More Hiking in Iowa

Checking to-dos off our Iowa bucket list was a surprising whirlwind. I know it's hard to believe that there are things to do in Iowa, but apparently there are. 

One of our favorite spots in Iowa was Maquoketa Caves State Park. It is a park full of wild caves (which, frankly, was a crazy experience in itself - I can't imagine the kind of liability insurance they must hold with all of the caves!), meaning that only a few have lights, none have guides, and you enter at your own risk. Now, I'm a pretty good map reader, but their maps weren't the best. The paper maps seemed alright, but we didn't print our own and they were out when we arrived. The maps posted throughout the park, however, were not terribly helpful. So if you're heading out, do yourself a favor and print a copy or take a screenshot with you.

We also found a couple tourist traps that were totally worth the trip. En route to some tasty (albeit very sweet) wineries in Dubuque, we stopped at the location where one of my favorite films was shot. "If you build it, they will come." You guessed it, the Field of Dreams ballfield. Since it was early spring, there wasn't an eerie cornfield to hide the baseball players of old, but we saw it shooting forth from the earth in left field. 
And though they do not allow any formal baseball games, there was a little league team setting up to play an informal practice when we were leaving. I ran the bases, took a few pictures, and generally enjoyed myself. The field has a bit of a sordid history, having been divided between two owners for much of its past, but now it is all owned by the same family and they do a pretty nice job keeping it true to the film.

We wrapped up our weekend with some day hiking at Mines of Spain State Park and a visit to the highest point in Illinois, Charles Mound. As you'll note on this wikipedia link, they only allow visitors in the summer on the weekend. Unfortunately, we missed that detail, and while they didn't kick us out, I felt pretty badly about intruding. They are quite lucky and have a lovely lovely space.



We also found ourselves at the future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk, and a bar that celebrates their proximity to the location!

A Taste of Iowa Hiking

Being on an academic schedule in a long-distance relationship means that I spend a lot of time not at my house. It also means creative date nights. 

But spending my free week(ends) dragging grading to and from Iowa has its consequences. Negative consequences include appearing the flaky friend, occasional mold-encrusted experiments in the fridge, and a yard that doubles as an urban meadow. But there are positives, too. And the one at the forefront (IMO) is getting to see cool hiking areas I never would have ventured to intentionally.

I spent all of spring break and am now spending a portion of my summer in Iowa City. So I've done some solo urban hiking adventures and some fun trips with Jesse across eastern Iowa. And here's my take on them.

Best Hiking Near Iowa City

Lake MacBride State Park - 

Lake MacBride has a wide variety of activities, including boating, fishing, camping, and lots of miles of hiking trails. This trail map (pictured below) shows over 15 miles of shoreline trail along the northern portion of the lake. I've hiked a lot of the pictured trails, and they are all nice. The trail leading to the dam is one of the prettiest (and puts you near where you can rent boats if you're so inclined) but is always busy. I like to let my dog play around a bit, so I opt for less populated places in the area.

If you look at the screenshot below, I prefer to enter from the town of North Liberty and hit up the old entrance near the southern portion of the map. There are sometimes class field trips to the pine forest and raptor area if you go on school days, but the trails are usually quiet and scenic.

After you've got your fill of hiking, I recommend swinging out to Solon, IA. Big Grove Brewery doesn't have a ton of their own craft beer, but what they have is good. The place is pretty, the food is great, and they showcase craft brews from other breweries if they don't have what you prefer on tap.

Terry Trueblood Recreation Area -

If I don't have time to drive out to Lake MacBride, Damane and I head over to Terry Trueblood Recreation Area. They have a paved loop trail that is great for roller skating, running, etc. It isn't much in the way of nature or hiking, but it is a pretty place to be outside. You can rent boats here, too, but only the human-propelled variety. There's also a lovely playground for the kids. I've seen people on those weird elliptical bikes there, too!

In the next post, I'll share some experiences from Mines of Spain, Maquoketa Caves State Park, the highest point in Illinois, and the Field of Dreams (yep! the 'if you build it, they will come' baseball field from everyone's second favorite baseball movie. Full disclosure, I prefer The Sandlot).