City Park

Honestly, City Park is one of those places Iowa City locals keep coming back to because it just works for pretty much everyone. There’s a solid walking path that loops around near the pond, open grass fields where kids can actually run around without running into anything, and enough picnic tables and shaded seating that you can usually claim a decent spot even on a busy weekend. Pack a cooler, fire up one of the BBQ grills, and you’ve got yourself a real afternoon. The parking situation is reasonable too, which matters more than people admit.