Maquoketa Caves State Park
State park · Iowa
Thirteen caves, more than any other Iowa state park, riddle the wooded, limestone-bluffed ravines here, first protected by a local women's club starting in 1921 and dedicated a state park in 1933. Roughly 370 acres of hardwood forest color up around the cave trails each October.
Don’t miss
Peak: October 18–October 22
Color builds from October 6 · mostly bare by November 11
Sampled at Maquoketa Caves State Park’s own coordinates and elevation (282 m) rather than a regional average.
Iowa is sampled at 30 weather points, then moved 2 days earlier so the model agrees with 1 published peak date from smokymountains.com. This year's weather has the peak running 1 day earlier than a normal year. How the forecast works
When to go to Maquoketa Caves State Park
Good color holds through about October 29, giving you roughly 23 days from the first turn to past peak. Against Iowa overall, that is 1 day later.
Maquoketa Caves State Park on the map
Drag the date slider to see when color reaches this corner of Iowa, or tap a pin for that stop’s own peak window.
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Frequently asked
- When does Maquoketa Caves State Park peak in 2026?
- Peak color is predicted for October 18–October 22 (best estimate October 20). Color starts around October 6 and is mostly bare by November 11.
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