Fort Des Moines Park in Des Moines, Iowa

Fort Des Moines Park in Des Moines, Iowa

Fort Des Moines Park on the south side of Des Moines is a perfect outdoor oasis run by Polk County Conservation. This beautiful 135-acre park has a large pond, trails aplenty to hike, an arboretum, and a quaint playground. 

When we head to Fort Des Moines Park, the playground always seems to be an instant place to play tag. Low to the ground but still spread out to allow for lots of running, sliding down, and climbing up. This playground is away from busy roads, so it feels like you have taken an adventure into the woods. My kids also love the swings here. (The playground is a little less than a mile on the internal park road from the entrance.)

My kids always enjoy hiking at Fort Des Moines. We love the 1.1-mile hard-surface trail around the lake, and they also love finding all of the unique seating scattered around the park, especially the bench swings. We also love seeing where the soft surface trails will lead us through the woodlands and prairie.

The pond has a boating ramp located near the entrance of the park. The pond is known to have largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish, and black crappie. Several different places around the pond are popular fishing spots.

Details

Name: Fort Des Moines Park
Address: 7200 SE 5th St, Des Moines, Iowa 50315
Type: Places to hike and places to play
Bathrooms: Seasonal near playground, year-round restroom near the peninsula
Shade: Many mature trees, 3 large picnic shelters
Playground: Ones 5-12 year old playground
Trails: Yes, gravel/dirt; if not muddy, trails could be stroller-friendly
Water: Pond, but no swimming