Its about 2 miles from my house. The bank fishing sucks due to the weeds. Camping was awesome over…read more4th july weekend. Beautiful scenery except for all the goose . The staff is helpful, friendly and polite.

Beautifly manicured and organized camping site. Staff super helpful too. Efficient RV dump!read more

I've never been big on swimming in lakes but summer in Iowa is hot and options are limited, so my…read morehusband and I decided to venture out to Lake Macbride one Saturday afternoon. I was pleasantly surprised! The beach area is a little small, particularly on a crowded hot day, but we were able to find space to spread our towels and enjoy the sun. We spent our time cooling off in the water and laying out. We also drove around the park a bit (honestly because we got lost) and found it to be a beautiful area. I definitely plan to go back and try out the boat rental. It's not a boardwalk along the ocean, but probably the best you can do in this area. Tip: bring a cooler full of snacks and beach chairs and umbrellas. We were a bit spoiled from going to bigger beaches and forgot we couldn't just rent/buy whatever we wanted once we got there .

Another state park that has the physical address of the state park and not the campground. If my…read morehusband didn't call Ohio DNR we would have NEVER found it and gone in circles. We got to the park after given a different address. We had electric for 5 minutes and after that it was gone. We called again and they sent a ranger to our site. A tree had gone down and took electric out. We heard two trees fall at that time. Electric came back about 7 pm. They also make you pay for a two day stay, even if you are staying one night. I understand this in a way, because it keeps them booking entire weekend for others. I believe they would end up booking that day again when they see you left.

We visited Sugar Bottom for a beach day. The area was beautiful! It has a number of paths and what…read moreseems like a nice camping area (although we weren't there for that). The beach area was spacious--lots of room to spread out on the sand. The beach also has a couple of good shady spots, which is helpful on a hot day. However, we ended up heading over to the Lake MacBride beach because the Sugar Bottom area was a little less lively. Could have just been the day, but we were looking for somewhere more high energy on a summer weekend afternoon. They also don't have the boat rental options that MacBride beach has. If you do like quiet spaces then this would be the place! It also seems great if you have kids (which we don't) because there is just more space to run around. Just be prepared to bring all of your own entertainment.

Beautifully maintained campground. Several spaces with a lake view! Great for families and anyone…read morewho likes outdoor recreation. Boat dock available, and honors system firewood available in the evening. We did reservations through Recreation.gov and that made check in super easy! We brought our 2 Yorkies, and about 1/3 or more of the campers also brought dogs. Lots of trees, but also well mowed green spaces. This is now on our top 10 for Iowa campgrounds! Several spots right next to the bathroom / shower house, and great areas for larger camping groups. Would like to see a couple more updates to the shower facility. The water temp was fully adjustable-a knob rather than a button type, so you could have water the full duration of your shower. The water pressure was great, temperature great, but tile could use some updating. That may be in the works because the lighting was motion sensor and LED. There was also a ceiling fan which helped discourage bugs in the bathhouse!

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!

Wow what a slice of heaven. This is an addition to Kiwanis Park, which is a little further away and…read moreI just love this as my dog is older and it's more tranquil. It feels like you're in a little garden oasis. They have a public hammock that somehow they managed to keep clean and really modern safe wooden children's playground.

Now that's what I'm talking about!…read more I swear we had been driving by, eyeing the major construction at this park for over a year! Tons of work (besides the play structure) was being done-- like utilities and a new shelter. Month after month my kids would look at their window hoping to see the orange snow fence surrounding the playground work area gone. Alas, it happened during COVID. It was well worth the wait! We have only played on it when we have the run of the place, due to the pandemic. I adore the bright colors and the handicap accessible additions. This park has a picnic area. It boasts trails for running and biking. There is pace for soccer, tee ball, touch football and frisbee. Willow Creek got a much needed facelift and it will continue to be a must-have park for us Westsiders.

A large, wonderful city park with a lot of flat open space along the river. The playground uses…read morenatural looking elements to mimic nature--hollow tree trunks, for example--to climb over, through, or around. Connects to city trails that get you along the river or downtown in 10 minutes.

A crazy beautiful outdoor space in Iowa City…read more I came to meet a friend with her almost two-year-old daughter who could not get enough of the park. My friend loves this park because "it's not just one structure, there are lots of different pieces for [my daughter] to explore." Riverfront Crossings Park has great faux nature logs and rocks for kids to play with/on. From the tunnel that runs under a hill, to the zip line there is loads of fun to be had here. I also love the parent/child partner swing which allows parents to swing in tandem with their little one- it saves you an arm workout! There are also some metal spheres that make noise similar to a steel drum. It's a nice sensory addition for children.

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.

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!

Chautauqua! This park is apparently named after an Indian…read moretribe that used to hang out around here. This large, green park is situated on the edge of town, along the Crow Creek (also named after an Indian tribe.) The park is along a big loop that you can barely fit a car down most of the way. There are plenty of places to pull off in the shade and park and get out and explore the varied landscape of Chautauqua Park. The park offers a wide range of activities, from frisbee golf, to horse and hiking trails, to soccer goals, and playgrounds. There's lots of areas to just explore, with big hills and the stream that meanders through the park. There's a little something for everyone here. The park is large enough that you can get your own area to play, or meet up with others to relax. The park seems to have a lot of history. It's clean. Not very well lit, but still feels safe since you're in this small town.

This is such a cute park. It had disc golf! It also connects to the loop trail which is amazing…read more Take a stroll there! You won't regret it.

Love it it's great lot of action in fishing all types of fish . Very clean . Easy access. One of…read moremy favorite places to go fishing .

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.