The mission of the West Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department is to provide our community everyday enjoyment through people, parks, and programs. The Department focuses on enhancing quality of life and supporting the health and well-being of West Des Moines residents, employees, and visitors.
The Recreation area provides a diverse variety of programs and activities for people of all ages. Programs include adult sports, youth introductory sports, nature programs, senior citizen programs, aquatics, travel, family programs, preschool and youth programs, and special events.
The facilities managed by the Recreation area are used as recreational program delivery sites and are also available for public rental. The Department’s facilities are extensively used for special events and other various City sponsored activities. Both Valley View and Holiday Aquatic Centers, as well as, Raccoon River Park Softball Complex and Holiday Park Baseball Complex are seasonal facilities. The Valley Junction Activity Center, Raccoon River Park Nature Lodge, Raccoon River Park Dog Park, and Archery Facility are open year round.
The Parks area provides services related to the land, faciliti
...es, and operations of the West Des Moines park system. All activities of the Parks area are directed and coordinated by the Superintendent of Parks. The area currently manages and operates 1,289 acres of parkland consisting of 4 mini-parks, 17 neighborhood parks, 2 neighborhood school-parks, 2 community parks, 1 community school-park, 3 special use facilities, one large urban park, one natural resource area, and 14 greenways. Of the total acres, approximately 360 acres are developed for active recreation. In addition to developed parkland, the Parks area is also responsible for a 232 acre lake and over 600 acres of natural areas. Parks staff manage and operate 51 miles of paved multi-purpose trails, 2.5 miles of gravel trails, and 1 mile of nature trails.
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