Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground

This Iowa SP campground is simply AMAZING and if you are a bat cave spelunker, you are going to be absolutely excited by this place, if you don’t know it already. For the rest of us outdoor enthusiasts who are simply looking for a great campground, then you’ve also struck the campground lottery, but if you are interested in staying here, I would STRONGLY encourage you to mind your dates taking note of when bat hibernation ends and begins – for what it’s worth, my brother and I drove all the way here only to find out that hibernation began the day of our arrival. That said, we could still hike all of the amazing trails, but couldn’t access the bat caves.

The campground that resides here, is less than a quarter mile away from the access point to the bat caves, creating huge upside for selecting this campground in the first place. A heavily wooded area encompasses every single site (there’s 28 in total w/ 24 offering 20 / 30 / 50 amp electric) providing a substantial amount of shade, will also allowing decent sunlight as well along a slowly winding lone lane that leads one into this shrouded camping haven. While the spots (#12-#16) towards the end of the lane are more earmarked for mi tent pitchin’ bredren, whereas the rest of the sites (#1-#11; #17-#28) are set-up for the RV and 5th Wheel toting crowd (although you could easily set up a tent on any one of these sites should you choose to).

A couple of points to keep in mind– the entrance to the campground is the busiest, so if this is of concern, steer clear of #1-#3 or #27-#28. Second, if you have kids and want to be planted near the playground, you might want to target sites #26-#28, where the spacious kids playground sets right behind these sites. In the event that being nearest the built-in amenities (restroom, shower, water source, community library, trash, firewood) are important to you, then look at sites #5-7 and #23-26. With this in mind, as you meander further down the lone campground loop lane, the quieter and more sheltered the place gets, so from #6-#24 should be a prime target for you if peace & solitude are important to you. Despite all of the advice I’ve just given, I don’t think you can really go wrong with any site here.

Insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you’re looking for a primitive tent camping experience, then you’re going to want to book sites #12 and #13, which set a bit further back for the cul-de-sac end of the lane offering up more privacy and less noise from the rest of the camping commune; (2) All sites designated for RV’s are back-in and range in driveway length between 31 and 68 feet; (3) The campground itself is closed between December 1 thru February 28 each year; (4) This SP offers up more than 370 acres with 6 miles of hiking trails with 13 distinct bat caves to explore, so bring good hiking shoes, headlamps, proper long sleeve shirts and pants to keep the bugs and ticks away, which abound here aplenty; and (5) There’s plenty of picnic tables, most under shelters as well as scattered stand-up and in-ground BBQ grills all offered up on a first-come, first-served basis.

Happy Camping!

My mom remembers visiting this park in the 40's. Not a surprise since Grampa was a Geologist.
This is a small campground for such an old park, only 34 sites, walk-ins included. All sites are along one road with a turnaround at the end. There is only one building with toilets, showers and no pit toilets. These are clean and well maintained.
There is a playground near the entrance that is shared with the caves entrance area, a bit of a walk.
The caves themselves are down a long hill from the campground. There are facilities there too, and a concession stand with limited hours/ days. The caves are fun to explore, but not ADA accessible. Bring flashlights and in some areas watch your head.
The Visitor's center at the park entrance is staffed by volunteers and only open on weekends.
Once you've done the caves, there's not much else to see within the park. But visit the Hurstville interpretive center for a nice nature center and trails.

This park is beautiful and perfect for an adventurous hike. The caves make this a unique place to visit but the hiking is rigorous. It proved to be tons of fun for me, my son and his friends. We would definitely go back.

General: Very popular state park with a small, 30-site campground (five walk-in tent sites and the rest electric). I read somewhere that the campground was recently upgraded, and I did see some evidence of upgrades. We were dismayed when we arrived at 3 pm on a Sunday to find the place packed with day-use visitors. The campground provided a quieter respite and when we returned after dinner (around 7 pm) to explore the caves, most everyone had gone home! The good news is that likely due to the bats, there were no gnats or mosquitos but there were many annoying flies! 

Site Quality: Gravel pads that all appeared to be level. Although not exceptionally long, we did see quite a few big rigs fit into the spaces. The campground is wooded and there is some separation between sites, but you could still see (and hear) your neighbors. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring with a grill. 

Bathhouse: This did not appear to be part of the campground upgrades. The handicapped stall was closed and because the cave trails were muddy, there was a lot of mud tracked into the bathroom (not the fault of the park). Apparently, people have taken their pets into the showers because there was a sign letting people know they could not do this! 

Activities/Amenities: Explore the caves! Some require spelunking but others have stairs and/or walkways for easy exploration. I had read on the All Trails app that the trail system was confusing and easy to get lost on, but I did not find this to be the case when we were there. There was good signage and if you pick up a map (there were plenty at the entrance to the campground), you should not get lost. There was a naturalist station with several activities that would be good for families. At night, the fireflies are abundant and put on a great show! 

Maquoketa Caves has long been on my list to visit and I’m glad we finally made it!

Nice Campground. Quiet, with level sites spaced decently with nice shade. Bathrooms were OK and showers not great. From the Campground you can walk to all the hiking trails and explore the caves. The park and caves are so fun!

Well, we were definitely the only tent in an otherwise completely rv/camp trailer section of the park. Sites are level and small, but completely sand and gravel -- so was a bit tricky getting our pegs in. There is really no privacy here and you can see all your neighbors, and be seen by them. That being said, everyone was respectful of quiet hours and very friendly. Also our site had FULL sun, so def something to plan for. A lot of others had more midday tree coverage it seemed. Did not look at the walk-in tent sites as they were all booked, but I imagine being down in the trees would afford more seclusion.

No Tmobile service for the most part, but that was fine for me. The main draw here were the caves and trails and they absolutely exceeded expectations! Even my little chihuahua seemed to enjoy her first spelunking experience.

Mostly RV/Campers. We tent camped (1 adult & 4 kids). Odd spot for a tent with a cement slab. Pretty serene and clean park, until about 7am when landscapers show up with lawn mowers etc. each morning. Lots of space between spots and it feel more private than some spots we’ve stayed in. Fire pits with grates at each site. Bathrooms with flushing toilets, floors were a bit flooded and showers are a bit rusty, but warm! Small playground with sand that the younger kids enjoyed. Fire wood is available near the bathrooms with a donation box. Best part of this campsite was the walking distance from Maquoketa Caves State Park site with beautiful hiking trails easy to explore. If you want to go in caves, bring headlamps/flashlights and prepare to have wet shoes. Also only 30-45mins from downtown Dubuque, Iowa.

This is one of our favorite parks in the Midwest. We usually make a day trip from Chicagoland, but this time we camped at the park. We are glad we did!

You really can't go wrong with any trail or cave. The kids enjoyed hiking between Lower- and Upper-Dancehall Caves. The trail goes underground and through some water. Window Cave was also a hit. You can climb up about 5-7 feet and out the "window". The kids felt like real spelunkers!

While the park is usually crowded during the day, we find it nearly empty beginning in the late afternoons on the weekdays we visited. It felt like we had the place to ourselves.

The campground is about a five minute walk to the park's main entrances. The campground was very quiet... just the way we like it. There is a family of cats that hang around: they visit from a nearby dairy farm. The kids loved this added attraction. The dog did not.

The bathroom and shower house is clean. There is only one. So it gets pretty busy during "flush hour". Our campsite was right next to the bathroom/ shower and dumpster. We noticed flies and the occasional whiff of trash.

We'll continue visiting this park. And we look forward to camping on site.

Small state park with only 24 camper sites. This was nice having a smaller campground. Average size lots with decent wash house. Firewood available on site for a donation. Walking distance to the caves and hiking trails

Maquoketa Cave State Park , Maquoketo, Iowa

We stopped here for two days on our “Westward Ho” road trip in mid August 2020. Temperatures 80’s in the day to 60’s overnight.

I am not highly familiar with Iowa, I will admit however I AM extremely amazed at this little unique Park in the middle of farmland Iowa. Most of the trip here was driving between fields of corn as far as the eye could see (we came through Illinois).

The town of the same first name is small but the necessities can be had. Found a small shop with local meat, honey and yummies. The drive to the park was pretty straight forward with signage along the way.

This is a very basic park, no lake, no added attractions just trails , picnicking and a small , quiet (well.... I had a family directly across with very talkative, argumentative, sometimes loud children, ...luck of the draw ;) and well shaded, electric sites. I like the spacing, privacy and shade. There are several water hydrants throughout the campground to use. A shower house that I will be visiting soon. Firewood on site, with donation box.

