For $20/year this park is a great way to socialize and exercise your fur baby. Kids are not allowed…read morebut there is usually people who leave a jug of water and tennis balls for community sharing. They have doggie bags, and place to dispose of waste, to make cleaning up after your pet easy. If you tend to stick to routine schedule of when you go, you will get to know other regulars if you are looking for some socialization for yourself as well. Be sure to check out their Facebook page!

This park is huge! It is amazing that there is a long grass section and a short grass section. My…read moredog loves going here and running around on her own. There is no smaller dog section but if your dog is used to larger dogs, that isn't a problem. Plus the park is so big that you could go to the other side and not ever see the large dogs. Plus unlike the other parks this one has an activity course.

Some recent upgrades make this park a lot better than it used to be. There are now two picnic…read moretables, a few benches and afternoon shade. Remember not to bring any food, but do bring a gallon of water to share and some grocery bags to pick up waste. Everything here is donations for this sort of thing. There is a big dog and small dog area, which is great for little dogs and puppies. This park is good for families, but watch your kids - dogs are literally sprinting in packs (thats the idea!) The only real negatives are the proximity to the highway (it can be noisy), and it is about a quarter mile walk from either parking lot, and bikers are riding on the same trail so be careful. Overall, you meet the nicest people here and it is a great place to spend an hour with your best buddy

The important to note that you can't ill up your car to the park. Instead you have to walk several…read moreminutes on the bike path before you reach it. While this might be okay to an active pup, any dog with hip issues may struggle. The park itself was not clean whatsoever- soda bottles, fast food wrappers, and packaging for miscellaneous items. The only reason I'm not giving only 2 stars is because my pups really enjoyed the layout of the park.

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.

My husband and I have been taking our Great Dane here for about 2 years and we absolutely love it…read moreand so does she! The parking lot is nice and clean and I've never had an issue with parking. Our girl is always so excited! When you enter the park, there are 2 gates once you get under the shelter area. One goes to the almost 7 acre open area for large dogs above 15" and then another gate to the under 15" small dog area that is almost an acre big. We obviously go to the large dog area, I don't think our girl can fool anyone into thinking she's a small dog even though she acts like a lapdog at home and besides, she's terrified of small dogs because she can't ever see them under her. I can't comment much on the small area but it looks really nice! Although the larger area says it's for big dogs, small dogs are welcome, at their own risk of course. My girl can run faster to get away from them so it's all good on our end, ankle biters are welcome! The park has always been well maintained throughout the year. There is a gravel walk path that is along the fence of the park that we walk around while she plays. Not sure of the actual distance around though. There are also drinking fountains for the pups that are turned on during the warmer months of the year which is nice because at other dog parks I have forgotten to bring a bottle of water for my dog but owners are usually quick to share. Dog waste bags are provided for you at 5 different locations in the park and 1 location outside near the parking lot for those pups too excited to wait until they get in. Ceanup after your dog is a must! And it's nice to the other owners because some of us do walk on the grass to play with our dogs and it is not fun to step in some poop someone didn't clean up. There is a dog waste dumping station in each area at the front of the park where you can dispose of the bags. I do wish there was one on the other side of the park so you wouldn't have to carry it all the way back. Maybe next year they can do that. There is also a 1/2 acre pond that is gated inside the large area for any doggies wanting to swim or play. I do caution that the pond is NOT treated so swim at your own risk. I've been to other parks in the Des Moines area and this is definitely one of the better ones. You do need a pet license and pay to use the park. We just pay for a yearly pass since we live in Ankeny so it's convenient for us. However, they do sell daily passes at Hy-Vee and there's one located up the road. I'm not sure if I would recommend bringing kids but if you think it's okay then that's up to you. I don't recommend bringing a stroller on to the gravel walking path. I saw some folks do that and it seemed like they were struggling with it. I have met a lot of the dogs and owners that frequent this park and everyone is so friendly and nice. I highly recommend this dog park to anyone who wants to come out and play with their fur babies off leash.

Not enough for small dogs to do. All they did was run and chase each other. No other small dogs for…read morethem to play with.

Pretty fun experience! We came in from Omaha to see the space and I was blown away with the size of…read moreit all. They offer a wide array of services thats honestly a little overwhelming. They have a outdoor space when AC and tvs for people to chill and hang with their dogs. Our dogs are not real active so I appreciate this spot. For more active dogs, they have a MONSTER of a back area for dogs to run and play and have the best time! Their restaurant was a little confusing at first and their food was pretty much just bar food that really didnt blow me away at all but you go more for the pups.

I absolutely loved it here! We were visiting from Kansas City where sadly our version of a place…read morelike this closed down. We didn't bring our dog on the drive but we wanted to check it out anyway. This place is better in every way. I love the amount of seating in the covered dog area, I loved the enclosed and monitor play space. I especially loved the 3 acre yard with all of the fun structures for dogs. The food and drinks were also great. They had a small dog area that sadly no one was using, but honestly that seems to always be the case. Please come to Kansas City!!

