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.

I am an Arizona Desert Rat who grew up in Iowa. I am visiting the beautiful small town of Norwalk,…read moreIowa and we have been fishing at Blue Heron Lake in Raccoon River Park. What an incredible job you've done West Des Moines! This place has it all! Swimming beach, boat launch, kayak and canoe rentals and a very nice wheelchair accessible fishing pier! We have been enjoying this place so much! Ok the kids and the girls are catching all the fish (I am Worm Boy and take the fish off the hook haha) Catch and release! I cannot say enough nice things about Raccoon River Park!

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.

This is a good dog park that is well maintained. When you first get there you come to the shelter…read morearea and then take your dog in to the appropriate park. They have a big dog park and a small dog park which is nice that they keep them separated. Both parks have a lot of room for the dogs to run. The big dog park has a walking trail around in it and multiple big trees laying over for the dogs to climb on. If your dog likes to chase a ball there is plenty of room for that. On the big dog side of the park is access to the pond for dog swimming. The one thing I would like to see added to the park is an obstacle area with ramps and jumps and other things for the dogs to play on. Overall this is a very nice dog park to take your canine to, to play.

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.

Like all Des Moines dog parks. We hate tourists. Des Moines would rather get $20 than welcome out…read moreof town visitors and their furry friends. You can only get a yearly pass and only 9-5 Monday - Friday from city hall. Gates have coded locks.. As someone who travels frequently I avoid places that don't welcome my dog and sadly I hope you do the same for my hometown

I bring my dog here a couple of times a week. In Des Moines, you have to register your dog every…read moreyear ($15), and can opt to get a pass to Ewing and another dog park ($20). It's split into a small dog and all-dog sections. The small dog side is larger than most dog parks I've ever been to. There is a code for entry, but it's definitely worth the money. The dog park has some of the oldest trees in Des Moines, and is a huge space for dogs to run around. There is a large tall grass area in the spring where you can see all sorts of fauna (like Monarchs) and the squirrels keep the dog entertained. People are very friendly and generally very responsible dog owners. I haven't been to a larger, more well maintained dog park.

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.

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).

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

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!

I went and drove through the City of Marshalltown and it was a smaller city but had a lot of…read morecharacter. Tried out their "best kept secret" which natives said about Iowa River Brewing, but I unfortunately did not like any of their beer. It was neat though to explore the City's streets. I visited The Big Treehouse which is a tourist attraction at the Shady Oaks Campground outside of the City of Marshalltown...very cool.

What a gem in the middle of the city! Nestled along the river, this garden is easy to visit yet…read morefeels tucked away. The path winds through various areas of the garden and also offers a few seating options. It felt organic and not so pre-planned. The views of the water, bridge and city make this spot even more enjoyable. Parking is very plentiful.

We spent a few days in the Des Moines area recently and there are definitely a lot of beautiful…read morespaces in the area. One of my favorites was the Robert Ray Asian gardens. We spent about an hour here walking through the gardens and appreciating the quiet, calm, and beauty of the area. There were lots of people walking and hiking and multiple people that stopped to take photos in front of the bridge at the end of the park. We also saw people fishing as it is located right next to the Des Moines River. This is a gorgeous spot to get out and be in nature, listen to the water and feel the sun on your skin. You can tell it's truly loved and cared for by the community and there were lots of other little pups for our dog to meet while we were there. My only regret is that I didn't grab some food before we stopped here so that we could have enjoyed a nice little picnic. If you are in the area it is definitely worth the stop.