The purpose of the project is to provide a variety of spaces that will attract users of all ages to City Park and create experiences with lasting memories. This project will inspire kids to get out of the house to play at the playground, cyclists to find a place to rest from their ride and enjoy a lake scene, families to bond at a picnic and gather around the fire pit, young people to unwind with outdoor games, and campers to experience upgraded shower and restroom accommodations.

The City Park Renovation Project includes:

• Replacement of outdated playground equipment with rubber-surfaced new equipment
• Extending the existing Tatanka Ska Trail to the trailhead in City Park
• Construction of a kiosk and wayfinding signage as part of the new trailhead
• A paved trail loop for walkers
• Heavy-duty bench swings to sit and view Silver Lake
• Shelter house improvements for community events
• Replacement of the deficient shower/restroom facility near the campground with a modern, handicap accessible facility
• Upgraded Farmer’s Market space
• A new recreation area that will attract younger park users
• A monument sign to showcase the entrance to City Park
• Wayfinding signage for easy navigation through the park
• Installation of utilities and lighting enhancements to the shelter house
• Widening of the park roadway
• Paving additional visitor parking.

The Silver Lake shoreline will be cleared to provide a full view of Silver Lake from a new pedestrian trail adjacent to the shoreline. The shoreline improvements will support the efforts of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Dickinson Soil and Water Conservation District, and the Silver Lake Park Improvement Association to improve the water quality of Silver Lake. The improvements will stabilize the shoreline and limit the amount of soil that erodes into Silver Lake.

The project will leverage the efforts of the Dickinson County Conservation Board to extend the Tatanka Ska Trail from Spirit Lake to Lake Park. There will be a paved 10-foot-wide trail connection from the end of the Tatanka Ska to a new trailhead for cyclists in City Park. Cyclists will be able to access a covered kiosk, potable water, bike repair equipment, new restrooms and shaded areas for taking a rest with views of the lake.

The park will become a center of community activities. It will be a gathering place for families along Silver Lake where they can create memories of positive experiences. It may include a picnic at the shelter house or an evening around the firepit. There will be memories for kids of playing with friends at the playground and playing catch in the open space. Cyclists will create memories with a rest from their ride on the swings overlooking Silver Lake. For residents, it will be a place for them to bring visitors and showcase the investment the residents of Lake Park in the future of the community.

The playground improvements will enable kids to experience outdoor play and make the park more attractive than staying inside. The trail loop in the park will give families an enjoyable walk with a stroller along Silver Lake and around the park. Other improvements will enable friends to bond at a picnic and gather around the fire pit, young people to unwind with outdoor games, and campers to experience upgraded shower and restroom accommodations.

The renovated City Park will have new venues that can host many community events. The improvements to the shelter house, the youth outdoor games, the additional parking, and the open views of Silver Lake will spur new ideas on how to bring community together. Community volunteers will be able to create new events that draw people to the park and build community.

Residents and visitors will have more outdoor recreation experiences. They will have more physical activity through play, walking, cycling, camping, fishing from the dock, and recreation games. The trailhead will give cyclists a place to rest and relax after a 12-mile ride from Spirit Lake. The trail connection will provide access to a view of Silver Lake in a tree-filled park setting.

The overall impact of the park renovation project will be that the quality of life for Lake Park residents and visitors will be better. They will have positve, memorable experiences that will last for a lifetime, physical activities that improve their health, a growing appreciation of the outdoors, and reasons to live in a small rural community.

City Park is one of the critical initiatives Lake Park is using to attract new residents and thrive as a community. The City Park Renovation Project will coincide with other community efforts to strengthen Lake Park like the construction of a new elementary school, the community partnerships to create additional housing options in Lake Park, the potential replacement of the Silver Lake Country Club clubhouse, and the partnerships to improve the water quality of Silver Lake.

The improved park will become another community asset that attracts young families to live in Lake Park, generates commerce to help small businesses and grows the Harris-Lake Park School District.

It is anticipated that the level of activity at City Park upon completion of the renovation project will increase dramatically, with easy access for the thousands of cyclists that will travel to Lake Park each year. There will also be thousands of visits to City Park by residents, visitors and campers who are attracted to the views of Silver Lake, the trails in City Park, the new playground equipment and restroom/shower facilities. City Park is very accessible to Lake Park residents and will be inviting to them by walking, a stroller ride or by bicycle.

Growing and thriving communities rely on providing a quality-of-life package for their current residents and prospective residents. Communities need quality schools, housing options and amenities to attract new residents. The Lake Park community is intentional in creating strategies and delivering a high quality of life to residents.

CLICK HERE to download the
Silver Lake City Park Master Plan document

CLICK HERE to download the
Buy a Brick Campaign form