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    Gray's Lake Park

    4.7 (49 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Gray's Lake Park Photos

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    Andrew H.

    We visited this lovely park on a Sunday afternoon and really enjoyed it. We drove around most of the lake to get a good view of everything and during which there was a marathon or 5K going on which was cool to see. We ended up parking on the south and north side of the lake to look around. On the north side, we walked over the Coleman Bridge and got to see ducks and geese in the water. It was a very clean park and had a good amount of people out and about. There is also part of the walkway (a path goes all the way around the lake) where you can walk over part of the lake on the south side. It is a really nice, beautiful, and peaceful area for sure!

    Emily S.

    Great place for a nice walk, run or ride! Whether its planning a party on the beach or going for a casual stroll this is one of the best spots in town. Gorgeous view of the city and nice paths. Parking can get a little crazy but once youre out and on the trail its usually quite peaceful. Had our first walk there this year a couple weeks ago and excited to go again in even warmer weather!

    Trinity V.

    Gray's Lake is a great place to make memories with family and friends! Not all park activities cost money, in fact most of them are free! The trail around the lake is fun to jog or bike around, the beach area is a nice spot for kids of all ages, and other reasonably priced water activities such as paddle boarding and kayaking are available until 8 PM every day!

    Cliff K.

    This is a great place it's a good place for families, there's lots of family-friendly activities even if it's just walking in a picnic with plenty of parking all around. in the summer you can rent kayaks or paddle boats and things like that the city of Des Moines does a good job in maintaining the park. It's a good place for people with dogs that want to walk their dogs they have lots of waste pickup points for dog waste. Sometimes it can be crowded so if you are a person of a certain age, who has flexibility in their time you can go during the time periods when it's not crowded. You can see wonderful birds at different times of the year depending on when they're there there is an eagle's nest that's been there I know of at least five years. the city is also really work hard with volunteers to put in prairie plants and prairie pollinators. Eventually when the tunnel is open it'll offer easier access to water works park. It would not be a place that I would bike there's a bike trail right next to it that links up to the downtown and all the way out through water works in the suburbs there's just too many people normally on the trail to biking if you do bike have to really go slow and be aware of people who are walking and talking and dogs and all that.

    Andrea T.

    I enjoy coming here for a nice walk with my family and/or friends when it's nice outside. It gets really busy on the weekends and after work. There is a small playground area, an area to grill out/picnic, a beach, a path around the lake, and other stuff too. Currently there's even Bald Eagles nesting in the park. I always feel safe here whether it's just my daughter and I or with a group.

    Janet E.

    Close to downtown and a nice place to sit and think, or walk, or run, or walk your dog! At night there is a bridge that is lit up in different colors. The picture does not do it justice! There is a parking lot if you drive deeper inside the lake. Unfortunately you can't drive completely around the lake so you will have to backtrack to leave. Park closes at 10pm. They also have public restrooms here too!

    Christine L.

    We're huge fans of this place. Fantastic walking train, small beach area, kayak and paddle board rental, and offshoots to walk up toward MLK or up the SE side of downtown. We walk the dogs here frequently and they love it. Waste bags abound although waste baskets are scarcer resources. Beautiful place and worth a visit and a 2 mile walk or a picnic!

    Perfect day at Gray's Lake
    Patrick T.

    Where do you go to free your mind a little bit in the city! A place you can exercise, relax, and feel at one with nature. I would say this might be your best option in Des Moines. I love walking around the lake, biking the trail or just sitting on a blanket and relaxing in the summer! With so many great little pockets for picnicking Grey's Lake is hot spot for good weather chilling! I have never rented a paddle boat but I hope to make that happen this year! I'm so glad our city has this beautiful spot!

    Colorful bridge at night!

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Gray's Lake Park

    Review Highlights - Gray's Lake Park

    t. The lake also features paddle boat, hydrobike, and canoe rentals and a very nice beach for laying out and swimming

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

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    Northview Park - Playground entry

    Northview Park

    5.0(2 reviews)
    7.1 mi

    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.

    Photos
    Northview Park - Wide angle view from the opposite end of the entrance

    Wide angle view from the opposite end of the entrance

    Northview Park - Playground

    Playground

    Northview Park - Playground entrance

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    Playground entrance

    John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park

    John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park

    4.6(92 reviews)
    1.3 mi

    We came here early on a Sunday morning and I highly recommend it because not only was the park…read moredeserted, there was plenty of parking close by. We wanted to see the iconic love statue while we were in the city and snap a photo, but we ended up spending a lot more time here than we thought we would. This is a beautiful greenspace filled with sculptures that range in style and size. My husband and I typically like very different styles and we were both able to find things we really enjoyed here so I think there is probably something for everyone. I particularly enjoyed "Nomade". It's a tall white metal sculpture made of words and the fact that it is so large meant we were actually able to go inside of it. It felt very immersive and it was cool to look up and see the words against the backdrop of a beautiful sky. There was another smaller white statue of a girl done kind of in an anime or cartoon style that I also really enjoyed. Although it's very walkable and makes for a lovely stroll, we did miss a few of the pieces because the park seems to be home to a small population of unhoused people and we didn't want to bother them as they were mostly still sleeping. The park is free and open to everyone so there is no reason not to stop and check it out if you're in the area. You have nothing to lose and a lot to potentially gain.

    Wow! Des Moines locals are certainly lucky to have such a special place in their city…read more The location is so easy to get to. Street parking was plentiful. The size and quality of this sculpture garden was impressive. The artwork was diverse and very interesting. The artists are very creative and talented. A must visit!

    Photos
    John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park
    John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park
    John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park

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    Gray's Lake Park - parks - Updated May 2026

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