Saylorville Lake, Iowa

In central Iowa, just north of Des Moines, there’s a lake that saves Iowans a whole lotta cash, and gives them a ton of fun in return. Saylorville Lake is on the Des Moines River, and it provides oodles of flood control for the area (since 1977, it’s prevented around $181,932,300 in flood damages!). What's more, is this place offers some pretty rad recreation opportunities. The area brings together several different ecosystems, including woodlands, wetlands, and prairies. With so much diversity in the land, you’ll also have diversity in your activity options. You can come out here to camp, boat, fish, hike, bike, watch wildlife, and more.