Court Hill Park

If you live on the east side of Iowa City, this park is probably already your go-to. The trail along the creek is genuinely one of the nicer walks in town, and it connects out toward the woods if you want to stretch it into a longer adventure. Kids have a solid climbing structure and swings to keep them busy, and there’s enough open grass that you’re not fighting for space even on a busy weekend. Bring food — the shaded picnic tables and grills make it easy to stay for a few hours. Parking is right there, restrooms are on-site, and the bike track is a bonus if you’ve got younger riders still figuring things out.