There are places in a city that quietly redefine what a city can be — places that make you stop mid-stride, pull out your phone, and text a friend: you have to see this. Lauridsen Skatepark, tucked along the western bank of the Des Moines River in the Gray’s Lake neighborhood, is exactly that kind of place. And whether you’ve ever set foot on a skateboard or not, this destination belongs on your Des Moines itinerary without question.
Opened in 2021 and spanning nearly 88,000 square feet, Lauridsen Skatepark is one of the largest free public skateparks in the entire United States. Let that sink in for a moment. Free. Open to the public. And jaw-droppingly beautiful. The park was designed by Spohn Ranch, a California-based firm renowned for crafting world-class skating environments, and the result is something that feels less like a municipal amenity and more like living public sculpture. Sweeping concrete bowls, graceful transitions, long flowing ledges, and technical street sections ripple across the landscape in a way that is genuinely thrilling to watch, even from the sidelines.
When I visited on a bright October morning, the park was already humming with activity. Skaters of every skill level were threading lines through the space — teenagers working on kick-flips near the street plaza, a handful of BMX riders dropping into the deep end of the main bowl, and a few younger kids on scooters rolling cautiously along the mellow beginner-friendly sections near the entrance. The energy was inclusive and easy. Nobody was posturing. It felt like a neighborhood living room that happened to be made of perfect concrete.
What strikes you almost immediately is how thoughtfully integrated the park is with its surroundings. The Des Moines River Trail runs right alongside it, meaning you can lock up your bike, watch the action for a while, then keep pedaling south toward Gray’s Lake Park without skipping a beat. On weekends, food trucks often park nearby, and the whole scene takes on a festival-like quality that makes an afternoon here feel like a genuine event.
The park sits near the Southwest 9th Street corridor, which means it’s easy to combine a visit with lunch at one of the neighborhood’s excellent spots before or after. Parking is available along the river road, and the location is well-served by the city’s trail network if you want to arrive on two wheels.
What Des Moines has built here is a genuine point of civic pride — a space that draws visiting skaters from across the Midwest and gives local riders a world-class venue right in their backyard. But it also serves as a reminder that great public spaces don’t have to be exclusive or expensive to be extraordinary. Sometimes a stretch of beautifully poured concrete, a riverside breeze, and a community that shows up is all it takes to make a city feel alive.
So go. Bring a coffee, find a spot on the low concrete wall overlooking the main bowl, and give yourself permission to simply watch for a while. You’ll leave with a completely different picture of what Des Moines is capable of — and a strong urge to come back.
