Before school starts, most students will be looking for fun ways to spend their last weeks of freedom from school. Many students will be going outdoors to savor the nice weather. Here is a list of a few places to which you can escape:

Ada Hayden

Ada Hayden is a park located on the north side of Ames, near Highway 69. The area has two lakes, a picnic area and a boat dock. Patrons may fish off of the boat dock, but may not dive from it.

Also located in Ada Hayden Park is a 3.2-mile trail for walkers, runners and cyclists.

The location features numerous birds including sandhill cranes, loons, pelicans and even a few bald eagles. Check out the city of Ames Parks and Recreation site for more details.

Skunk River

The Skunk River doesn’t have as many amenities as Ada Hayden Park. However, there are still a few outdoor activities you can try there with your family or friends. For instance, there are many fish in the Skunk River. You are bound to catch at least a couple.

There are places for tubing along the river. There are also many places to go canoeing on the river trail.

Seven Oaks

At Seven Oaks, you have a few different activity options. Some of the more popular activities visitors do are mountain biking and tubing. The resort also provides paintball every day of the week and river floats along the Des Moines River. There are campgrounds that allow you to spend a couple of days at the facility. Seven Oaks is a located in Boone, which is only about 15 minutes from Ames by car.