Iowa 2025 Trip Report (Day 5)

Written by ceddammit

My next stop in Iowa was the town of Maquoketa (Muh-KOH-kuh-tuh) and the nearby Maquoketa Caves State Park.

You know you’re in Iowa when the state park entrance sign is right next to silos.

This was to be my first visit to Maquoketa, so I wasn’t sure how much time I’d need. The park’s web site claims, “13 caves can be found in the park, some of which can be explored by walking, while others are better suited for serious spelunkers”. It also says that all 13 caves can be reached by the park’s 6 miles of trails. So, I allotted two full days for Maquoketa Caves State Park, thinking I’d do a three-mile hike each day. But on the first day, it quickly became obvious that I’d be able to see it all in one day. I covered nearly all of the north half of the park before lunch time. Here’s what summa dat looked like…

This is the wide mouth of Wide Mouth Cave.
Much of this state park is beautifully forested…
…and there are tall, stone bluffs all around the joint…very un-Iowa-like.
Heroic ferns!
Another of the alleged caves
Skeletor!
The signage leading to this cave indicated that it was one of the spelunker-grade caves. When I popped into the cave, there was just a small foyer and a single hole in the wall that looked far too small for any adult human to pass through.

After the disappointment of the caves thus far, and the appointment of the cliffs / bluffs, I reached the park’s “natural bridge”. This particular rock formation not only provides a creek crossing for those walking over it, but also provides a dramatic gateway into a breathtaking box canyon for those walking under it. Have a look-see…

Approaching the natural bridge
Looking through the natural bridge into the box canyon
Glory!
Looking up at the natural bridge from down in the box canyon

This box canyon, like many places in the park, was teeming with tiny cliff-dwelling boids. I’m thinking they were mostly chimney swifts, but they refused to show me ID. At the low end of the box canyon is the Upper Dancehall Cave Entrance. Dancehall Cave is the only cave in which there is a paved walkway as well as being the only cave with lights installed. But as luck would have it, when I was about 50 feet into the cave (and having to bend myself due to the low ceiling), the lights went out! I spent a few minutes dancing around to see if the lights were motion-activated. Apparently, they weren’t. I considered forging ahead using my phone’s flashlight function, but the small amount of light it provided was virtually worthless. Luckily, the cave entrance is wide enough that I had just enough light to get back out. From there, I hiked overland to reach the Middle Dancehall Cave Entrance. Here’s what I done seen thar…

Looking down into the Upper Dancehall Cave Entrance.
Looking down into the Middle Dancehall Cave Entrance…
…it’s a long way down.
Paved pathway and untrustworthy lights
These “caves” are almost completely devoid of cave formations. This was the only stalagmite I saw.
Greenery on the rocks

At this point, I drove back into town for lunch. Based on online reviews, I went to Mega’s Grill. Now, I’ve had a lot of country fried steaks in states all over the country, but the country fried steak I had at Mega’s Grill was without a doubt the best I’ve had anywhere! The steak itself was incredibly tender and juicy, while the breading was soft yet flakey. Definitely worth stopping by if you’re ever in the Maquoketa area! After this amazing lunch, I headed back to the park to finish what I had started…

Who knew Iowa could look like this?
Or this?
Or even this?
I believe this was Rainy Day Cave.
After seeing nearly all the caves, I took a wrong turn and ended up on a trail outside the state park. I was only lost momentarily (nothing like that day in Wyoming), but I got to see this wood formation.

The next day of my Iowa trip was spent in Illinois. Go figure.

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