Iowa
52
Iowa State Parks
My sister & her finace were married there on 11/2/13 & it was the most beautiful - natural setting ever. Various members of our group have camped in Iowa, Colorado, and even as far as South America this year... We ALL enjoyed our visit to the caves and campground this weekend!!! Just right for a famly weekend adventure. Our kids are 4 & 8; both had a great time. Campground is small but nice. Bath house nice also. Trails & caves, take a nice hike or crawl around and get dirty, your choice. Great time! Rangers were very informitive and helpful. Glad the caves are open again and that we got to see them. We drove a little over an hour to visit the park with 3 young kids. I was a great outdoor adventure, the kids loved putting on their headlamps and climbing thru the rocks. We will be returning for weekend of camping soon.
Caves reopen today! It looks to me like the balanced rock is man made with pins holding it in place. 
I really hope this year the caves open up, I miss coming to the park. I know, you can go to the park, but honestly, there are parks closer to home to do that. The caves are what makes the park unique! According to the Telegraph Herald the caves will be open this spring...whoooohooo We have been coming here for years, but since the caves are closed we have not gone to the park for the last three years. I really hope they open the caves soon before my kids get to big and dont want to go camping with us anymore.
Bats are a special interest group Im sure of it now.WHAT The Heck the dnr now caters to special groups.I will not visit the park and I know many people who wont waste their time going to this park without the caves open.Whats the point.Is not the caves THE PARK?Can not the dnr get a stimulas grant from our government to put together low housing project for the bats so humans can enjoy the park again?If bats are so great why do we try and remove them from our homes? Shouldnt we be made to leave our homes for their winter comfort. The park has a special vibe. Very ancient and mystical. I just love the park. The most special place in Iowa!!
Shame the caves are closed, I would have loved to bring the kids. I visited once when the caves were open. The only cave i entered was dancehall cave. Very special! It does, however, seems like an unlikely home for bats. My guess is that they could keep open dancehall cave with no problem. I understand why the other caves are closed. I know that the scientists need time before they say it safe for the bats. 3 years is longe enough for Dancehall!! A lot more people would visit the park if dancehall was open. The place has become not well looked after. We were thrilled to discover such great hiking just a few hours from home. Even though the caves were closed, the trails were just amazing and easy to walk on with safety rails and kept up very well. We will visit again for sure...A must see!! The caves are close and have been for the last three years. All public caves in Iowa are closed in an effort to fight the fungal infection, white nose syndrome in bats. The caves are expected to be closed for years to come. i love going to the caves, theres so much to do. espeically the begining of fall. the caves alone are great. and w/ the woods & trails that surround them; its an outdoor-sie person paridise. Does anyone know if the caves are open?
Had a lovely time on the 30th of July 2011. The only bad thing was the restrooms were filthy, not maintained, and trash overflowing. This is unacceptable an must be addressed. theres never been one day we havnt gone we live in marion but yet still we walk there we drive and bike there with some gear and some army style glow sticks and our friends and family we are from the service and these caves are the best weve seen we love it i intend to get married there It was grand to bring the grandchildren back to a park that my father worked in as a young man and i enjoyed as a child. Our family had many family gatherings at the caves. I visit this park with friends in 2006, a great place.The visitor center is top!! i grew up in clinton county which is not very far from mequoketa caves. some of my fondest memories was spending the weekend camping, hikeing, searching for arrowheads, watching the wildlife, and of course getting muddy from head to toe in the caves. this is a great fun and educational experience for any age. im now 23 and married but i still love mequoketa caves. best place to spend your vacation. Passing through, what a great find, hiked for awhile, will be back to stay and explore! Next to Disney World this was the best family vacation we have ever taken. We took the four children we still had at home (two were teenagers) and a teenage friend. No fighting (which our kids tend to do on vacation), just fun! We took our boys here and they returned to camp full of mud,laughter,and stories to tell of their tour of all the caves....they loved it and want to go back! Maquoketa Caves is most definitely the choice place to go caving. The caves are suitable for the most extreme outdoors people searching for the tightest crawl spaces... And fine for anyone else to enjoy walking through caverns without even having to bend over. Our Boy Scout Troop has been going there for about ten years. The scouts love it as well as the adults. We have never had any problems.We drive four hours to get there.
