Strasser Woods State Preserve contains a 40-acre tract of forest within the city limits of Des Moines. Joseph and Elizabeth Strasser, who had owned...
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This 26-mile trail begins in Ankeny and runs north/northwest through the towns of Sheldahl, Slater, Madrid and Woodward. The trail was officially...
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The centerpiece of this beautiful park on the southside of Des Moines is its 165-acre lake. Five picnic shelters and three children's playgrounds o...
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Banner Lakes at Summerset State Park, Iowa’s newest state park, is nestled in the rolling landscape between Des Moines and Indianola on Highw...
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Big Creek Lake's clear water provides great family swimming fun. Refreshments are available at the beach during the swimming season. A large wooden...
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Walnut Woods encompasses 260 acres of wooded bottomland along the Raccoon River. Within the park lies a large surviving natural stand of black waln...
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Woodland Mounds State Preserve is a 185-acre area featuring a group of five conical burial mounds dating from the years a.d. 400 to 1100. It is loc...
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A 115-acre man-made lake has a large sandy beach and offers unsupervised swimming. Boats, canoes, kayaks, and paddleboats are available for rent th...
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Kish-Ke-Kosh Prairie State Preserve consists mainly of upland prairie, which is recovering from being grazed in the past. It's main upland prairie ...
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Doolittle Prairie State Preserve is located in the Des Moines Lobe region and contains a native tallgrass prairie remnant dotted with seasonal mars...
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Elk Rock State Park is located on Lake Red Rock, one of Iowa's large impoundments. The area had been inhabited by Native Americans dating back more...
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Lake ActivitiesThe lake at Badger Creek is by far the most popular natural resource, and thus fishing is the most popular form of recreation. The l...
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History
The wildlife and plant communities are interwoven with the human history of Ledges. Humans have appreciated this unique area for thousands...
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Rolling Thunder Prairie State Preserve is located in the Southern Iowa Drift Plain landform region and contains an undulating prairie landscape bro...
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Lake Red Rock is Iowa's Largest Lake with over 15,000 acres of water and 35,000 acres of land for your enjoyment. Located on the Des Moines River j...
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Marietta Sand Prairie is a 17-acre preserve featuring aeolian (windblown) sand deposits and a sand prairie. It is located seven miles northwest of ...
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