1. Lake Darling State Park

0

Brighton, IA

Cancel

Open app

Search

Lake Darling State Park

4.7 (6 reviews)

Lake Darling State Park Photos

More like Lake Darling State Park

Recommended Reviews - Lake Darling State Park

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

6 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Very clean and inviting facilities absolutely gorgeous a place you can get lost in and clear your mind....

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Ryan B.
299
409
5080

7 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Ask the Community - Lake Darling State Park

Verify this business for free

Get access to customer & competitor insights.

Verify this business

Vander Veer Botanical Park - Playground (pond in back)

Vander Veer Botanical Park

4.8(13 reviews)
73.1 mi

This park has been a part of my life since as far back as I can remember and has only improved…read moreevery single year extremely family-oriented always activities for the kids and the botanical center is really stepped it's game up. It is always extremely clean and in the evening can be romantic for a couple to walk. The park and pond are always nice to go to with the kids and the new part that they put in last year accommodates children with disabilities as well as children of all ages including childlike adults. I recommend anybody that's visiting the Davenport area to check out this park with your family you will not be disappointed by all means however do not feed the ducks or fish bread for it pollutes the pond so make sure you stop by Menards on your way into town and grab a bag of cracked corn it is much healthier and much better for the pond wildlife! And if you're here in the winter time don't miss out on the ice skating and beautiful lights that are absolutely beautiful I believe I are still put up by the trustees of the Scott county jail. RELAXING, FAMILY FUN AND DEFINITELY NOT A PLACE THAT YOU WANT TO PASS UP VISITING! IF I COULD RATED A 10 STAR I WOULD!

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!

Photos
Vander Veer Botanical Park
Vander Veer Botanical Park - Plentiful shaded bench seating throughout the park

Plentiful shaded bench seating throughout the park

Vander Veer Botanical Park - Dancing fountain

See all

Dancing fountain

Hickory Hill Park

Hickory Hill Park

4.5(14 reviews)
38.9 mi

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.

Photos
Hickory Hill Park - Open skies

Open skies

Hickory Hill Park - Beautiful in the fall

Beautiful in the fall

Hickory Hill Park - Prairie

See all

Prairie

Lake Darling State Park - parks - Updated October 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...