With beautiful views of the city skyline, you can enjoy walking, biking, boating and much more at Gray’s Lake Park in Des Moines.

Things to Do at Gray’s Lake Park in Des Moines

The new playground and sprayground at Gray’s Lake Park is perfection! Adults, kids and everyone in between will be wowed! There are so many features found throughout the playground area which sets this park apart.

The main playground structure with two towers has many creative ways to climb up and slither through. My kids especially loved the steep double slide (risk takers will love going down it wet or a rainy day!) My kids loved taking different routes up to the two towers and racing down the slides. 

One of the coolest parts of this playground is the nice sized 2-5 year old playground structure and the accessible play sensory houses along the side of the playground. My kids love playing house in this area but also enjoyed a quiet place to be on the busy day. 

There are so many auxiliary features at this playground–spinners, sensory panels, bouncers. One of my kids especially loved all of the large landscaping rocks that invite kids to jump across and climb on. (also perfect to add more seating for grownups supervising.) 

Also don’t miss the swingset! The swings (standard swings, inclusive bucket swing and toddler bucket swings) invite you to gaze upon the lake. It is such a unique location for swings. My kids also loved looking through the binoculars next to the swings seeing what they could spot beyond the lake.

We also love the concession stand. It has items from soft serve ice cream, drinks, and even hot food like pizza pockets and chicken strips. The concession stand also has free beach games you can check out like spike ball and bocce ball.

Address

Gray’s Lake Park is located just a couple miles south of downtown Des Moines at 2101 Fleur Drive. The new playground and sprayground are located just east of the beach parking lot.

Basic Park Details

Type: Places to play, places to splash.

Bathrooms: Seasonal flushable restrooms and drinking fountain.

Shade: Large shade trees along the east side of the playground, shade canopies over picnic tables

Playground: 2-5 year old playground and 5-12 year old playground

Trails: Yes, paved

Water: Sprayground and lake with beach

Official website: https://www.dsm.city/Gray_s_Lake_Park514.php

Park Amenities

  • Accessible playground and sprayground
  • Beach – on the north shore of the lake
  • Fishing
  • Paddleboat and Sailboat Rental  
  • Concessions 
  • Boat Ramp
  • Walking Path/Bike Trail
  • Restrooms
  • Parking Lots 
  • Open Space

Sprayground

Gray’s Lake Sprayground is a large sprayground with multiple areas. There are sprayers that come up from the ground and sprayer that spray from the side. My kids LOVED the sprayers buckets that filled up and dumped on their heads. The sprayground also has a stream with multiple interactive pieces. The wheel that turns feeding water into a half pipe is a huge hit among the kids at the sprayground. 

Gray’s Lake Park Sprayground is open from May 1st to Sept 30th from 9am to 8pm like the rest of Des Moines Parks and Rec Spraygrounds. The sprayground is turned on by pressing a trigger button. (Always check Des Moines Parks and Rec social media if hours have temporarily changed due to water conservation efforts.)

Biking and Walking

My personal favorite part of Grays Lake Park is the walking and biking trail. The 1.9-mile loop Kruidenier Trail circles the perimeter of the lake and includes a beautiful pedestrian bridge, called the Chris and Marcie Coleman Bridge. It’s also well-lit at night with multi-colored lights and glass panels for a beautiful, safe, evening experience. A common walking spot for the local community, walking the trail is known as “doing the loop” and is a fun date night idea! You can connect to several other trail systems at this park. 

  • The Great Western Trail ends at Water Works Park located right next door. 
  • The Meredith Trail connects from downtown Des Moines west to Gray’s Lake Park. 
  • The Bill Riley Trail connects Gray’s Lake Trails, the Great Western Trail, and Walnut Creek Trail. 

Gray’s Lake Rentals

Starting in mid-April, bicycles are available to rent for both kids and adults if you don’t feel like hauling your own with you. It is a great place to try something new on the water.  Gray’s Lake boat rentals are also an option on the south shore. They offer canoes, kayaks, paddleboards, and pedal boats. Life jackets are required and available to rent. If you have your own canoe or kayak, there is a boat launch near the northwest parking lot. 

Kids looking out over Gray's Lake.

Special Activities and Events

Gray’s Lake Des Moines also offers bird-watching classes, yoga in the park, and other special activities and events throughout the summer. There is no shortage of outdoor recreation fun. The Des Moines Parks and Recreation even offer some off-season events like the Jingle Bell Stroll, where families can visit with Santa, see live reindeer, listen to holiday music, and sip on hot chocolate as they wander around the loop. 

Not Too Far From the Park

Gray’s Lake is so centrally located that there are a ton of things to see and do nearby and because of the easy access to all the trail systems it does not take long to get explore somewhere new.