Maquoketa Caves State Park

"Go here! It's a lot of fun to hike and explore, easily a great family day trip. Nothing too difficult, just watch your step, bring a flashlight, and expect stairs. Definitely take a moment to read about the bats and don't forget to wipe your feet!"

"We came here because dogs are allowed and it was an incredible adventure for all of us. Our young Akita LOVED it. He thrives on new experiences and the caves here blew his sweet mind! We had the best time ever and would love to return again in the future."

"This is a great place for both kids and adults to go and explore caves. Several miles of hiking trails connect around 16 different caves. You can crawl down into some of the caves if you're super adventurous. Camping, picnicking, and bathrooms also available."

"Went to these caves on 9-9-23 and was amazed. These caves are AWESOME! Lots of caves to see. Dance Hall is the largest and best cave so definitely do not miss that one! We walked 5 miles in total while we were there and still didn't see everything. I don't think tennis shoes are good enough to wear as I was slipping and sliding a lot but something with better traction would be better. If your tennis shoes have super good traction, they might be OK. The coolness (temperature) in the caves was really refreshing since it was decently warm outside and I was sweating most of the day. There were boy scout troops there who were doing the caves correctly wearing long sleeves, long pants, proper shoes, helmets so you don't bang your head on the low ceiling caves (be ready to crouch down on some of them) and the scouts even had knee pads on. They were spelunking for sure. I didn't do anything where I needed to crawl but the caves were wet and there are cement pavers spaced apart in some of the caves and you have to step across them very carefully. There are little rivers running through them as well. Some of the pavers move on you so be very careful. I took lots of photos I will post here. It didn't cost anything to get in. We even took our 2 dogs with us and passed other dogs in the caves as well. There are MANY stairs to climb up and down to get to the different caves so be prepared for a ton of steps. It was really beautiful though. Absolutely stunning views in certain places... you feel like you're in a movie or you're somewhere magical. I highly recommend these caves to anyone who can maneuver through them and climb steps."

"A great place to go even on hot days. The big caves feel like air conditioning. The little caves make the kids feel like they are on a wonderful adventure. There are a lot of stairs so it's not stroller friendly in the best parts. Go to the bathroom before you go on the trails as the main bathroom has been out of order the last two times we have come. If you forget your flashlight they do have little ones for purchase so that's nice. If you're an adult some volleyball knee pads or construction knee pads are nice for the smaller cave climbs. Overall a great place to go for an adventure to the great outdoors."