The Johnston Brief
Jester Park is the Polk County park where you can drive out from Johnston, park for free, and watch a herd of bison and elk graze, then add a hike, a round of golf, a horseback ride, or a night in a cabin. It sits just across Saylorville Lake from town, and it's one of the best low-cost family outings in the metro. Here's what's out there.
Jester Park is a 1,675-acre Polk County park on the western shore of Saylorville Lake, near Granger and a short drive northwest of Johnston. Its signature draw is the free bison and elk herds, a fixture for about four decades. It also has a nature center (opened in 2018), an equestrian center, a golf course, cabins and campgrounds, boat ramps, ponds, and miles of trails.
You can see them at Jester Park's free bison and elk exhibit, viewable from a drive and overlooks, which has drawn families for about four decades. It's the single most popular reason people make the trip across the lake, and it costs nothing.
The Jester Park Nature Center, which opened in 2018, is one of Iowa's leading nature centers, a hub for exhibits, programs, and a natural playscape, with access to restored woodlands, the bison and elk, and a network of nature trails along Saylorville. It's a great free rainy-plan-B or an anchor for a longer visit.
The Jester Park Equestrian Center offers riding lessons, shows and clinics, trail rides, wagon and sleigh rides, camps, and therapeutic programs. It's a rare public riding facility this close to the metro, and worth a look even if you've never been on a horse.
The Jester Park Golf Course is a nature-themed 18-hole course with a driving range and a family-friendly miniature golf course next door, all with the park's scenic country views. For more ways to spend a day outdoors, see our Johnston guides.
Jester has four modern rental cabins plus modern and primitive campgrounds, so it works for an overnight, not just a day trip. Add boat ramps, ponds, picnic shelters, a playground, and hiking trails (these are natural, soft-surface paths, not a paved bike route), and there's a full day or weekend here. Compare it with other options in our camping guide.
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Jester Park is a 1,675-acre Polk County park on the western shore of Saylorville Lake, near Granger, Iowa, a short drive northwest of Johnston.
Yes. Jester Park has bison and elk herds in a wildlife enclosure that you can view for free from a drive and overlooks. The herds have been a popular attraction for about four decades.
Yes. Jester Park is a free public county park, including viewing the bison and elk. Some amenities, like golf, the equestrian center, cabins, and camping, have their own fees.
Yes. Jester Park has four modern rental cabins plus modern and primitive campgrounds, so you can make it an overnight rather than just a day trip.
Jester Park offers free bison and elk viewing, a nature center and natural playscape, an equestrian center, a golf course with mini golf, cabins and camping, boat ramps, ponds, picnic shelters, and hiking trails, all on the western shore of Saylorville Lake.