The Ankeny Brief
Ankeny is one of the fastest-growing cities in Iowa, and there's more to do here than most people realize, plus the entire Des Moines metro is a short drive away. Here's the complete local guide: get outside, grab a beer on a patio, take the kids somewhere, wait out the rain, or pile in the car for a day trip. Bookmark it.
🧠Can't decide? Try the Ankeny Activity Finder: filter every local idea by mood (free, kid-friendly, indoor, date night), or hit "Decide for us" and let it pick.
The marquee outing is the High Trestle Trail - its half-mile, 13-story bridge over the Des Moines River valley is one of the largest trail bridges in the world, and it glows blue at dusk. The Ankeny trailhead is on the north side of town. From there the trail network links all the way to the 89-mile Raccoon River Valley Trail - together, a 120-mile continuous paved loop. Ten minutes northwest, Saylorville Lake has two swim beaches, fishing, and 11 campgrounds; just north, Big Creek State Park has the largest beach in Iowa's state-park system, and Jester Park keeps a beloved bison & elk herd. Full rundown on our Ankeny outdoors guide.
More on where Ankeny eats and drinks in our restaurant guide.
In town, the Kirkendall Public Library runs free programs all week, the city's splash pads and pools open Memorial Day to Labor Day, and the Ankeny Miracle League offers adaptive baseball for kids of all abilities. Ten to twenty-five minutes away in the metro: Adventureland (amusement & water park in Altoona), Blank Park Zoo (Iowa's only accredited zoo), and the hands-on Science Center of Iowa downtown.
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With a car, your options multiply: within about 20-30 minutes are the free Pappajohn Sculpture Park and Des Moines Art Center, the gold-domed State Capitol, the walkable East Village and Court Avenue districts, Gray's Lake and Water Works Park, and the renowned Downtown Farmers' Market on summer Saturdays. A little farther for a Saturday: the Madison County covered bridges in Winterset, the Dutch town of Pella, and the Boone & Scenic Valley Railroad. Planning something bigger? See our full guide to day trips from Des Moines and weekend getaways, sorted by drive time.
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Top things to do include riding the High Trestle Trail and Ankeny's trail network, boating and beaches at nearby Saylorville and Big Creek lakes, visiting breweries and patios around Uptown and The District at Prairie Trail, and catching the summer Uptown Farmers Market and concerts at the AMP.
Yes. Ankeny is a well-known family suburb, with parks, pools, sports complexes, and year-round family events, plus indoor options for cold and rainy days.
When the weather turns, locals head to breweries and taprooms, restaurants and cafes, indoor entertainment like bowling and indoor golf, and the metro's museums a short drive away in Des Moines.
For tonight or the weekend, locals hit the breweries and patios around Uptown and The District at Prairie Trail, live music and food trucks at the Ankeny Market & Pavilion in summer, the Saturday Uptown Farmers Market, the movie theater, and the trails. Our weekly what's-on list has the current dates.
Family favorites include the aquatic center and splash pads, the trail network and the High Trestle bridge, the beaches at Big Creek and Saylorville, the library's summer programs, and the sports complexes, with indoor options for rainy days.
For a night out, Ankeny's breweries, taprooms, and patios around Uptown and Prairie Trail are the go-to, along with golf and live music, plus easy access to Des Moines nightlife about twenty minutes away.