Water Works Park
Park
1,282 acres11.8 mi of trail
Purgatory TrailSquirrel's Nest Mountain Bike TrailRhythm Mountain Bike TrailYard Sale
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Fort Des Moines Provisional Army Officer Training School · Photo: Larry Day, Photographer · Public domainAOutdoors
Outdoors in Des Moines
13% of Des Moines’ land is conserved: 7,188 acres
82 miles of mapped trail cross Des Moines, 0.9 per square mile of land. The biggest trail networks: Water Works Park (11.8 mi), Ewing Park (8.7 mi), Iowa State Capitol (7.2 mi). 6,874 acres are parks and preserves, 32 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns · #10 of 140 in Iowa. What drives it
Conserved land
13%
7,188 acres · of 88.2 sq mi of land
Trails
82 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
6,874 ac
32 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
87%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
122 mi
33 mi lanes · 82 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
24
3 beaches · 7 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Des Moines?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Des Moines have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Des Moines is ahead of 89% of U.S. towns, #10 of 140 in Iowa. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Des Moines’ overall grade.
Conserved land13% of the land · typical IA town 3% · U.S. 4%A−Trails0.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (82 mi) · IA 0.3 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land32 acres of park per 1,000 residents (6,874 acres) · IA 19 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home87% of residents within a half mile of a park · IA 91% · U.S. 72%B+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 89%
LessMore
Iowa towns of 2,500+ (140)Ahead of 94%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Des Moines ranks #94 on Outdoors.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would still be A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Water Works Park, with 11.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Ewing Park
Managed by City of Des Moines
341 acres8.7 mi of trail
Harry Piper Parkway TrailEwing Park Nature TrailsIndianola Avenue Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Iowa State Capitol
Managed by State of Iowa
161 acres7.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Capitol Complex Parking StructureWebsite ↗
Denman Woods
Nature preserve
143 acres6.1 mi of trail
Denmans Mountain Bike TrailAround the BlockJ11 Mountain Bike TrailDirty Connector Mountain Bike Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Greenwood Park
Park
84 acres3.3 mi of trail
Rollercoaster Mountain Bike TrailPoolside Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ashworth Park
Park
66 acres2.9 mi of trail
Hillside Mountain Bike TrailRollercoaster Mountain Bike TrailPoolside Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Saylorville Lake Project
Managed by United States Army Corps of Engineers
393 acres1.4 mi of trail
Sycamore TrailOwl Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 88 parks & preserves
Water Works Park1,282 acres · 11.8 mi of trail
DirectionsEwing Park341 acres · 8.7 mi of trail · City of Des Moines
DirectionsIowa State Capitol161 acres · 7.2 mi of trail · State of Iowa
DirectionsDenman Woods143 acres · 6.1 mi of trail
Greenwood Park84 acres · 3.3 mi of trail
DirectionsAshworth Park66 acres · 2.9 mi of trail
DirectionsFort Des Moines Park130 acres · 1.8 mi of trail
DirectionsSaylorville Lake Project393 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · United States Army Corps of Engineers
DirectionsEaster Lake Park411 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsIowa State Capitol West Terrace11 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsHelmick Commons4 acres · 0.7 mi of trail
DirectionsStrasser Woods State Preserve39 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Iowa DNR - Wildlife
DirectionsStone Park16 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsEaston Basin Park13 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
Evelyn Davis Park11 acres · 0.5 mi of trail
DirectionsGray's Lake Park216 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Des Moines Parks and Recereation
DirectionsMacRae Park56 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Des Moines
DirectionsUnion Park52 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Des Moines
DirectionsEasttown Park13 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
Chesterfield Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsDrake Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsJohn and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsZimpleman Family Plaza3 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Drake University
DirectionsBirdland Park46 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Des Moines
DirectionsBirdland Sports Park32 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Des Moines
DirectionsBeaverdale Park26 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBrody School Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWestern Gateway Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWoodlawn Park7 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsEvergreen Park6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Sheridan Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Harmon Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Riley Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsJim Muto Recreation Area2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBelle M. Turner Park2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Walnut Square1 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsProspect Park132 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Des Moines
