Camping

We definitely recommend Maquoketa Caves for quick weekend trip with preschoolers!   The hiking was excellent for someone of Caleb’s energy level and attention span.  Even Sophia hiked quite a bit (with some shoulder rides thrown in).  Instead of hiking a long time to one destination, there were many points of interest to explore along the way.  Caleb’s favorite cave was Dancehall Cave, so we went through a total of 5 times. 

Caleb also loved going on the nature hike/scavenger hunt the DNR put on.  He learned all about stinging nettles (the bad plant) and jewel weed (the good plant), which counteracts the stinging of the nettles, as well as bloodroot, fairy nymph bugs, columbines, garlic mustard, and ferns.  The favorites were nettles and jewel weed though.  The day after the scavenger hunt, Caleb kept pretending his walking stick got stung by the nettles, and then he’d hunt down some jewel weed to help his walking stick feel better. 

My favorite part about camping is being in nature all day and night—the cool night air, the discovery of beauty in rocks and weeds, and even the overcoming (or enduring) of the unpleasant aspects of nature (humidity, etc.). 

Caleb’s favorite thing about camping was sleeping in the tent, and the hardest thing about camping was sleeping in the tent. 

I think Sophia’s favorite part was the s’more. 

The campground isn’t large, so if you plan on arriving on a Saturday in the summer, you may want to make reservations, but it’d also be an easy daytrip if you don’t want to commit to sleeping outdoors. Bring a flashlight and old clothes so you can get muddy!