Walnut Woods Hike

Walnut Woods, located only minutes southwest of Des Moines, provides shaded picnic areas with fireplaces and tables and peaceful spots for river fishing. The park is open year-round and is perfect for hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-county skiing with 2 1/2 miles of trails. A pleasant equestrian trail is also located in the park. Walnut Woods encompasses 260 acres of wooded bottomland along the Raccoon River. Within the park lies a large surviving natural stand of black walnut trees. More than 90 species of birds have been identified along the numerous foot and bridle trails throughout the park and along the river. There is a 1-mile loop starting at the playground and ending at the bird blind that is perfect for young walkers. The trail is sand for the first half and then dirt for the second half. The sand can make it difficult to navigate strollers. The trail follows the Raccoon River for most of it, providing beautiful views and several spots that allow you to walk down to the river and play in the sand and/or water. During the loop, you will come to two trail junctions. Take a right for both of them to make this a 1-mile loop. It will end at the bird blind and you can easily walk back to the playground from here. If you take a left at the first junction, you will see the access point to one of the sandbars and the perfect place to building sand castles. If you take a left at the second trail junction this will put you onto the longer trail system that encompasses the park.