DirectionsCarney Park105 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGrandview Park59 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsPioneer Park47 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsYeader Creek Park36 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
McHenry Park18 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Des Moines
Pete Crivaro Park17 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsAshby Park13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGood Park13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBlank Park7 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsWestchester Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsColumbus Park6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBrook Run Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBates Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCheatom Park4 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCowles Commons2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsChamberlain Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCenter Street Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLynne Cutler Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsFourmile Creek Greenway299 acres
Des Moines River Open Area120 acres
DirectionsDes Moines River Open Space104 acres
Riverview Park45 acres
DirectionsSargent Park27 acres
Valley Junction Park26 acres
Witmer Park22 acres
DirectionsTower Park13 acres
DirectionsRaccoon River Greenway12 acres
DirectionsNeal Smith Trail Recreation Area10 acres
DirectionsGeorge Nahas Park10 acres
Two Rivers Park9 acres · Polk County Conservation
DirectionsBill Riley - Meredith Trail Open Space8 acres
DirectionsAshfield Park8 acres · City of Des Moines Parks & Recreation
DirectionsMartin Luther King Jr. Park6 acres
DirectionsFairmont Park5 acres
Sayers Park4 acres
Frisbie Park4 acres
DirectionsCohen Park4 acres · City of Des Moines
DirectionsCummins Woods4 acres
DirectionsBurke Park3 acres
DirectionsCopper Creek Lake Park2 acres
Opperman Commons2 acres · Drake University
DirectionsStewart Square Park2 acres · City of Des Moines
DirectionsJordan Park2 acres
Hansen Triangle Park2 acres
Brown's Woods1 acres · Polk County Conservation
DirectionsMercy Park1 acres
DirectionsLaurel Hill Park1 acres
Redhead Park1 acres
Valley View Village Park1 acres
Edna Griffin Park1 acres
Whitmer Park1 acres · City of Des Moines
DirectionsWho protects it
7,188 conserved acres
13% of Des Moines’ land. Who manages Des Moines’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city5,799 ac
County1,290 ac
Army Corps of Engineers428 ac
State natural resources39 ac
Regional agency10 ac
Private owners10 ac
Other state land9 ac
Local Park · 6,731 acRecreation Management Area · 428 acLocal Recreation Area · 259 acLocal Historic or Cultural Area · 113 acState Conservation Area · 39 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Waterworks Park Local Park | Town or city | 1,313 | Open |
| Des Moines River Open Space Local Park | Town or city | 514 | Open |
| Easter Lake Park Local Park | County | 454 | Open |
| Saylorville Recreation Area Recreation Management Area | Army Corps of Engineers | 428 | Open |
| James W. Cownie Soccer Complex Local Park | Town or city | 371 | Open |
| Ewing Park Local Park | Town or city | 355 | Open |
| Vandalia Wildlife Area Local Park | County | 288 | Open |
| El White Local Recreation Area | County | 238 | Open |
| Glendale Cemetery Local Park | Town or city | 178 | Open |
| Gray's Lake Park Local Park | Town or city | 167 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
217 places to go in Des Moines
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Des Moines
Easter Lake BeachIn Easter Lake Park
DirectionsPlus 2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Des Moines
Ashby Park Splash PoolIn Ashby Park
DirectionsAshworth PoolIn Ashworth Park
DirectionsBurke Park Wading PoolIn Burke Park
DirectionsDan and Mary Kelly Family Foundation SpraygroundIn Greenwood Park
DirectionsJordan Park Wading PoolIn Jordan Park
DirectionsPete Crivaro Park Splash PoolIn Pete Crivaro Park
DirectionsSheridan Park Wading PoolIn Sheridan Park
DirectionsStone Park Wading Pool
Directions1 more public pool
Tower Park Wading PoolIn Tower Park
DirectionsPlus 1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Des Moines
Ashley Okland Star PlaygroundIn Ewing Park
DirectionsMcHenry Park SpraygroundIn McHenry Park
DirectionsReichardt Natural Play AreaIn Water Works Park
DirectionsRotary Riverwalk Park
DirectionsUnion Park Rocket SlideIn Union Park
Directions175 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Des Moines
Ewing Dog ParkIn Ewing Park
DirectionsIngersoll Square Dog Park
DirectionsPaws & Pints
DirectionsReno Memorial Dog ParkHours: Mo-Su 06:00-sunset · In Fourmile Creek Greenway
DirectionsRiverwalk Dog ParkHours: 06:00-sunset
DirectionsPlus 5 dog parks without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Des Moines
Access 195In Birdland Park
DirectionsPlus 6 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Des Moines
