Saylorville Lake

One of central Iowa's most popular places for water activities, including boating, swimming, and fishing. Also has camping facilities, hiking trails, wildlife areas, and two golf courses--Tournament Club of Iowa (designed by Arnold Palmer) and Jester Park--nearby.

Getting there: 25-min drive N of downtown
Website: mvr.usace.army.mil (opens in a new tab)

Directions Suggest a nearby place

Listing from Wikivoyage: Des Moines, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

Close by

Eat
Trostel's Greenbriar
Greenbriar
In 2003, The Des Moines Register awarded the restaurant with 4-stars and several awards from reader polls. Prime rib, seafood, aged steaks, rack of lamb and duck are featured on the menu. For those seeking a casual dining experience, the bar is available in addition to the outdoor patio (during warm months). Live music on various nights.
Twilight dinners served Mon-Thu 5PM-6:30PM$30
Do
Big Creek State Lake and Park
A popular location for boats, swimmers, and fishing enthusiasts. The lake is much smaller than Saylorville. Trails, shooting range, and picnic facilities on-site.
Eat
Christopher's
A restaurant with a great reputation for serving up quality prime rib and Italian dishes for over 50 years. The restaurant is larger than it appears from outside.
$30
Eat
Chicago Speakeasy
A Des Moines classic, the restaurant features a mobster theme. Excellent prime rib (the house specialty), served in several sizes, an extensive salad bar, and a number of seafood offerings. Large portions.
$50