Clive

Take the scenic route to Clive, where you’ll find goats, a Greenbelt, and a menu of underrated dining options that are anything but ordinary. Greater Des Moines has something for everyone and is filled with communities worth shouting about!

Food and Drink   

Whether you’re looking for a beer, burger, bagel, or bubbles, Clive has you covered from the cup of coffee to start your day to the nightcap to end it, and everything in between. Start off with a cup of joe and an authentic New York style kettle boiled bagel at 5 Borough Bagels, whose award-winning breakfast sandwiches have amassed legions of loyal customers. Locally owned Sweet Dude Coffee & Cafe serves coffee, tea, and Italian soda along with crepes, waffles, and its signature cream puffs (Choux pastries) filled with custard creme. For lunch, choose from nearly 20 types of burgers at Burger Shop, along with crowd pleasers like the Grinder and Philly cheesesteak, served with their top-notch onion rings. For a nice dinner, you’ve got a full menu of choices. Cosi Cucina for eclectic, casual Italian and wood-fired pizzas. Club Car for elevated American eats including their famous Coal Car ribeye. Cooper’s Hawk is date night personified, with a wine list that will make you blush and a surf and turf heavy menu, all enjoyed inside a chic, urban space. And speaking of vibes, Aura lives up to its name, with a memorable dining area where you’ll find American dishes inspired by Asia, Europe, and South America. Top things off, literally, with Monarca Paletas, who offer 30+ flavors of small batch ice cream treats that are dipped, topped, and drizzled to your liking!

Monarca Paletas 5 Borough Bagels Club Car

Arts and Culture   

Sometimes the best art paints a picture of the city’s vibe, which is the case with Art Along the Trail, the temporary outdoor exhibit that adorns the Clive Greenbelt Trail every year from May through October. Each fall brings submissions for new art, with nine artists selected to install their work at various points along the trail. There’s even a map to help you plot out your art route. If mural selfies are your thing, check out Nostalgic Clive by Dan Hatala at Swanson Memorial Park, or Trail and Woods Behind My Neighborhood by Mria Cervantes at Lions Park. The Clive Public Library is home to the Clive Art Gallery, featuring artwork from local and student artists. If you’d rather create your own art and spend some quality bonding time with your friends or kids while you’re at it, then let Glazed Expressions be your canvas. Specializing in pottery painting (more than 350 items to choose from) and candle making, there is fun to be had for all ages, no reservations required. Your new coffee mug is ready for its closeup.

Parks and Outdoors   

Any talk of outdoors activities in Clive (or the whole region for that matter) starts and ends with the Clive Greenbelt, one of the crown jewels of the Greater Des Moines trail system. Stretching 11.3 miles all throughout Clive, this paved pathway offers a string of trailside parks and trail connections as it follows scenic Walnut Creek. For visitors, the best place to pick up the trail is probably the Campbell Recreation Area (with its sand volleyball and, basketball and tennis courts), where the trail dives immediately into woodlands and you can see where the “Greenbelt” comes from. The trail's allure comes from feeling secluded, yet never being far away from the community. You’ll see dog walkers, joggers, bikers, and families, and the well-marked trail will help you easily navigate to pit stops along the way, including 515 Brewing Company, known for some of the best brews in Iowa. Their pale ales are unmatched, so make sure you incorporate a patio pit stop on your adventure.

Greenbelt Trail and Art Campbell Recreation Area Clive

Festivals and Events   

Clive knows how to get the party started and has become quite adept at rocking the suburbs. Take for example the Greenbelt Music Festival. Happening in May across two days and two stages, this all-ages music festival features more than 20 local and national acts, a silent disco, food trucks, a kid's zone, and even goats! The Music Festival serves as the opening act to the annual Clive Festival, where every July at Greenbelt Landing brings not only bands and food, but things like a pancake breakfast, cardboard boat races, geocaching, a giant slip ‘n slide, and a fireworks show to cap things off in style. One of the most popular get togethers across the metro is Food Truck Fridays at Campbell Park, where on select Friday evenings from May through September, you can enjoy live local music and food trucks; and you can even bring your own cooler of beverages and your pooch too. For year-round events, there’s the Horizon Events Center, frequent host to national rock concerts, craft fairs, and new this year, Des Moines Whiskey Festival in October.

Attractions and Things to Do   

When you travel to a new place, you want to try all the authentic experiences you can’t find anywhere else. Well, nothing says ‘delightfully weird’ like the Clive Greenbelt Goats. Introduced to the city in 2019 to help manage invasive plant species, you can track the goats along the trail via a map and feed them feed purchased at the machines at City Hall. They’ve become so popular they even have their own line of merch! For a little bit of history, check out Swanson Memorial Park; with a green space, picnic tables, an old caboose, historic train depot and old-timey general store, it’s free and open to the public every day, making for a great family outing.

Swanson Park Clive Greenbelt Goats