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Paddling season opens on West Des Moines Blue Heron Lake
Travel to West Des Moines for the boathouse season opener, combining memorable event experiences with nearby outdoor recreation during an easy Iowa summer getaway.
Event details
The Raccoon River Park boathouse reopens for the season over Memorial Day weekend, putting kayaks and paddleboards back on Blue Heron Lake and signaling the start of a full summer of West Des Moines outdoor recreation. The surrounding park adds a beach, nature lodge, playgrounds, and trails, giving families considerably more to do than a single rental stand might suggest.
Because the opening weekend combines paddling with a full park setting, families with a range of ages and energy levels can each find their own activity rather than competing for the same stretch of shoreline. Younger children tend to gravitate toward the playgrounds and beach, while older kids and adults can take a kayak or paddleboard out onto the lake, letting a single park visit cover more ground than a typical lakefront outing.
West Des Moines makes an easy, central base for the weekend, with downtown Des Moines close enough to add restaurants or an evening out once the day on the water winds down. For families looking to kick off the paddling season without much advance planning, Raccoon River Park’s boathouse opening offers a full day of options within a single, easy-to-reach park.
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