This campground offers both electric and non-electric sites as well as modern restroom and shower facility. All campsites are available by reservation only.

Maquoketa Caves State Park is one of the biggest attractions in Jackson County and is a great place for spelunkers and hiking enthusiasts. The caves in the area were formed after millennia of water erosion on limestone bedrock. This park contains more caves than any other state park in Iowa. The park itself covers 370 acres nestled among hardwood trees and high bluffs. With approximately thirteen caves, a great experience awaits you at this interesting and unique state park.

    Bird Watching
    Cave Exploring/Spelunking
    Dump Station
    Geological Formations
    Handicap Access
    Hiking
    Interpretive Exhibit/Display
    Modern Restroom
    Park Office
    Parking
    Picnic Area

    Playground
    Registration Building
    Restrooms
    Showers
    Toilet, Pit/Vault
    Trash Dumpster
    Visitor Center
    Water Hydrants
    Wildflower Viewing
    Wildlife Viewing

Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground

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.





Stroll through the bat village

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

Real pretty

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. 

Great State Park for Iowa

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!

Great Day Trip

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.

The caves rock!

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 😛

Family time

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.

Great Overnight Stay

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

One night comfortable stay

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

Great hiking and caving campground

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!

Adventurous 

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!!

Wished I lived close to here

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.

Surprised 

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

Nice state park campground

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. 

Camping & Caves

Mostly RV/Campers. We tent camped (1 adult &amp; 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. 

Secluded Gem

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.

Tent in an RV site

**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!