Raccoon River Park
Managed by City of West Des Moines
721 acres8.2 mi of trail
Raccoon River Park Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Iowahwyman · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in West Des Moines
West Des Moines has 44 miles of mapped trails, 0.9 for every square mile of land
92% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Raccoon River Park (8.2 mi), Brown's Woods (4.4 mi), Purple Martin Lake Water Resource Area (2.4 mi). 2,114 acres are parks and preserves, 30 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns · #20 of 140 in Iowa. What drives it
Conserved land
6%
1,920 acres · of 47.5 sq mi of land
Trails
44 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,114 ac
30 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
92%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
111 mi
90 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
4
3 beaches · 5 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is West Des Moines?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does West Des Moines have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, West Des Moines is ahead of 86% of U.S. towns, #20 of 140 in Iowa. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, conserved land lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of West Des Moines’ overall grade.
Conserved land6% of the land · typical IA town 3% · U.S. 4%B+Trails0.9 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (44 mi) · IA 0.3 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land30 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,114 acres) · IA 19 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home92% of residents within a half mile of a park · IA 91% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 86%
LessMore
Iowa towns of 2,500+ (140)Ahead of 86%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to 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 Raccoon River Park, with 8.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Brown's Woods
Managed by Polk County Conservation
481 acres4.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Purple Martin Lake Water Resource Area
Nature preserve
358 acres2.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Walnut Woods State Park
Nature preserve
233 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Crossroads Park
Park
17 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 36 parks & preserves
Raccoon River Park721 acres · 8.2 mi of trail · City of West Des Moines
DirectionsBrown's Woods481 acres · 4.4 mi of trail · Polk County Conservation
DirectionsPurple Martin Lake Water Resource Area358 acres · 2.4 mi of trail
Walnut Woods State Park233 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsValley View Park78 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsPeony Park10 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsCrossroads Park17 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsQuail Cove Park10 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsPearson Park9 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsJaycee Park7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsMaple Grove Park10 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsAshawa Park7 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsSouthwoods Park135 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHoliday Park62 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsBrookview School Park5 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWhisper Point Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWild Rose Park8 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsRailroad Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsDale Maffitt Reservoir Park26 acres
Willow Springs Park13 acres
DirectionsJordan Creek Park12 acres
DirectionsFairmeadows Park12 acres
DirectionsScenic Valley Park10 acres
DirectionsAmerican Legion Park9 acres
DirectionsMeadowview Park8 acres
50th Street Greenway6 acres
DirectionsWestern Hills Greenway5 acres
Beh Glen Park5 acres
DirectionsWilson Park5 acres
DirectionsAshawa Greenway4 acres
Knolls Greenway3 acres
DirectionsHuston Ridge Park3 acres
Knolls Park2 acres
Western Hills Park2 acres
DirectionsKiwanis Park1 acres
DirectionsFlorer Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,920 conserved acres
6% of West Des Moines’ land. Who manages West Des Moines’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,177 ac
County513 ac
State natural resources229 ac
Local Park · 1,665 acState Park · 229 acLocal Recreation Area · 25 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raccoon River Park Local Park | Town or city | 693 | Open |
| Brown's Woods Local Park | County | 476 | Open |
| Walnut Woods State Park State Park | State natural resources | 229 | Open |
| East Jordan Creek Park Local Park | Town or city | 91 | Open |
| Valley View Park Local Park | Town or city | 80 | Open |
| Holiday Park Local Park | Town or city | 61 | Open |
| Southwoods Park Local Park | Town or city | 39 | Open |
| Great Western Trail Local Park | County | 37 | Open |
| Hidden Valley Soccer Local Park | Town or city | 34 | Open |
| Crossroads Park Local Park | Town or city | 17 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
129 places to go in West Des Moines
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in West Des Moines
3 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in West Des Moines
Inclusive Playground "Eric's Place"
Directions104 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in West Des Moines
Dog Park at the Cascades
DirectionsRaccoon River Dog ParkHours: Su-Sa 06:30-sunset · In Raccoon River Park
DirectionsBoat launches in West Des Moines
5 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in West Des Moines
1 scenic view without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Disc golf in West Des Moines
13 disc golf without a name on the map.
Community gardens in West Des Moines
1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
3 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 8.6 miHorses · 0.6 miUnpaved · 15.1 mi
Valley Cyclocross Course1.9 mi
Raccoon River Park Trail1.7 mi
Rothchild Nature Trail0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
111 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
90 mi
off-road bike paths
20 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Raccoon River Park TrailBike route
2.3 miWest Lakes TrailBike route
1.3 miUniversity Avenue TrailBike route
0.4 miCourts & fields
61Tennis
28Basketball
24Soccer
19Softball
15Pickleball
13Baseball
7Beach volleyball
5Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →7 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Jordan HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itU.S. Post OfficeBuilding · listed 1974
About itValley Junction-West Des Moines City Hall and Engine HouseBuilding · listed 1983
About itValley Junction Commercial Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2017
About itI.O.O.F. (International Order of Odd Fellows) Valley Junction Lodge Hall No. 604Building · listed 2017
About itValley Auto Co.-Morgan Auto Co. GarageBuilding · listed 2021
About itVal-Air BallroomBuilding · listed 2022
About itWhen to get out
September is the best month for walking in West 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) | 30 | 35 | 49 | 62 | 72 | 82 | 85 | 83 | 77 | 64 | 48 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 0.9 | 1.1 | 2.1 | 3.8 | 5.1 | 5.1 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.4 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 1.3 |
January is the driest month (0.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 85 °F). 5.1 inches fall in May, the wettest month. The climate in West Des Moines →
Next door
West Des Moines and its neighbors
West Des Moines has the second most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Des Moines82 miWest Des Moines44 miWaukee8.6 miNorwalk5.0 miClive4.4 miWindsor Heights1.0 miCumming0.3 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Des Moines | 6% | 0.9 | 30 | 92% | A |
| Des Moines | 13% | 0.9 | 32 | 87% | A |
| Cumming | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Clive | 10% | 0.6 | 27 | 99% | A |
| Waukee | 1% | 0.4 | 7 | 92% | B− |
| Windsor Heights | 1% | 0.7 | 3 | 70% | C+ |
| Norwalk | 1% | 0.4 | 7 | 78% | C+ |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in West Des Moines
Where can I hike in West Des Moines?
The longest trail networks: Raccoon River Park, 8.2 miles; Brown's Woods, 4.4 miles; Purple Martin Lake Water Resource Area, 2.4 miles; Walnut Woods State Park, 1.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of West Des Moines is conserved land?
6% 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 West Des Moines’ trails?
Raccoon River Park and Brown's Woods don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in West Des Moines?
111 miles of bike routes are on the map: 90 of off-road paths and 20 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Raccoon River Park Trail, West Lakes Trail and University Avenue Trail.
Is there public land near West Des Moines?
14,922 acres of parks and open public land lie inside West Des Moines or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,114 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does West Des Moines have?
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #20 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 West 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 →