We met up with friends to hike at Lake Iowa Park today. The loop around the lake is approximately 3 miles and the trail is a mix of dirt and grass. There are pit restrooms along the trail near the beach and boat ramp.
We parked near the beach because we planned to swim afterwards. However, the swimming area was full of geese and there was poop everywhere on the sand so we ended up skipping it. To check the water quality at county parks, go to the Iowa.gov Beach Monitoring site, then click County & City Beaches.
We also checked out the nature center area, which has a bird blind, butterfly garden and nature playscape. The nature center has very limited hours and was not open during our visit. Overall, I enjoyed the hike with pretty views of the lake along the trail, however it's not worth the 1.5 hour drive from Des Moines.
