Maquoketa Caves reopening April 15

Caves at popular state park closed for more than a year because of COVID-19 and winter bat hibernation

By: Erin Jordan Apr. 6, 2021 4:43 pm Updated: Apr. 6, 2021 4:48 pm

Roanna Burnell and her husband, Robert, of suburban Philadelphia, Penn., walk along a path Thursday as they explore Dancehall Cave on their anniversary week vacation to Iowa at Maquoketa Caves State. After extensive renovations including new boardwalks, LED lighting, new electric service to campground sites, a concession pavilion and new ceilings and roof for the shower building in the campground, the park will reopen to the public Aug. 24. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

Whether your favorite is Hernando’s Hideaway, Shinbone, Wye, or the 1,000-foot-long Dancehall, the limestone caves at Maquoketa Caves State Park will be open to the public April 15 for the first time in more than a year.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources announced Tuesday the caves will reopen after closures because of COVID-19 and winter bat hibernation.

The Jackson County park is regularly one of the most-visited parks in Iowa’s state park system because of its attractions, including the Natural Bridge, a towering arch 50 feet above Raccoon Creek, and Balanced Rock, a 17-ton rock formation that defies gravity.

Parking is limited, with only 150 spots and as many as 1,500 visitors on summer weekend days, so the DNR suggested visiting on weekdays or mornings or evenings on the weekends. The park has some enclosed stairways and boardwalks, so the DNR asks visitors to try to social distance as much as possible.

If visitors plan to enter the caves, they will be required to attend a short program about preventing the spread of white-nose syndrome, a fungus that was detected in 2012 on a Maquoketa Caves bat.

The recently renovated campgrounds at Maquoketa Caves State Park now are available for same-day reservations. To find links for camping reservations, visit www.iowadnr.gov/maquoketacaves