Fun Outside

Photo above from flickr by naturalmom

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Hiking
Nature
Tennis
Skate
Sledding
Ice Skating
Other

HIKING

Urbandale Trails - Urbandale boasts an extensive trail system with over 33 miles of maintained trails. Maps of the trails are available online.

NATURE

Better Homes & Gardens Test Garden **SEASONAL - Steps away from the magazine's editorial offices, the test garden is where the staff evaluates and photographs many of the plants featured in the magazine. The garden is open to the public from noon to 2 p.m., each Friday, May through October.

TENNIS

South Karen Acres Park - Free and open to the public, except during classes and competitions. Parks close at 10:30 p.m.
Walker Johnston Park - Free and open to the public, except during classes and competitions. Parks close at 10:30 p.m.
Lions Park - Free and open to the public, except during classes and competitions. Parks close at 10:30 p.m.

SKATE

Walker Johnston Park - The Urbandale Parks and Recreation Department offers a skateboard park for area boarders. The park is located at Walker Johnston Park, 9000 Douglas Ave. Boarders can enjoy an area with two 20-foot wide escalated quarter pipes, a street spine, a 90-degree bank street hip, and a fun box.

Brenton Skating Plaza **SEASONAL - Fridays evenings during the summer is Rock The River In-Line Skating night. Bring your roller or in-line skates and rock to today’s hits for $2.

SLEDDING

Urbandale Sledding Hill **SEASONAL - An Urbandale sledding hill, just west of the Metro Ice Sports Facility at 5100 NW 72nd St., is opened when there's a 4-inch snow base (a sign will be posted). A warming room, with a fireplace, and concessions are available in the Ice Sports Facility and tube rentals are available.
Waveland and Grandview Golf Courses **SEASONAL - Sledding is permitted at the golf courses after the ground is uniformly frozen and has a snow pack of a minimum of four inches.

ICE SKATING

Lakeview Park **SEASONAL - The pond at Lakeview Park (80th St. and Aurora Ave.) may be used for ice skating when ice conditions are adequate. Signs are posted indicating whether the ice is thick enough for skating.
Brenton Skating Plaza **SEASONAL - A unique outdoor ice skating facility and family entertainment venue, the facility is the first of its kind in Iowa. Stationed at 520 Robert D. Ray Drive, it offers ice skating from November to March.
Metro Locations - A flag system is used to indicate availability of public skating in these locations. A red flag indicates that conditions are not suitable for public skating, while a green flag indicates that ice depth is safe for skating. If no flag is on the pole, the public should assume conditions are not safe and not venture onto the ice and water.
Greenwood Park Pond (45th and Grand Ave.)
Gray's Lake (1701 Fleur Drive)
MacRae Park Lagoon (SW 9th St. and Davis Ave.)
Grandview Golf Course Pond ( Guthrie and E. 31st St.)

OTHER

Sleepy Hollow Sports Park **SEASONAL - A golf course, driving range, go-karts, mini golf, batting cages, climbing wall, sand volleyball courts and carnival rides are all found at this east-side sports park.