Park restrooms are open at specific times to ensure the safety of visitors:
Monday – Friday: 12PM – 8PM
Saturday and Sunday: 10AM – 8PM
Concessions and the Event Building are open:
Memorial Day-Labor Day
Monday-Friday: 12 PM-8 PM
Saturday-Sunday: 10 AM-8 PM
Recreational equipment rentals are open:
Monday – Friday: 12PM – 8PM
Saturday and Sunday: 10AM – 8PM
Athene North Shore Recreation Area is located conveniently nearby at beautiful Easter Lake Park in the southeast corner of Des Moines, Iowa.
At this time, there is not a DART route that directly serves North Shore. However, DART provides a variety of alternative services that may assist you in your journey to the park.
DART Bus Plus Service: Use paratransit’s ADA door-to-door supportive service for riders with a disability. Visit www.ridedart.com/services/paratransit for information.
DART On Call service: Schedule to be picked up at your location and transported to the Easter Lake Neighborhood. Visit www.ridedart.com/routes/on-call for information.
The parking lot at North Shore is designed to provide ample parking and accommodate a variety of specialized vehicles to help make your visit less stressful. North Shore offers a flat, paved parking lot with 104 standard spaces and 11 accessible parking spaces.
If you’re arriving in a larger vehicle, such as a small bus or wheelchair van, and wish to drop an individual off, a helpful loading zone is conveniently located just west of the parking lot to ensure you have all the time and space you need.
North Shore offers all-natural fun for all. From the start, we used universal design to make sure that amenities are useable for all ages and abilities.
The park features accessible single-user restrooms, including one with a child/adult universal changing station, a Wellness Room for nursing mothers and those who need quiet space, an inclusive playground with a variety of equipment and sensory experiences, and more. Plus, accessible signs and wide paved pathways make exploring the park fun for everyone.
If exploring makes you hungry, head to the concession building to purchase pre-packaged snacks and beverages. And, don’t forget to check the event calendar to find out when your favorite food truck may be stopping by with delicious dishes or sweet treats.
Want to learn a new skill and need to rent recreational equipment? No problem. The concession building also offers standard and adaptive bicycle, kayak, and canoe rentals.
Explore nature the way you want to at North Shore. Whether you decide to stay on land to enjoy the playground and natural greenspaces, or you choose to venture into the water to try a new sport, there are a variety of accessible ways to connect with nature and each other.
Rent a kayak, canoe, or pontoon to fish, paddle, or float on the 178-acre lake. Or, rent an adaptive bike to explore the 4 miles of paved trail surrounding the water.
