Des Moines' Gray's Lake Park to reopen this weekend

Des Moines’ Gray’s Lake Park will reopen this weekend after flooding left it closed for more than three weeks.

The city’s Parks and Recreation Department announced on Facebook that Des Moines’ most popular park would reopen at 5 a.m. Saturday. The Des Moines branch of the National Weather Service is forecasting appropriate weather for the reopening: a high of 74 degrees with 15-25 mph winds.

The northwestern section of the trail around Gray’s Lake will still be closed, but walkers, runners and cyclists can instead use the park’s road, which will be closed to traffic. The park’s playground will still be closed.

The park’s restrooms will be open, save the one near the beach. The beach will open Memorial Day and the concession stand will reopen May 1.

Flooding from the Raccoon River inundated the park last month and forced a week-long closure of Fleur Drive.

On the other side of the street, Des Moines Water Works Park is not yet ready to reopen. Water Works spokeswoman Laura Sarcone said Thursday that the park “will require several more days of work before it will be open to the public.”

Earlier this week, she said crews were working to pick up debris from the park, including tree limbs. The flooding also left behind plenty of mud and silt, Sarcone said.