Discover Johnston: Parks, Trails, and Local History

Johnston offers a variety of reasons to plan a trip: extensive park areas, trails for walking and cycling, water activities, local history, and seasonal events. Those looking for a vacation rental or holiday home can tailor their stay to their own interests – for example, with a focus on nature, exercise, culture, or shared experiences with children.

Parks, Lake, and Trails for Active Days

One notable natural area is Terra Lake Park, which covers more than 200 acres. The park contains an eight-acre fishing lake stocked with mature largemouth bass, channel catfish, and sunfish. This gives anyone who wants to combine their trip with fishing a concrete point of interest.

Terra Park has hiking and cycling trails with soft and paved surfaces running around the lake and through the park. For day planning, Johnston also offers more than 45 miles of trails. Depending on your preferred pace of travel, you can therefore focus your stay more on walks, bike rides, or individual park destinations without limiting the trip to just one type of experience.

Ray Schleihs Park offers an ADA-accessible path for walking and cycling along the Johnston Interurban Trail. Those traveling with children can also make a note of the train-themed playground there. A nine-hole disc golf course was installed at Lew Clarkson Park in late summer 2022. It is located south of the snack stand near the woods and adds a distinctive outdoor option to the range of activities.

Water Access and Special Trip Ideas

Johnston’s first access point to the Beaver Creek Water Trail opened on August 20, 2019. The access point at NW 70th Avenue east of NW 86th Street has a boat carry-down access. This information is especially relevant for travelers planning a stay that includes a water-based experience and who want to consider a specific excursion site.

Another seasonal highlight is the Kites on the Green Celebration. It takes place every year on the first Saturday in May at Johnston Commons. The event can therefore be a suitable reason to plan a trip for this period; outside this date, Johnston remains a versatile destination with its parks, trails, and cultural attractions.

History, Museum, and Local Character

The Iowa Gold Star Military Museum honors Iowa’s veterans and displays materials on Iowa’s military history from the state’s founding to the present. For visitors who want to combine nature experiences with history, the museum provides an independent cultural focus.

The local past is also reflected in the 1902 Simpson House Museum of the Johnston Historical Society. It is open to the public during events and by appointment. When selecting accommodations in Johnston, you can take such established interests into account during your trip planning and structure your stay around museum visits, days in the park, or outdoor activities.

Market and Regional Discoveries

During the main growing season, the Johnston Farmers Market features fruits and vegetables, art, garden art, crafts, honey, music, as well as barbecue or a food truck. The idea for the Johnston Farmers Market originated on June 13, 1989. As a result, the market combines seasonal offerings with a local background reaching further into the past. The market may be just as interesting for self-catering travelers and families as it is for visitors who want to include regional products, crafts, and music in their vacation days.

Johnston as a Base for Your Trip

When searching for a vacation rental in Johnston, it is worthwhile to first determine the mix of activities you want from your trip. Nature-focused and active days call for planning around parks, trails, and the fishing lake. Those who prefer cultural topics can include the Iowa Gold Star Military Museum and the Simpson House Museum in their personal itinerary. For a seasonal stay, the Farmers Market and the event at Johnston Commons can be added. This keeps your choice of accommodation aligned with your actual interests without requiring you to commit to just one type of vacation.

For more ideas in the area, you can also include Ankeny, Grimes, Urbandale, Clive, Des Moines and West Des Moines in your further trip planning.

For the overarching travel overview: Polk.