The university provides students with many opportunities to get out and do things, and Ames has just as much to offer.

Outdoors

Ada Hayden is a great place to go if you want to go kayaking, canoeing, fishing, hiking, biking or grilling out. 

To get there, go approximately one-half mile north of Ames on Grand Avenue.

Peterson Park is divided into two sections, Peterson Park East and Peterson Park West. There is plenty of space for parking at both parks. 

To get here, go north of Ames on Grand Avenue and turn right on 180th Street. Peterson Park West is about a mile down the road. Peterson Park East can be found another half mile down the road just past the bridge.

Peterson Park East consists of hiking trails to get you down close to the South Skunk River. This is also a popular place for people to get in the river to tube to Ada Hayden.

The trails will take you from Peterson Park East to Peterson Park West where you will find a pond and beach. This park is popular for kayaking, canoeing and swimming.

McFarland Park is located northeast of Ames. To get there, go north on Dayton Avenue and turn right on 180th Street.

Here, you can go hiking or biking on its winding trails or relax in the sun next to the pond. Visitors can also camp and fish here.

Reiman Gardens is a place to go to not only to enjoy the beauty of the landscaping and butterflies but to also have a quiet, serene place to study.

Admission is free to ISU students, and they have an entire schedule of events that take place there.

Main Street is lined with many shops and restaurants to check out. CyRide’s Red and Green routes will take you here. Remember to check out some of the shops that are just off of Main Street as well.

Ames offers many places around town to play sports. One of the most popular places are the intramural fields across the street from Jack Trice Stadium on University Boulevard. Here you can play sand volleyball, softball, baseball and frisbee.

There are two disc golf courses in Ames. One of them is just off of 13th Street, across from Frederiksen Court. The second one is just off of Mortensen Road, south of Towers in Gateway Hills.

If your style of golfing is more traditional, you can check out Veenker Memorial Golf Course or Homewood Golf Course.

Veenker is located on Stange Road just north of campus. Homewood is located at the corner of Duff Avenue and 24th Street.

Indoors

If you’re looking for a quiet place to study or a place to go on a rainy day, try one of the many coffee shops around town.

Frozen yogurt is a great way to cool down at the end of the day. Orange Leaf is at the corner of Grand Avenue and Lincoln Way. Aspen Leaf is on South Duff Avenue.

Going to see a movie with friends is another great way to get out when the weather isn’t favorable. Movies 12 is located on South Duff Avenue next to Staples.

Perfect Games, located in West Ames on Mortensen Road, offers students a great time with bowling, laser tag, arcade games and food.

Community

Along with plenty of recreational things to do, Ames offers many places to volunteer. A great place to go to find volunteer opportunities in Story County is www.vcstory.com. You can also check with different places you’re interested in to see if you can volunteer there.