Just north of Ames stands the 200-acre McFarland Park. Visitors to this park can explore a variety of habitats, including prairie and woodlands. The park contains picnic areas, a youth camping site, 5.5 miles of trails for hiking and cycling, and a 6.5-acre lake stocked with fish.

The “Touch-A-Life” trail takes visitors past a variety of plant life and onto a deck overlooking the lake. There is even an observatory supervised by the Ames Area Amateur Astronomers.

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