Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground
Brett F.
Reviewed Aug. 5, 2021

Camping & Caves

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.

Site007
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground by Brett F., August 5, 2021
  • Review photo of Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground by Brett F., August 5, 2021
  • Review photo of Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground by Brett F., August 5, 2021
  • Review photo of Maquoketa Caves State Park Campground by Brett F., August 5, 2021