gray's lake park

Want to feel the warm culture of Des Moines on a beautiful hike? Gray's Lake is the ideal location where one is surrounded with an estimated 3 mile organic circle path that encompasses the lake. There is a beautiful yet brief bridge that spans across this lake and there exist several security phones to use in came of an emergency. I believe this area is patrolled by police as well but with the population that visits, safety seems to be always felt. Its a beautiful pit stop for a couple that wants a romantic scenery, a family searching for a wide variety of reasons to just be out in the fresh air. There is no fee, just an open mind and you will find yet another thing to love about Des Moines!

The city of Des Moines has taken a park and made a family fun place. They have a swimming area. They have a walkway around the lake and picnic areas as well as play areas.

This is a beautiful place to take a walk, jog or just sit and watch the people. You can also float around the lake in a rented paddle boat if you wish. Lots of activity going on here. I'd definitely recommend a visit to Gray's Lake.

Grab your family or a friend, shut your phone off and stroll around the lake as many times as you want. They don't charge a fee for this experience.

The playground is small but well appointed, near the abandoned silos. The lake has swimming, but as it was after the season, we didn't do that - the American White Pelicans were travelling through, and our 2 year old grand daughter loved seeing them. Nice loop walk around the park. Excellent and convenient parking. FREE.

We were here for a dog show down the street and had a small pack hike with our dogs. We met at 8:00am and walked around the lake. We had a friend from the area who answered our questions along the way that was for sure a bonus. Our walk around the lake was so pleasant that we did it again walking 4 miles instead of the 2 that was intended. Just a beautiful place and wish I lived closer or had one just like it in my area. It was so peaceful but had traffic with mothers and their strollers, bikers and the serious joggers and then us who were just enjoying friends company. It was so well maintained, I just loved it and I keep the 5 stars for the special places I visit and this is right there!!!!

My family took a leisurely stroll through this park on a nice Memorial day holiday. Waling along the lake and the nearby Raccoon River is very nice.

My family stopped in Des Moines for a day while on vacation. We were not sure what to do with older, adult sons. We decided to go paddle boarding and kayaking on Gray's Lake. We had a great time! The lake is beautiful and you can see the downtown skyline. It makes you feel like you are in nature, but also in a cool city at the same time. The price was extremely reasonable and I would highly recommend this to any family who likes adventure. They also had bike rentals and if we had stayed longer I definitely would have rented them, as the bike trails are very cool.

Just stopped by. This lake has bike rentals, paddle boards, paddle boats, and a little more. It's along a bike/walking path. No bike equipment for small kids available to rent.

We got to Gray's Lake late in the day and didn't allow enough time to do it all, but wish we had. There are walking trails...lots of people had their dogs on leashes for walks. Several biking trails to enjoy with one across a long bridge over the lake (I am told that it lights up after dark). We tried out the 4 person paddle boat that was a lot of fun...the lake was calm and it was easy to do a trip to the bridge and back to the dock in 45 minutes without wearing ourselves out. We saw people fishing from the banks of the lake as well as a dad and daughter in a rowboat. There are sailboats and canoes for rent as well as a bike powered floating device. The folks working there for the Parks and Rec dept were all friendly and helpful. We enjoyed our visit and hope to go back and spend more time there on the next visit.

This is a great park, however in terms of privacy it's not too special because it's well known! So get there early and sit in a shady spot first and it's magical. However show up after it's been open for a while on a nice day and your unlikely to find parking or a decent picnic spot!

I love Gray's Lake Park near downtown Des Moines. The only reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is because it is so nice that it becomes extremely crowded in nice weather, and the crowds of families walking with kids and strollers and not paying attention to the fact that there are others around can be very frustrating. This crowding can also make it difficult to find parking. Having introduced that caveat, I still love it. I believe the paved trail is just shy of 2 miles - 1.9 I believe, but it also has extensions that take you along the river to link up with the riverfront trails downtown, and also to Water Works park across Fleur Drive. The Gray's Lake trail is part of several running events, including the Leprechaun Chase and the Des Moines Marathon, and the lake itself has been used in the past for the swim portion of the Hy-Vee Triathlon.The path is well done and beautiful, with a lovely walking bridge that has a nice colored light effect at night, and there is a point on the trail where you have a fantastic view of the downtown skyline across the water. There are plenty of spots to stop and sit on a park bench, and you can rent boats if you want to get on the water. There is also a beach if you want to swim. I've seen people paddle boarding, kayaking, fishing, canoeing, biking, walking, blading, running…there is something for most everyone here. There are decent bathroom facilities positioned along the trail, so you aren't squatting in bushes or dealing with port-a-potties. There is a concession area open during the warmer months, and they occasionally have outdoor movie nights. In recent years, they have also started hosting Yoga In The Park, which draws a good crowd and is a beautiful way to begin a Saturday morning.I definitely recommend Gray's Lake Park for the person looking to enjoy the outdoors, especially if you are looking for a good running route that makes it easy to keep track of mileage, just be advised that on the nicest days, you will need to brace yourself for crowds of people who don't really pay attention to the people around them.

The paved walking trail is 2.2 miles, and is a manageable walk in 45 minutes. Always enjoy the scenic view and is a pleasant way to get some exercise.

Great path around the lake for a walk, good photo opportunities this time of year (spring/fall) as well. Many people take their dogs.

What a beautiful lake! Clean & tranquil. It has a nice walking trail. The bridge is colorfully lit at night. Beach area is also there to swim. Boat/Bicycle rentals are also available.