The Johnston Brief
Johnston packs a lot of outdoors into a small footprint. At the center is Terra Park, a 200-plus-acre spread around an 8-acre lake, and around it sits a web of neighborhood parks, ball fields, a free splash pad and more than 45 miles of trails. Here's the quick map: the destination parks worth a drive, where the kids go, the disc golf, and how to find the one closest to your door.
Johnston's signature park is Terra Park (200+ acres, an 8-acre stocked lake, courts, trails and free kayaking). Lew Clarkson Park adds 55 acres, ball fields, Beaver Creek access and a 9-hole disc golf course. There's a free Splash Pad at the Town Center, neighborhood parks across town, and 45+ miles of trails tying it together. Full list & map: cityofjohnston.com.
Terra Park is the big one: a 200-plus-acre park wrapped around Terra Lake, with a fishing pier, paved and soft-surface trails, a playground, three pickleball courts and two tennis courts, outdoor fitness stations and picnic shelters. Lew Clarkson Park is the other anchor, 55 acres along Beaver Creek with ball fields, a playground, trails and a disc golf course. Full details on Terra are in our Terra Park guide.
The free Splash Pad at the Town Center is the easy summer win, outdoor water play at no cost during the warm months. For playgrounds, Terra Park has an accessible play structure, and the Johnston Commons playground next to the historic Simpson Barn adds green space, a walking path and a basketball court. Most Johnston neighborhood parks have a playground within a few blocks.
Johnston's 9-hole disc golf course sits at Lew Clarkson Park, 7501 NW 54th Ave, installed in 2022 near the wooded south end of the park by the concession stand. It's free and beginner-friendly. See our disc golf guide for the full local lineup.
Beyond Terra and Lew Clarkson, Johnston's system includes neighborhood parks like Morningside Park, Pointe Vista Park, Providence Point and Ray Schleihs Park, so there's usually green space nearby. The City of Johnston keeps the full parks list and map at cityofjohnston.com, the fastest way to spot the nearest playground, shelter, court or restroom. Many parks connect to Johnston's paved trail network, so you can walk or bike between them without touching a road.
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Terra Park is Johnston's signature park, spanning more than 200 acres around an 8-acre stocked fishing lake at 6400 Pioneer Parkway. It has a fishing pier, paved and soft-surface trails, a playground, three pickleball courts, two tennis courts, outdoor fitness stations, and picnic shelters. The city keeps a full parks list and map at cityofjohnston.com.
Yes. The Splash Pad at the Town Center is a free outdoor water-play feature that runs in the summer season, a popular no-cost stop for families with young kids in Johnston.
Johnston has a nine-hole disc golf course at Lew Clarkson Park, 7501 NW 54th Avenue, installed in 2022 near the wooded south end of the park by the concession stand. It is free and open to players of all skill levels.
Yes. Terra Park is built around Terra Lake, an 8-acre lake stocked with largemouth bass, channel catfish, and bluegill. A fishing pier opened in 2017, and fishing is open with a valid Iowa license. The park also offers free kayaking from June through September.
The City of Johnston reports more than 45 miles of trails, both paved and off-road, that connect many of the parks. The Beaver Creek Greenbelt Trail and the Neal Smith Trail both run through or reach into town.
Terra Park · Trails & bike paths · Disc golf · Dog park · Things to do