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This summer your best friend is studying abroad in Peru, your roommate is taking a fun trip to Florida, and your parents are taking a cruise without you. That leaves you here, stuck in Des Moines, hanging out around campus. There are fun things around Des Moines sure, but if you take a short road trip you can have an amazing trip right here in Iowa.

There are many state parks and lakes around Iowa that are great places to take an adventure to. We have sifted through many and came up with five must-sees for this summer. The DNR website is a very useful tool to use when decided what park you’d like to visit.

Lake Okoboji: 3 Hours 28 Minutes from Des Moines

Lake Okoboji is home to an amusement park with plenty of rides, food and mini-golf. There are plenty of parks and beaches for you to use. There are various places to camp and stay in hotels. On the lake itself fishing and boating are popular. The lake is full of Walleye and Musky, excellent for fishing enthusiasts. There are rental areas where you can rent different types of boats. They even have extreme watersports like parasailing and water jet packs!

Lake Okoboji is the perfect getaway for anyone who wants to feel they are by the ocean without spending the time or money.

Lake Red Rock: 52 Minutes from Des Moines

Lake Red Rock is the largest lake in Iowa. There are plenty of boat rentals and hiking supplies for you to use. The Cordova park observation tower is an adventure all in itself. It is a tall tower that overlooks the lake and woods. Perfect for those who like taking photos of scenic views. Great fishing can be done here too, with Walleye, Wiper and Pike to catch.

If you go the 8th through the 10th of July you can also see the Red Rock Balloon Festival.

Ledges State Park: 48 Minutes from Des Moines

Ledges state park is a great place to hike and rock climb. There is also a 91-mile bike route. The Des Moines River comes right into the park and offers stream fishing and boating. There are over 90 camping areas and picnic areas for your enjoyment. The trails lead to amazing views over the river and some really neat ledges.

Maquoketa Caves State Park: 2 Hours 59 Minutes from Des Moines

Maquoketa has the most caves out of all the state parks of Iowa. The caves are all connected by a trail system. According to the DNR website this is a beautiful state park and offers six miles of hiking trails along with camping. The park itself is historic and incredibly beautiful. The park also has the Interpretive Center which is full of information about the park, the caves, and the history.

Backbone State Park: 2 hours 44 Minutes from Des Moines

Backbone state park is Iowa’s oldest state park and known for its rocky mountain like landscape. According to the DNR website, it is also known for some of the best trout fishing in Iowa. It has a beach for swimming and recreational activities. There are over 20 miles of hiking trails. Backbone is a great place for rock climbing and has a lot of places to camp, and even has cabins to stay in.