Join in the Fun!

Nature spoils Maquoketa, from its winding rivers to picturesque terrain, abundant with wildlife. As a result, recreational activities abound in Maquoketa and the surrounding area.

The Maquoketa Parks & Recreation Department offers programs for people of all ages, including baseball and soccer leagues for boys and girls; adult volleyball, softball and basketball leagues; a skate park and tennis courts. Residents can choose from a number of fitness classes, sports camps, and special athletic events. An area recreation center, complete with an indoor zero depth pool with lap swimming lanes, a multi-use gymnasium, exercise/weight rooms, jogging track and racquetball courts is in the planning phase.

Maquoketa is home to 10 city parks and numerous playgrounds, offering a wide variety of recreational opportunities. Miles of biking trails are also available — the area’s panoramic beauty, low volume of traffic and varied terrain make for a fun ride. Courses range from flat and fast paths to hilly and challenging.

To help you cool off on those warm summer days, the Maquoketa Swimming Pool offers special family passes at discount rates. Group and private swim lessons are available for children of all ages, and the pool can be rented for private parties during select days and times. Looking to trim a few pounds? The Maquoketa Swimming Pool even offers an aquacise class.

Golf enthusiasts can tee off at the private membership Maquoketa Country Club, featuring a nine-hole course, and at Prairie Creek Golf Course & Driving Range, featuring a nine-hole course that is open to the public. There are three major golfing events per year, one sponsored by Jackson County Public Hospital, one sponsored by the Maquoketa Chamber of Commerce, and one sponsored by the Kiwanis Club.

The Maquoketa and Mississippi Rivers allow for a diverse array of water recreation, including fishing, boating and canoeing. The Maquoketa River is a true gem of nature, winding below towering limestone and through secluded valleys. Breathtaking in its beauty, the Maquoketa River is home to a variety of wildlife and is surrounded by a colorful assortment of wildflowers. The Mississippi River, the largest water area in Jackson County and the third largest river in the world, is renowned for its diverse array of wetland, open-water, and floodplain habitats. Jackson County is also home to a number of stocked trout streams.

Maquoketa and the surrounding area is also home to dozens of parks and wildlife areas. Horseshoe Pond Park, located on the southern edge of Maquoketa, offers 16 camping pads with electricity, picnic tables, playground equipment, a portable water hydrant, a historic Salvation Army citadel, modern restrooms and showers, a fishing dock, several tent campsites, hiking trails, two picnic shelters, a volleyball court, winter activities such as sledding and ice skating, and a rainbow of wildflowers in the summer. Little Bear Park, designed by and for Maquoketa’s children, is centrally located in Maquoketa’s Second Ward Park and offers a riverboat; castles; an amphitheater; a car, trolley, swings, ropes and slides; a toddler playground; plenty of shade; a mystery maze and bears, of course!

Maquoketa Caves State Park may be Iowa’s most unique state park; its caves, limestone formations and rugged bluffs afford visitors a chance to witness geological formations that are thousands of years old. The park contains more caves than any other state park in Iowa, linked by a trail system. Highlights include the dramatic "natural bridge" that stands nearly 50 feet above Raccoon Creek, and the 17-ton "balanced rock." Maquoketa Caves State Park also offers two picnic shelters, a children’s play area, 28 campsites complete with a modern shower facility and electrical hook-ups, six miles of hiking trails and a visitor’s center.

The Hurstville Interpretive Center, located one mile north of Maquoketa along U.S. Highway 61, features a restored native prairie where visitors can view butterflies and wildflowers as well as an 18-acre wetland. Prairie grasses and wildflowers once covered approximately 85% of Iowa; the Hurstville Interpretive Center restores a small portion of that land to its original condition. Special events will be available for the public, as well as activities for schools, conference space for area businesses and industries, and meeting space for civic and youth groups.

Looking for a fun indoor activity the whole family will enjoy? Timber Lanes Bowling Alley offers adult and youth bowling leagues on 12 state-of-the-art lanes.

For those who prefer to exercise their minds, the Maquoketa Public Library is home to a large collection of adult and youth books, magazines and newspapers. Special activities and programs include book discussion clubs, a summer reading program and preschool story times.

There are endless opportunities for fun as a resident of Maquoketa!

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