1 fishing spot without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Des Moines
2 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Des Moines
Barb Wire PointIn Easter Lake Park
DirectionsEMC OverlookIn MacRae Park
DirectionsLookout PointIn Easter Lake Park
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Des Moines
3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Des Moines
Willowbrook Bible Camp
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Des Moines
1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
23 named trails and 24 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 19.9 miUnpaved · 28.8 mi
Denmans Mountain Bike Trail4.1 mi
Hillside Mountain Bike Trail2.2 mi
Rollercoaster Mountain Bike Trail1.8 mi
Purgatory Trail1.8 mi
Harry Piper Parkway Trail1.4 mi
Ewing Park Nature Trails1.3 mi
Indianola Avenue Trail1.1 mi
Squirrel's Nest Mountain Bike Trail1.1 mi
Sycamore Trail0.7 mi
Eastown Park Trail0.7 mi
13 more trails
Around the Block
0.7 mi2nd Avenue Sidepath
0.6 miRhythm Mountain Bike Trail
0.6 miJ11 Mountain Bike Trail
0.5 miWeeks Park 1/2 Mile Walking Loop
0.5 miPoolside Trail
0.5 miOwl Trail
0.4 miMartin Luther King Junior Trail
0.4 miYard Sale
0.4 miPrincipal Riverwalk
0.2 miEaster Lake Connector Trails
0.2 miDirty Connector Mountain Bike Trail
0.1 miSongbird Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Bicentennial FountainBirdland LagoonBlank Park PondpondBorrow PitpondCase LakeDean LakeDuck PondEaster LakelakeEaston BasinreservoirGray's LakelakeGreenwood Park LagoonLauridsen FountainMacRae Park PondpondPond for GrowthpondPond for ProsperitypondRaun Reflection GardenpondRiverview LakeWells Fargo Financial Reflecting PoolpondDes Moines RiverFourmile CreekFrink CreekNorth RiverRaccoon RiverWalnut Creek
Biking & sports
122 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
33 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
82 mi
off-road bike paths
6.7 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Denmans Mountain Bike TrailBike route
4.1 miIndianola Avenue TrailBike route
2.4 miHillside Mountain Bike TrailBike route
2.1 miRollercoaster Mountain Bike TrailBike route
1.8 miHarry Piper Parkway TrailBike route
0.7 miCourts & fields
95Tennis
61Baseball
58Basketball
39Soccer
30Beach volleyball
15Tracks
12Softball
7Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →187 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 42 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
★
Fort Des Moines Provisional Army Officer Training SchoolNational Historic Landmark · District · listed 1974
About itTerrace HillBuilding · listed 1972
About itNaylor HouseBuilding · listed 1974
About itSoutheast Water TroughStructure · listed 1976
About itIowa State CapitolBuilding · listed 1976
About itLexington, TheBuilding · listed 1976
About itMaish HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About itBurns United Methodist ChurchBuilding · listed 1977
About itSalisbury HouseBuilding · listed 1977
About itPublic Library of Des MoinesBuilding · listed 1977
About itHerndon HallBuilding · listed 1977
About it175 more on the History page.
When to get out
September is the best month for walking in Des Moines
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.5 | 15.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.8 | 9.2 |
| High (°F) | 31 | 36 | 49 | 62 | 72 | 82 | 85 | 83 | 77 | 64 | 48 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 0.9 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 5.1 | 5.2 | 4.0 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 1.3 |
January is the driest month (0.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 5.2 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Des Moines →
Next door
Des Moines and its neighbors
Des Moines has the most mapped trails of the 6 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Des Moines82 miWest Des Moines44 miUrbandale16 miPleasant Hill5.6 miNorwalk5.0 miWindsor Heights1.0 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Des Moines | 13% | 0.9 | 32 | 87% | A |
| West Des Moines | 6% | 0.9 | 30 | 92% | A |
| Pleasant Hill | 3% | 0.5 | 19 | 85% | B+ |
| Urbandale | 7% | 0.7 | 23 | 99% | A |
| Norwalk | 1% | 0.4 | 7 | 78% | C+ |
| Windsor Heights | 1% | 0.7 | 3 | 70% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Des Moines
Where can I hike in Des Moines?
The longest trail networks: Water Works Park, 11.8 miles; Ewing Park, 8.7 miles; Iowa State Capitol, 7.2 miles; Denman Woods, 6.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Des Moines is conserved land?
13% of its land, against a typical 3% for an Iowa town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Des Moines’ trails?
Water Works Park and Ewing Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Des Moines?
122 miles of bike routes are on the map: 33 of painted or protected lanes, 82 of off-road paths and 6.7 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Denmans Mountain Bike Trail, Indianola Avenue Trail and Hillside Mountain Bike Trail.
Is there public land near Des Moines?
28,338 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Des Moines or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 6,887 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Des Moines have?
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #10 of 140 in Iowa. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Des Moines neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →