Things To Do in Iowa

Located near Strawberry Point, Iowa which is about midway between Waterloo and Dubuque. There are 21 miles of hiking and multi-use trails in the park. The trails wind through twisted cedars and up rocky staircases to the “Devil’s Backbone”, one of the highest points in northeastern Iowa. In the winter you can cross-country ski and snowmobile. Backbone Lake has boating, fishing and swimming. Camping, climbing and rappelling the limestone cliffs are also popular activities in the park.

Located near Maquoketa, Iowa on the eastern edge of Iowa about 60 miles east of Cedar Rapids. These caves were discovered in the 1830s but park facilities weren’t constructed for 100 years. Many of the stalactites and stalagmites have been removed by souvenir hunters but there are still formations to see. The park contains more caves than any other state park in Iowa. The caves are all different sizes and shapes. Some can be explored by walking while others require crawling on your hands and knees. There are 6 miles of trails above the caves and one of the highlights is a natural bridge that stands almost 50 feet above Raccoon Creek.