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Raccoon River Park is an urban park located in West Des Moines, Iowa. The park has 631.61 acres, with 232 acres consisting of Blue Heron Lake which is the center of the park. The park is surrounded by Raccoon River in the south and east, Walnut Woods State Park in the south, Brown's Woods in the east, and Jordan Creek in the northeast. The park is owned and operated by the city of West Des Moines.

History

The earliest recorded settlement in the boundaries of the park was a farmstead in 1907. By the mid-1940s this farmstead was owned by the Elbert family and consisted of a main house, several hired-hand houses, cattle shed, barn, and other outbuildings. In February of 1946, Martin Marietta purchased the area for mining purposes. By 1967, mining operations extended well into the area, creating the boundaries of the now Blue Heron Lake due to dredging. The mining operations came to a halt due to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources purchasing the area from Martin Marietta earlier. The city of West Des Moines later teamed up with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to expand and develop the area. Work to start developing the area started in 1994 and more than 12 million dollars have been spent so far, with intentions to expand the area even more.

Nature

The area along the Raccoon River is mostly densely wooded bottomland. The west edge of the park has a marshy area, and there is grassland habitat on the east side of the lake and along the north shore. There are over 180 comfirmed bird species in the park. Blue Heron Lake is home to several different types of fish, such as crappie, blue gill, bullheads, catfish, carp, bass, and walleye.

Amenities

Hiking Trails

There is a 3.2 mile loop around Blue Heron Lake with around 1 mile of the trail being a paved trail, and the rest being made of crushed rock. There is an approved proposal for a pedestrian bridge to be built, connecting the park with Walnut Woods State Park, crossing the Raccoon River.

Blue Heron Lake

There is a 500 ft Long Beach on the north side of the lake which include accessibility with specialized beach wheelchairs. There is a boathouse next to the beach which includes rentals for canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards.

Other amenities

There is a soccer and softball complex in the park which are found northwest and north of the park prospectively. Other facilities include a dog park, nature lodge, archery facility, seasonal ice rink, and a playground.

See also

Park map

References

1. ^ "Raccoon River Park". The City of West Des Moines.
2. "Raccoon River Park Map" (PDF). www.ifapa.org.
3. "IA - Raccoon River Park [5660] - PRA- Nature Prescribed". parkrxamerica.org. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
4. "LAND USE HISTORY AND HISTORIC PROPERTY POTENTIAL FOR- THE DES WINES RECREATIONAL RIVER AD GREENBELT PROPOSED RACCOON RIVER REGIONAL PARK WEST DES HOINES, IOWA" (PDF). apps.dtic.mil.
5. "Underneath It All: Raccoon River Park" (PDF). icma.org.
6. Bissel, John. "Birding Raccoon River Park in Polk County" (PDF).
7. "Raccoon River Park - Polk, Iowa, US - Birding Hotspots". birdinghotspots.org. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
8. "3.2 Mile Trail at Raccoon River Park - West Des Moines, Iowa". 2024-09-05. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
9. Higgins, Chris. "When construction will start on the new Raccoon River pedestrian bridge in West Des Moines". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2024-11-19.
10. Kennedy, Kaci (2023-10-23). "Raccoon River Park in Des Moines, Iowa". Des Moines Parent. Retrieved 2024-11-19.

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• Parks in Des Moines, Iowa