Water Works Parks

Park Hours

Water Works Park and Maffitt Reservoir are open to the public every day between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. except for Thanksgiving and December 24-25. Park police officers patrol both parks for your security and are happy to answer any questions you may have.

Water Works Park Hours:                                                     Maffitt Reservoir Park Hours:
6 a.m. - 10 p.m. Daily                                                               6 a.m. - 10 p.m. during daylight savings time
Closed Thanksgiving and December 24-25                       7 a.m. - 8 p.m. during standard time

Water Works Park

Located on Fleur Drive directly across from Gray's lake, Water Works Park covers nearly 1,500 acres of open wooded areas. The park stretches from Fleur Drive west of 63rd Street, bounded by the Raccoon River on the north edge and George Flagg Parkway to the south.

Biking, jogging, picnicking, fishing, and hiking are a few of the activities that park patrons enjoy. Picnic areas, complete with tables and grills, are located in several areas of the park. Large, open areas are available for team sports such as softball, tag football, and soccer. For more information on bike trails go to www.ci.des-moines.ia.us/departments/PR/trails.htm

Arie den Boer Arboretum

One of the world's largest collections of flowering crab apple trees can be found in the eastern portion of Water Works Park, adjacent to Fleur Drive. Collected by the late Arie den Boer, a renowned horticulturist, the arboretum includes approximately 300 varieties of crab apple trees.

The annual crab apple blossom usually occurs the last week of April and the first week of May, attracting thousands of visitors to the park.

Maffitt Reservoir

Located southwest of Des Moines (take Army Post Road west, across Interstate 35, and follow the signs), Maffitt Reservoir Park consists of a 200-acre lake and 600 acres of land. Fishing, picnicking, and hiking are favorite pastimes at Maffitt Reservoir. For the general public's convenience, several docks that extend nearly 20 feet into the lake are located along the shore. A nature trail of approximately 4.5 miles leads hikers around the lake.

The reservoir was constructed in 1941-1945 as an additional raw water supply for the Des Moines Water Works. To protect the water from possible contamination, swimming, boats, and other flotation devices are not allowed in the water. To further enhance the reservoir's high quality water, Des Moines Water Works recently purchased 105 acres of farmland surrounding the reservoir to provide additional watershed protection.