You probably don’t want sites 1 or 2, they are directly across from the dump site. The plus is they are directly across from the playground , picnic area and trail access.

Trail access is a short walk across the shelter/ picnic area. As of right now Officially the caves are closed. I saw several hikers not being official though.

The trails have sign posts and the map in a VERY general way gives you some idea as to where you are at BUT there are trails criss crossing everywhere so make sure you have your map tracker on. The trails/scenery are AMAZING! LOVED IT! Needs some maintenance (ie, downed trees) but they may have limited staffing right now. I would suggest a visit even if you only have a few hours. Once they reopen the caves I will absolutely be back.

The campground here was quiet during the week and small in general which we like! There are a few walk-in sites that are accessible by walking down a path about 150-200 ft. Wish it had been a little farther back away from the parking lot and other sites but i think we always wish that. Decent privacy with only a few other campsites back in that same area of wood so that was nice.

The caves were unexpectedly super cool! Neither my husband nor I had ever gone. We weren’t expecting much but wow! Lots to see in a small area. The hike didn’t take too long around and many of the caves were closed (probably due to COVID) but we kindve stuck our heads halfway in and WOw. We want to come back when they’re are more opened. I bet it’s super busy on weekends. Probably would avoid that. There was other hiking to do away from the caves but we didn’t venture too far as it was quite hot and we were running low on water. There’s a little stream that runs kindve out into the prairie lands on one side and we stopped to stick our feet in. Highly recommend that.

Over all, lovely few days out in the woods. We would visit again!

Nice campground, not crowded and great hike to caves. Trails map not very good. Caves closed but could still see where they were. Deer on the trail. Bathrooms decent.

We stopped here for two days on our “Westward Ho” road trip in mid August 2020. Temperatures 80’s in the day to 60’s overnight.

I am not highly familiar with Iowa, I will admit however I AM extremely amazed at this little unique Park in the middle of farmland Iowa. Most of the trip here was driving between fields of corn as far as the eye could see (we came through Illinois).

The town of the same first name is small but the necessities can be had. Found a small shop with local meat, honey and yummies. The drive to the park was pretty straight forward with signage along the way.

This is a very basic park, no lake, no added attractions just trails , picnicking and a small , quiet (well.... I had a family directly across with very talkative, argumentative, sometimes loud children, ...luck of the draw ;) and well shaded, electric sites. I like the spacing, privacy and shade. There are several water hydrants throughout the campground to use. A shower house that I will be visiting soon. Firewood on site, with donation box.

You probably don’t want sites 1 or 2, they are directly across from the dump site. The plus is they are directly across from the playground , picnic area and trail access.

Trail access is a short walk across the shelter/ picnic area. As of right now Officially the caves are closed. I saw several hikers not being official though.

The trails have sign posts and the map in a VERY general way gives you some idea as to where you are at BUT there are trails criss crossing everywhere so make sure you have your map tracker on. The trails/scenery are AMAZING! LOVED IT! Needs some maintenance (ie, downed trees) but they may have limited staffing right now. I would suggest a visit even if you only have a few hours. Once they reopen the caves I will absolutely be back.

Caves were closed but we had a great time hiking the trails. Very clean campground. Plenty of wood for campfires, just had a donation box. Electric campsites have plenty of shade. The ground is gravel, which my dog hated. Next time we plan to try the primitive sites. First time camping at an Iowa state park and we were impressed!

Went an hour each way off our route home to stay here. We fell in love with it. Loved the setting, how quiet it was, spaces level, nice showers, etc etc. We enjoyed hiking the trails and seeing what we could of the caves since they were closed. Unfortunately didn’t see the camp host but we weren’t in need of anything. The price is perfect especially for what you get. If we lived close it would be a regular place for us to camp!!

This is a great weekend stay, with short trails that show some beautiful and unusual scenery for central Iowa. The natural bridge is incredible, and the sites are well spaced out. None of the sites have water, but they do have electricity. If you can forgo electricity and don’t mind a 50yd walk, the walk in sites are enclosed in beautiful groves of trees. Showers and flush toilets available and clean.

