Weekends
Things to do in Ankeny
Ankeny's weekends are the outdoor kind and the main-street kind, and most of them are close. Distances are by road from The Pines.
Outdoors
The High Trestle Trail head is 1.6 miles away at the Ankeny Market and Pavilion, the start of about 25 paved miles northwest to Woodward across the lit trestle bridge. Saylorville Lake, 6.1 miles, is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake for boating, camping and a swim at the Oak Grove beach, with the Neal Smith Trail running up to Big Creek State Park. Prairie Ridge Sports Complex, 1.0 miles, has the ball fields, courts and the city aquatic center.
Main street
The District at Prairie Trail, 3.4 miles south, is the walkable cluster: Jethro's BBQ Lakehouse, 30 Hop and District 36 for dinner, and B&B Theatres Ankeny 12 with B-Roll Bowling and an arcade for the rest of the night. Uptown Ankeny holds the Saturday farmers market and the breweries, Firetrucker in the old fire station among them. The DMACC Ankeny campus, 2.7 miles down the boulevard, brings theater, athletics and community events to the north side of town.
Close to home
Half the appeal of the address is that none of this is a project. The trail, the lake, the pool and the shops are all a short drive, and the neighborhood you come home to is quiet. The homes run from 1,360 to 1,800 square feet across four plans, in two and three bedrooms, each with an attached garage, a washer and dryer in the home, central air and a gas fireplace. Live pricing for whatever is open is on the availability page.
Questions people ask
What is there to do near The Pines in Ankeny?
The High Trestle Trail (1.6 miles), Saylorville Lake (6.1 miles), Prairie Ridge Sports Complex and aquatic center (1.0 miles), and The District at Prairie Trail (3.4 miles) with its restaurants, cinema and bowling.
What is Ankeny known for?
Its trail network, including the High Trestle Trail with its lit bridge over the Des Moines River valley. The trail head is 1.6 miles from The Pines.
Is there a lake near The Pines?
Saylorville Lake is 6.1 miles away, run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, with boating, camping, the Neal Smith Trail and the Oak Grove swimming beach.
What is there to do in Ankeny with kids?
B&B Theatres Ankeny 12 with bowling and an arcade at The District (3.4 miles), the zero-depth pool and water slides at the Prairie Ridge Aquatic Center (1.0 miles) in summer, and the High Trestle Trail (1.6 miles) for a family ride.
Distances measured by road from our address using OpenStreetMap, September 2026. Facts from the City of Ankeny, Polk County Conservation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, The District at Prairie Trail and DMACC, October 2026.
More about living here
- Moving to Ankeny, Iowa
- Schools near The Pines
- Parks and trails near The Pines
- Groceries and everyday errands near The Pines
- Eating and drinking near The Pines
- Commuting from The Pines
- The High Trestle Trail, near The Pines
- Single-level homes at The Pines
- Maintenance-free living at The Pines
- The floor plans at The Pines, explained
- How to apply at The Pines
- Working from home at The Pines
- Pet-friendly townhomes in Ankeny
- What residents say about The Pines
- The neighborhood guide
- All questions