With the weather starting to perk up, residents in Story and Boone County are itching to get outdoors and explore.
Central Iowa has plenty of parks to choose from, offering a variety of activities, such as walking, biking, kayaking and fishing.
From the expansive Ada Hayden and Hickory Grove parks to the historic Ledges State Park, there’s no shortage of parks with beautiful scenery and excitement.
Here are some of the standout parks in Story and Boone County:
Ada Hayden Heritage Park, Ames
The City of Ames manages 40 parks. Though there are several standouts – like the 100-year-old Brookside Park and 90-acre Moore Memorial Park – the crown jewel is Ada Hayden Heritage Park.
At a little over 400 acres, Ada Hayden is the largest park within Ames city limits. It’s home to a handful of small lakes, a shelter, and docks on the north edge of town. The park’s paved trail is 10.4 miles long and is used for walking and biking.
In 2025, the city replaced the 10-foot-wide asphalt trail with a 12-foot concrete path.
The city has also renovated two mini shelters in the past year.
Hickory Grove Park, Colo
Hickory Grove Park is Story County’s largest park at 445 acres.
The rural park is a mix of woodland and prairie, anchored by a 98-acre lake that was restored in 2021. The lake is surrounded by a three-mile hiking trail and a sandy beach open to swimming.
Though mostly a wildlife refuge, hunting is allowed only in the two game management areas on the south side of the park.
Hickory Grove Park features 43 modern camping sites with electricity at Breezy Bay Campground and 11 primitive camping sites on the south side of the lake.
SCORE Recreation/Athletic Center, Nevada
This 58-acre park is located on the southeast side of Nevada.
The park is home to the Nevada Field House, which opened in 2024, which features a variety of recreational amenities.
Other park features include an outdoor aquatic center, pavilion, soccer fields, a four-plex of softball and baseball diamonds, four tennis courts, a multi-purpose basketball court, two playgrounds and a lighted trail.
North and South Park, Story City
Two of Story City’s largest parks, North and South Park, are divided by the town’s major thoroughfare, Broad Street.
North Park has a lighted basketball court, two tennis courts, a swimming pool, and a Little League baseball diamond. There’s also an enclosed Scandinavian-style shelter house with restrooms, a kitchen, and a bandshell with lights.
South Park’s highlight is the historic suspension bridge over the Skunk River. The park also has a sand volleyball court, bike path, lighted ball diamond and a nine-hole disc golf course. The Skunk River dam with canoe access is also a unique perk.
Ledges State Park, Boone County
Ledges State Park outside Madrid, just south of Boone, is one of the state’s most historic parks, dedicated in 1924.
The park has a four-mile trail system that leads to sandstone ledges towering 100 feet above the Des Moines River. Visitors can also hike a trail to Lost Lake at the southern end of the park, or streamwalk Peas Creek along the Canyon Road.
The park also features a campground that accepts reservations from March 1 through November 30.
McHose Park, Boone
The massive McHose Park in Boone spans several acres of wooded wonderland within city limits. The soutshide park is more than 100 years old and features several softball diamonds and tennis courts, playgrounds, and shelters. McHose is also home to the Boone Municipal Pool and a 24-hole disc golf course.
Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Here are some of the best parks Story and Boone County have to offer
Reporting by Celia Brocker, Ames Tribune / Ames Tribune
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