I'm all about art. And I'm a big fan of the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park. It's a bright spot in the middle of downtown! But I can't help but feel like this piece is part of a HUGE inside joke... I wonder if the sculptor (William Tucker) said... I'm going to create this huge bronze phallic piece! I'm not going to call it what it is though. I'm going to call it Gymnast III and attach a PC interpretation explaining it... And sell it for A LOT of money! Then after the money is in the account...I'm going to sit back and laugh my butt off... Because I know what it really is!" And maybe it's not. Could just be my imagination or my inner 13 year old... BUT from the side it sure looks like one... Tucker also described some of his works as a "prolonged anatomy lesson." Again...really? I think he knew what it looked like too. Lol A popular spot for tourists and photographers. A showpiece many festivals are centered around. Opened in 2009 the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park sits on 4.4 acres. It contains around 30 installations. The parking around it is metered. You will find the Gymnast III statue on the North side of the park. About halfway down right along Grand Ave. Circle around it... Look at it from every angle. Take it all in... And then you tell me what you think...!