Maquoketa Caves State Park

Absolutely beautiful park to hike and explore. Some amazing views and sights. Get there early for parking. There are several caves you can explore to some extent. One is essentially a low tunnel that opens into a larger cave/tunnel. Once you get out of the main group of trails it can be a little confusing on where you are but for the most part all things lead back to the parking area. Really enjoyed my time exploring this park. Would love to go back some day.

We were looking forward to this stop on our road trip. Cannot believe this was in Iowa! Beautiful fall colors. The caves were so cool, though terrifying for our near 2 year old. We had to carry him and it was unsafe to do so through the cave due to the water and low ceiling. We went mid-October and there were a very large amount Asian Beetle Ladybugs everywhere and they BITE! Definitely bring bug spray. Had it not been for that and a cranky toddler we would have loved to stay and wander for longer.

This is an absolute MUST destination! Beautiful trails, a variety of caves to walk through and crawl through. Kind guides and friendly patrons! Wear sturdy shoes so you can comfortably explore everything. You could easily spend a couple hours enjoying the caves and trails at your own pace. Pop up concession/gift area at the entrance to the trails offers souvenirs, drinks, snacks and even ice cream! Enjoying life 1 bite, 1 sip and 1 small town at a time! Explore everything!

Amazing geological feature in Iowa. Several caves all grouped together.. and the price is free! Only a few are large enough to walk into and look around, others are spelunking and crawling caves only.. prepare to get muddy if crawling is for you! All of the caves are damp and have flowing water, wear good comfortable grippy shoes as surfaces can be slippery. The place can be quite busy during the middle of the day. Overall an amazing place that will appeal to kids and adults alike. I wish the signage were a bit better but it's still easy to get around.

The caves were closed when we went but it still is worth visiting in Fall. The trails have some beautiful formations on it. The trails were quiet on the weekday. Love that you can take dogs on leash.

🫵If you are out in the area or passing by on your way somewhere this is a great 1 days stop. Even better if you 1 day is not Saturday or Sundays. 🛻There is parking for about 100 cars but while we were here we never saw more than 12 cars There are 13 caves🦇 that are easy to walk to and if you're willing to get a little dirty, they are fun to crawl into. 🛁🧼🧽Just please clean your clothes and shoes so you don't spread any nasty bat diseases. There are restrooms that are very well used but not well cleaned or taken care of. This is a huge health risk so use at your own risk. We found the park to be dog friendly as long as your dog is on a leash, is well behaved and if you pick up after your dog since nobody wants to step in your dog crap. If you can't do those things keep you dam dog at home, everyone should call you out and call park officials. 🥾We enjoyed hiking and navigating the caves as we explored the park and recommend this as a 2 night RV or camping stop. There are 28 camp sites in this state park and 23 have power, 5 have no hook ups at all. There is a dump station and water fill spigots but no water and sewer hook ups. The camp host is never here and kinda sucks at camp hosting, the state should check in on these hosts or get new ones. The spots on the back are much more private unless the tent does are over crowded and have a party going on. The spots in the front have more sun for solar or Star link but are so close to the first road you will be covered in dust or mud with in a few hours. There is no Wi-Fi in the park but our Verizon signal was useable. If we answered your questions about Maquoketa State Park then give us a like or 👍

Great place to keep coming back to as the kids get older! You need a half day to enjoy everything (on BOTH sides of the road). Bring a picnic meal to enjoy by the summer flowers or under the shelter. Headlamps are worth it to be able to explore further. Wear jeans or knee pads and expect to get dirty crawling. Bring an extra change of clothes/shoes for the drive home. Walking the trails is beautiful even if you don't want to get dirty entering the smaller caves. Caves are closed in the winter to protect the hibernating bats. If you bring a large group - please let others enjoy the peaceful sounds of nature! (*Do you see the stone face in the photo?)

Living my entire life in Iowa, this was my first time at the caves. I had no idea there were so many stairs. It was quite the workout. We went about a week too late Oct 24-26, unfortunately the caves were "closed" but we made the most of our weekend in Dubuque/Maquoketa. We will be back, a little earlier in the season next time.