Go exploring at Maquoketa Caves State Park.

All spelunkers, unite! Maquoketa Caves State Park has thirteen different caves to explore, more than any other state park in Iowa. These caves differ greatly. Some caves, such as Dancehall Cave, have cathedral-like areas, walkways, and LED lights, while others, such as Wye Cave, have narrow passageways that require crawling. Unlike other parks' caves, you can explore these caves alone or with friends or family after listening to a short program about White Nose Syndrome.

Many visitors come to Maquoketa Caves State Park to explore the caves, but don't miss out on some of the park's unique rock features, such as Natural Bridge and Balanced Rock. Raccoon Creek is 50 feet below the Natural Bridge. The path beneath it allows you to see this unique feature from below and get a sense of its massive size. Another gravity-defying rock feature is Balanced Rock. It's a 17-ton rock sitting on a small pedestal.

Maquoketa Caves State Park's diverse habitat, which includes restored prairie and oak savanna, woodland, caves and rock outcroppings, food plots, and access to water in springs and streams, makes this 370-acre park appealing to wildlife. You are likely to see or hear whitetail deer and other mammals. Keep an eye out for amphibians and reptiles as well. Birds abound in the canopy, and birds and insects, including butterflies, bring the prairie to life, especially during the summer months when flowers bloom.

Google rating: 4.8/5
Phone: +1 563-652-5833
Address: 9688 Caves Rd, Maquoketa, IA 52060, United States
Website: https://www.iowadnr.gov/Places-to-Go/State-Parks/Iowa-State-Parks/Maquoketa-Caves-State-Park