• Touch-a-Life Trail: Hard-surfaced trail, just under one mile, travels along the lake through various plant communities including prairie, woodlands, and ponds; handicapped access to fishing dock, deck overlooking the lake, and handicapped accessible picnic sites.
• Hiking and Off-road Biking: The park's 5.5 miles of trails are open to hiking and off-road biking, but interior trails with stairs are closed to bicyclists. Please obey all signs. Equestrians are not allowed in the park.
• The 6.5-acre lake is stocked with bluegill, bass, and catfish and was completely renovated in 2022-2023.
• Picnic areas with grills and open shelters.
• Nature Playscape for young park visitors to climb on logs, scoop mud, test their balance, and use their imagination!
• "Hammock Hangout" designed for hammock use. Free hammocks for check out at Conservation Center during office hours.
• The offices of administrative and environmental education staff are housed at the Story County Conservation Center, and the multipurpose room is available for rent for social gatherings and meetings. A cedar deck is adjacent to the building for picnics and public use. Office hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. 
• Adams Observatory: Supervised by the Ames Area Amateur Astronomers (AAAA); available to the public through astronomy programs offered by AAAA. More info here.

Dr. Ernest J. McFarland owned the original 93 acres of the park that honors his name. Plans for the lake were drawn up for him in 1942. The lake was eventually built in 1949 and the spillway rebuilt and elevated to deepen the lake in 1967. Dr. McFarland had hoped to build his retirement home near the lake, but passed away before that could be accomplished. 

The McFarland family allowed many people to enjoy their lake over the years and fishing, swimming, and camping were popular activities for their guests well into the 1960’s. 

The family didn’t want to see the land broken up into a housing subdivision after Dr. McFarland’s death, and offered the then new Story County Conservation Board a first option to buy the land to develop as a park. 

The board purchased the land in 1969, but development of the park did not begin until 1973 and 1974 when the master plan was completed and the first full-time park officer was hired. Several other parcels were added during the 1970’s to bring the park to its present 200 acres. 

The trail system was built by high school aged Youth Conservation Corps kids during the 1970’s. The ADA compliant Touch-a-life Trail was built with major help from the Ames Town and Country Kiwanis Club first in the mid 1970’s and expanded in 2004 and 2005. The first observatory was built by the Ames Area Amateur Astronomers Club in 1980, and an improved building was built in about 2000. The conservation center was completed in 1991.