We've been taking our dog Otis to Unleashed Pets since last November, and we truly couldn't be…read morehappier. The facility is incredibly clean--it's obvious that cleanliness is a top priority, and they're constantly keeping everything in great condition. Otis has struggled with separation anxiety, but by his third day at daycare, everything changed. Now he gets so excited when we pull into the parking lot and doesn't even look back at drop-off. That alone says everything about how comfortable and happy he is there. He comes home completely worn out from playing all day, which we love. We actually drive 25 minutes out of the way just to bring him here, and it is worth every single minute. I visited almost every daycare in town before choosing Unleashed Pets, and I can confidently say this is the best one. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a place they can truly trust with their dog.

An outstanding facility with experienced owner and employees! A wide range of services is provided,…read moreincluding boarding, daycare, bathe-pet-yourself, and enrichment activities. The facility is impressive! It is spotless, and there are no smells. Our Golden puppy loves it here, and would open the door by herself if she could. As a dog parent you have lots of options, but Unleashed Pets is worth a visit.

I have a 5 year old Great Dane and was so excited when I heard that Waukee was opening up a new dog…read morepark this Spring! We went to check it out yesterday and we loved it! It has its own parking lot with 21 spots so good parking. There are apartment buildings on both sides and I believe you can park there or on the street if the parking lot is full. What I really love about this dog park that is different from all the ones I've frequented in Des Moines and Ankeny was that they have bathrooms (for humans)! It's to the right of the dog park entrance and clean and convenient. They also have drinking fountains available in between. As you walk into the park, there is a large dog area and a small dog area which is great. We obviously checked out the large dog area. There is a height limit for the small dog area as you can see in the pics. The whole park is about 4 acres and has concrete walking paths that go around the park and also to the back entrance (yes, there are 2 entrances!). Each entrance has a water fountain and there's even 1 in the middle of the park so your dog doesn't have to fight for water and you can keep them very hydrated! There's also a shade structure right in the middle and a couple benches. Dog waste stations and bags are provided too. You do need to pay for a pass that can be found on the website but it's very easy to sign up. Overall, the park isn't as big as Raccoon River Dog Park or the Ankeny Dog Park but it still has plenty of green spaces for the doggies to run around, play, and do their business and still has some good extra ammenities. We will definitely come back again!

Only GOD loves you more than a DOG! #ReflexDogs Love &…read moreForgiveness PRIVATE PARK!! MEMBERSHIP REQUIRED! This dog park? May just be or belong to the apartments or condos that are on both sides of it. It does have a nice bathroom facility just belong, save yourself a drive

It's a large and open space, separate spaces for large dogs and small dogs, but wow there's no…read morepolicing of the 'pick up your dog's crap' rule. For an expensive town and a park that requires a membership fee.....whew....

This regularly-tended dog park offers a place for Ames residents to let their dogs run and play…read moreoff-leash. There is a 2-acre fenced area for small dogs and an 8-acre fenced area for large dogs, so if you have a puppy or a small breed, you don't have to worry about your little guy getting trampled or roughed up by rambunctious big dogs (and if you have a big dog, you don't have to follow her around and constantly stop her from pinning that beagle/shih tzu/etc). There are multiple water fountains (near the entrance, further out into the large dog area) and always a fresh supply of mutt mitts. There are disposal units for full mutt mitts at various spots in the park, though the ones further from the entrance tend to fill up pretty quickly. There is a paved loop in the larger section for walking around the park while your dog plays, with multiple benches along the route. If you don't bring a toy with you, you'll probably be able to find old tennis balls or a frisbee lying around. This place has a friendly community vibe, complete with regulars (both dog and human), like the man and his developmentally-disabled son who come out on hot afternoons with big buckets that they fill with fresh water for the dogs. We've met lots of nice dog-people during our time at this park, though to be honest we usually know their dogs' names long before we learn the humans' names!

Great campground. The bison / elk wildlife preserve is awesome. Located on the north side of…read moreSaylorville lake.

What an awesome campground! Has both electric and non-electric sites. Grounds are clean and well…read moremaintained. Pit toilets and shower houses are available. Large playground for the kids. Golf course and equestrian center nearby. Miles of hiking/walking trails. Loads of trees. Wildlife everywhere to enjoy. A bison and elk herd to watch. Plenty of outdoor activities to keep everyone entertained. Cost is low for camping sites, $20/day for electrical, $15/day for non- electrical. Firewood available for purchase near registration booth. Campground host is very friendly and helpful. Sites available in tree lined area and also overlooking Saylorville Lake. An excellent place for a getaway that is near both Ankeny and Des Moines (about 15 minute drive).