Rain or Sun, Maquoketa Caves Proves to be Fun

As we packed up from Central Park, the rain started to fall.  The drive was short to Maquoketa and thankfully the rain didn't last long.  By the time we pulled the camper into the park, we had sunshine and clearing skies.  It looked like we were going to have good weather for our hike.

Maquoketa Caves State Park, located about 8 miles northwest of Maquoketa, Iowa, promised to be a fun family adventure, and from my foggy childhood memories, I was excited to share the experience with our kids.  Growing up in eastern Iowa, this was a favorite place to go for school field trips and family weekend adventures.  I recall lots of stairs and crawling on my hands and knees as a kid while we explored the caves.

We were traveling with friends and they informed us of a guided tour through the main caves, lead by a naturalist, that was scheduled to start at 2 p.m.  We all decided to do the tour first then explore on our own, so we finished setting up camp, grabbed a small bite to eat, let the kids play for a bit at the nearby playground and then headed to the caves to meet for the tour.

Derrick's sister, Nicole, drove over from Davenport with her boyfriend to join us for the hike.
She was my designated Eli holder while I set up camp.

It was a short walk to the shelter house, or a very short drive.  We unloaded from the truck, checked to make sure we had working flashlights and headlamps for everyone, used the restrooms, and joined the naturalist for the short informational discussion about the mold that is killing the bat population in the area caves (White-Nose Bat Syndrome).

We learned that one way to prevent spreading the mold spores is to wipe your feet on a grassy mat prior to and after exploring the cave systems.  So we wiped our feet and then headed along the path, following the naturalist to the main cave systems.  We also learned that the bats are a very desirable asset to the area, as they eat an average of 4,000 mosquitoes in an evening and live in the trees (not the caves) during the summer months.

The rain started to fall as soon as we started our hike, but with the thick cover of trees, we stayed pretty dry during our hike.  Plus, once inside the caves, we were completely protected from the rain.

It wasn't until the very end, as we hiked along to explore Ice Cave and the trip back to the shelter, that the rain came pouring down and we all were drenched, slipping and sliding over the rocks, steps and clay packed trails.  It wasn't overly difficult, but it did take effort in some spots to stay upright and not slip.  We had a fun adventure anyway.

Looking down into the canyon from the hiking trail above.

Lots and lots of stairs!

17-ton Balanced Rock (on the right side of the stairway).

Amanda and her son, posing for a photo at the cave opening

Looking out from one of the main caves.

These stairs can get pretty slick if you are not careful.

The cave system goes under the road.

Here our guide points out one of the "worm holes" you can explore on your own.  

  

Eli stayed mostly dry under the wrap as we hiked.

After coming back to the shelter, we checked out the animals on display (box turtle, a few snakes and a salamander) and then the kids and dads (minus our 3 youngest hikers) returned to the caves to explore a little more on their own, climbing through the "worm holes" of the main caves and enjoying getting dirty.

Soaked from the rain, we still had a fun adventure!

Elliot and his new hairdo.

Ethan and Everett exploring a smaller cave.

They had so much fun!

Derrick, in Stone Gate Passageway

They all came back, covered in mud, but grinning from ear to ear.  It seemed to be a good day of exploring.  On our way out, as we were discussing how hungry we were and if we wanted to check out Bluff Lake's All You Can Eat Shrimp and Chicken Dinner.  Another cave explorer overheard us and mentioned he had just came from there.  He told us how great the restaurant was so we decided to give it a try.  Then the rain started to really come pouring down.  We were glad we weren't back at the campgrounds, trying to cook over the soggy campfire.

The dinner was good, filling and worth the money and the small wait.  The grounds of the restaurant was interesting too.  It is definitely worth checking out if you are in the area.  With all the rain that was coming down we could even see a waterfall across the lake, but I was unsure if it was natural, man-made, or just from the runoff of the road above.

After dinner, with the rain still pouring down, we discussed what else we could do.  We stopped in town to ask about any places for the kids to run around (indoors out of the rain) and struck out, so we decided to head to McDonald's and let the kids enjoy some ice cream.  They ended up running around inside McDonald's, spite their lack of a play area, but the locals didn't seem to mind too much.

Taking a break from the rain to enjoy a yummy ice cream cone treat!

About the time we were finished with our treats, the rain stopped and the sun came out.  We headed back to camp, revived the fire and enjoyed time around the fire pit before cleaning up for bed.

Our neighbors, the camp host/hostess, gave us iron on patches and coloring sheets for the kids and also warned us about the campground nuisance, a 40-pound male raccoon they lovingly named Ralph.  They told us that he would mess with any type of food item left out after dark and to be aware.

Not really taking the warning seriously, we found out that it was indeed true.  As soon as dark fell, Ralph appeared, first striking at our own campsite picnic table (stealing the bag that held some discarded strawberry scraps from our lunch and attacking a water bottle, dragging it into the tall grass) and then popping up frequently as we enjoyed roasting marshmallows and pudgy pies at our friends campsite next to us.  On one occasion, he climbed up on the picnic table near the lantern and peeked at us as we ate our treats, freaking everyone out!  He was one brave and daring raccoon, getting a little too close for my comfort, but prompting a lot of screams and laughter as he teased and tormented camp.

It was a fun evening and everyone had an easy time falling asleep after such a long day.