We stayed at this campground for two nights and had a phenomenal experience the whole time we were there! It is a beautiful state park/campground about 20 minutes outside of Maquoketa (so if you forget or need something you can run into town and get it). The bathrooms were very clean and well-maintained throughout our stay. This state park is definitely for those who enjoy hiking and adventures as within the state park is a system of 11 or 12 caves that are connected via pathways and you can even walk or crawl through and explore some of them! We had an absolutely amazing experience and hope to visit again soon!

Enjoyed the trails and many caves to explore! Mature forests and wildflowers.

Maquoketa Caves is a must visit destination for camping! There are several factors to take into consideration when planning a trip here; due to concerns for wildlife (primarily bats) the caves close frequently, check the park website for details about when they will be open and respect the closures when they occur. In addition, be sure to clean your shoes before and after visiting the park to prevent spreading potentially dangerous fungus to the caves. Overall, the cave network is stunning and a great place for group camping! There are caves for everyone, whether you're claustrophobic and don't want to be in tight spaces or you're willing you army crawl for 1/4 mile. The rangers in the campground can be strict and will mandate that you have only one "camping unit" per site, aka tent, even though the website says sites can hold up to six people. They do check on sites regularly so trying to sneak extra people in isn't a great idea. Even with the cave closures and the strict rules for camping I still go every year, hope to see you there!

Easy drive in spot. We only stayed one night (dog friendly!). Camp sites are pretty spread out so you have your own privacy.

This is a very small campground. Lots of shade and close to the trails for the caves. Make reservations.

Our visit was very short. We were there only for one night on our way out west. We had a small T@B trailer. Self check in after hours was easy. Electiric, water and hot showers were great. All was affordable. Campground was veey quiet. The only negative was all wood was gone. But there was a house 5 minutes away that had a self service wood station.

Had a wonderful time exploring nature at this park! We lucked out on a beautiful day, sunny but not too hot! I'm from Minnesota but with family living in Omaha it's nice to explore the beauty of other states on family visits! Plan on your clothes getting dirty 😛

Absolutely beautiful park, I had no idea Iowa could be this beautiful. The caves are not deep caves like at Luray or something, they are shallow and green. My son was afraid of caves and bats and monsters, and this park helped him get over that fear since they are so open. If you don’t expect Luray type caves you will love it. The trails are very memorable and easy/moderate, so plan for a full day here. Head to the caves early.

Yay: the kids will LOVE the caves. Good drive from Madison and Chicago. Small museum. Shady private sites! Relatively updated and kept nicely.

Nay: crowded trails and campsites will be full on weekends if you don’t have reservations. Not wheelchair friendly at all.

Surprise: Check that the caves are open before you go. The trails are rather wet so wear hiking boots for safety and to keep your feet dry.

We have been to this park more than once because we just love the caves so much! The hike is so beautiful that you could walk and climb around all day and not grow tired. The price is unbeatable and it is fun for the whole family.

Some friends and I came up from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, IA for a day and it was easy to find. As soon as we arrived we were right on the trial and I love that. No hassles or waiting, right on the trial and it was great. Park wasn't crowded so you could dive into all of the caves!

Went for a weekend camping trip with friends. Camp areas are nice. Had a two tent rule they didn't enforce. There are some great hiking trails but not well marked. There is also a series of caves that aren't marked. Bathrooms were dirty from guests and no trash cans in general area so litter on the trails. It was a great park and would totally return. The trails got busy late afternoon.

When we showed up, it was in an inconspicuous Iowa woods. The park was incredibly beautiful for the middle of nowhere in Iowa. However, my friend and I were hoping for a possibly short cave or two to get him accustomed to the feel of caving. Unfortunately, the caves were very casual caves and there was only one worth actually calling a caver's cave. With all that being said, it was an absolutely stunning surprise of a park, and for free, you can't beat the price

This place is located in Jackson county. The sites here are real big. Not much tourist come here I was told. We mostly saw locals in the playground. When you explore the cave it is really cool. There are no maps and guides so you can get lost pretty easily. The cave requires ducking and crawling which was really fun

Well taken care of park. Very nice trails. Quiet, level, and decent sized sites with one of the lowest prices, $6/night. Caves are something different! Caves are not open during off season due to bat hibernation. Bats during summer helps keep down the mosquito population. Only bathroom available during off season is a hike away.