FW Kent Park continues to be a family favorite. Both because of how close it is to Iowa City (it's…read morejust three miles west of Tiffin on Highway 6) and it's beauty. We popped over this weekend for some fresh air and fall family photos. I am always just in awe of how busy the park is year round. Since my last review both of my kiddos have had the chance to take school field trips out to visit the Conservation Education Center, which is located at the park. It offers year-round educational programs and workshops. The staff is knowledgeable and the kids always have a blast. There's something for everyone at this gem. A bird blind for bird watchers. Access to the entire shoreline for anglers. Nine miles of trails for hikers and cross-country skiers. Seven historic bridges for photographers and families looking for fun family photos :) A large campground for campers-- available April through October. As well as a handful of picnic shelters (available via reservation). And, of course, Kent Park beach, my family's favorite (open Memorial Day through Labor Day) -- it is pristine, free and a great time. Overall, FW Kent Park is a wonderful place to get outside and clear your head. Drive over and explore today!

Definitely a favorite! Now that the lake has been re-opened, the park is better than ever. What I…read moreenjoy most about Kent Park is the diversity of options for activities. The park boasts a swimming beach, a nice trail around the entirety of the lake with benches if you want to stop and enjoy the views. There are many picnic shelters around the park, and a gazebo in the middle of a prairie area. I recommend taking a hike through the prairie trails. I'm also partial to taking a hike through the forest as well, or around the lake...heck, try them all at whatever length or difficulty you choose! There is a large playground area as well as a campground, so something for everyone. It's common to see many people out around the lake fishing and kayakers exploring the water.

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.

This is my happy place in town. Every bicycle path leads to it. You see families, dogs, bikers ,…read moreand runners. It is all around just a Happy beautiful place in town.

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!

Sites sizes and extremely narrow turn around weren't mentioned on sites, this is No big Rig 40 ft…read moreor mor friendly. Site let us book site #4 even asking for size of rig, but once we arrived Large signage read-No Big Rigs ,narrow to no turn around for this site. We disconnected our tow car and drove around looking for a spot. We were able to locate site 30 which read 45 ft with full hook ups. However we barely at 40 ft fit,even had to back up Over fire ring to fit and park our tow. We then saw it is electric only,Not full hook ups. We are parked and staying for our original 3 nights, however we are very disappointed at the discrepancy in the description of park,it is really for for TT,Campers, tents..id say 34 ft max for sites. Make sure you scout your site first to assure you will fit

Today we started with paddle boarding and kayaking. Then we headed to the beach for some fun. I…read morelove this beach!

I went to this park to sit at a picnic table under shelter and write Yelp reviews. :) It is a nice,…read morepeaceful park to go to that usually tends to not be very busy. There is a playground and swingset at this park along with some trails that head into the behind neighborhood. There was a family of 4 at the park playing on the playground when I arrived and they stayed for most of the time I was there. It was nice to sit outside in the shade and enjoy the outdoors. Will definitely return to this park, maybe even with my dog to take on a walk here.

By park standards, this isn't anything special unless you're a walker / jogger. There's essentially…read moresome open lawn area with a track circling it. The playground is very nice, though. There are two large structures with multiple slides of varying heights, and other things like ladders, firemen's poles, etc. There are also a few smaller stand-alone items, as well as benches for the tired old parents like me. The only downside to the playground is that it's not fenced in. It's in the center of the track / field, though. So the only ways your kid would make it into the street is either if your kid is the Flash, or you're a very distracted parent.

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

My youngest daughter had a softball tournament here today. There are 8 fields total and the…read moreconcession stand/bathrooms are in the middle of all the fields. There was also a coffee truck and Kona ice truck which are great ideas! We like this complex because Heyns ice cream is conveniently located right across the street. :)

Penn Meadows Park is a solid location for softball tournaments!…read more It boasts nine well maintained baseball/softball fields, plenty of space for warmups, a few batting cages, trees for shade between games and plenty of bathrooms. My only three qualms are that 1) parking can be a bit crazy on tournament days, 2) the dugouts are insanely small with only one entrance and 3) the fields are numbered however they are named, too. You really have to scope out the map to figure out where 'OPTIMIST' field is or 'Pizza Ranch' field. (I get sponsorships, but let's just keep fields numbered as it's more intuitive...) I believe it is the largest park in NL. It has: picnic shelters, a few soccer fields, a playground, a volleyball court and some newer tennis courts. Additionally, there is a trail around the park. My 10U softball team took second place at the tournament here this weekend! We definitely enjoyed playing at Penn Meadows Park.

I absolutely love the Arboretum. Beautiful peaceful place. Spent hours there just soaking in and…read moreenjoying the area. The koi pond was wonderful. This place charges no fee for admittance. I don't understand how they cannot as such a wonderful place. I highly recommend

Small and quite walkable even for me with a disability. The Japanese garden was quite pretty. We…read morewere there early in the day so not a lot of other people around, which can be enjoyable. Would return to see it in different seasons.

A truly beautiful hike filled with caves to explore! There are a total of nine caves, ranging in…read moresize from massive walk-through caverns to smaller, single-person passages. Two of the largest caves let you walk straight from one entrance to another, while one of the smaller ones requires squeezing through two tight openings before you can barely stand inside--definitely an adventure! The trails are not wheelchair accessible. The full hike took us about three hours at a steady pace. I'd recommend bringing a flashlight for exploring, though it's not absolutely necessary. Between the unique caves and the gorgeous trails, this park is a gem. I'll definitely be returning to Maquoketa Caves in the future!

Fun and interesting state park with plenty of caves to see...but wear good shoes for climbing and…read morewalking along steep paths and clothing that will probably get dirty (layers are best as the caves can get cold). Many of the caves have streams running through which are very cool but can also cause slips and falls... I'd also be careful of some of the off-the-beaten-track paths as one led us to some pretty steep cliffs. And again don't underestimate the slipperiness of even the regular paths... The gift shop is just a few tables set up outside of a shelter-type open building (I had to get my usual magnets) in the parking lot, and the visitors center is a separate building off of the main road (Caves Road) and 98. The visitors center has a few interesting displays and we watched a film about the history of the park, Well worth a visit, and especially recommend seeing the Dance Hall Caves....

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!