Yes, we are serious, the best skatepark in America is the new Lauridsen Skatepark in Des Moines, Iowa. Anyone that says otherwise simply hasn’t been to the Des Moines skatepark yet. Many cities have great skateparks, there just hasn’t been anything built like this to date. We have visited many skateparks that we would consider great parks and none of them have risen to this level. Des Moines didn’t just build an amazing skatepark. Des Moines built the largest skatepark in the country and placed at the forefront of their city. They didn’t hide it under a freeway, or at a random rec center that happened to have available space. Des Moines has embraced skateboarding and built their world class facility on their downtown riverfront for all to see.
Des Moines Skatepark – The Largest in America
It really is hard to even begin to explain how massive the Des Moines Skatepark is, but we’re going to do our best. From one end to the other it is nearly a quarter-mile long. And we aren’t talking about some super long and skinny skatepark. We’re talking more than 88,000 sq. ft. of skateable space with professional level park and street courses, a flow bowl built for progression, a snake run, a pool, stairs, ledges, and even more that we aren’t listing here. There really is something for everyone at Lauridsen Skatepark, and the Des Moines Skatepark is so massive that we never felt crowded in our three days skating it.
Lauridsen Skatepark Park Section
Who would have thought that in Des Moines, Iowa you would find a professional-level park course? Well, here it is, a park course on par with the best in the world. This is a park course capable of hosting the biggest events in skateboarding, and in fact it did just that in May of this year. Des Moines showed off their brand new skatepark by hosting the 2021 Dew Tour which featured some of the best skateboarders in the world. The park course can be intimidating if you’re just starting out, but if you’re an experienced skater you will not be disappointed.
The Flow Bowl
Don’t think you’re ready to hit the big park section? This flow bowl is built for progression and can be a stepping stone to the professional park course. Skaters just starting out with transition skating will find this to be the perfect spot to build their skill level and confidence. However, don’t think this is for beginners only. This flow bowl will put a lot of other skateparks park course to shame. It might be built for progression, but advanced skaters will have no problem finding lines that will put a smile on their faces.
Des Moines Skatepark Street Course
Like the park course above, the street course is a professional-level course capable of hosting the biggest events in skateboarding. It was also used in the 2021 Dew Tour, and we’re sure it won’t be the last major event to take place in Des Moines. We can’t think of any skatepark in the Midwest that comes close to this street section. And honestly, there aren’t many parks (if any) in the country that can even compete with this street course. It truly is in a league of it’s own and something normally only built for the highest levels of skate competitions. There is an endless amount of ledge and rail types, multiple stair sets, along with banks, gaps, and hips. If you’re looking for it, you’ll find it in Des Moines.
WOW- The Skateable Art Piece
This is where the Des Moines Skatepark really starts to stand out from the crowd. As if the incredible facilities already mentioned weren’t enough, Des Moines went even further. Instead of just making a skatepark with awesome park features, they made it the centerpiece of their city. Des Moines put a piece of art on their riverfront and invited skaters in for free. One of those pieces of art is the Wow skate art feature. It’s an 84-foot long skateable piece of art that not only looks cool, but is actually really fun to skate.
Visit Des Moines
We’ll be honest, before the Des Moines skatepark we had never really spent much time in Iowa. It was kind of the state we drove through on our way to somewhere else. This new skatepark has changed that for us. It didn’t only give us the opportunity to skate an amazing facility, it opened our eyes to what Des Moines and Iowa have to offer. Des Moines could have just poured a bunch of concrete and sent skateboarders to go hide in some corner of their city like many others have. They didn’t though, they opened their arms to us and put this masterpiece of skateboarding in the center of their city. Along a river that is blocks from dining, nightlife, and some really great hotels. A skatepark that is a true piece of art and that Des Moines wants you to see when visiting their city.
If you’re a skateboarder, Des Moines has invited you to visit their city. There is no doubt that this park was built with the local community in mind, as all skateparks should be. But there is also no doubt that this park was built as a destination for skateboarders far and wide. Iowa might not have been on your radar before, but Des Moines just invited you to give them a chance. Use the skatepark as your reason to visit, but we’re sure you’ll be impressed with everything else they have to offer. We know we were.
Want More Information?
For even more information about Lauridsen Skatepark you can visit their page at dsmskatepark.com. You’ll find information on upcoming events, park hours, and more in-depth info on the what the park offers. If you’re ready to visit Des Moines this is the perfect guide to start planning your trip, Explore Des Moines. Or better yet, read all about our recent trip to Iowa here. We Took A Trip To Iowa And Loved It