Paddling near Des Moines, IA

Sitting in Polk County at the confluence of the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers, Des Moines anchors one of the Midwest's most accessible urban paddling networks. The Iowa Confluence Water Trails (ICON) link 150 miles of rivers and creeks here, while Saylorville Lake to the north and Lake Red Rock—Iowa's largest at over 15,000 acres—frame the regional scene with open-water options just minutes from downtown.