When it comes to hidden gems, Iowa is chalk full of them. There are so many parks and prairies you can stumble across that are incredibly beautiful and have a ton to offer. Pictured Rocks in Eastern Iowa is no exception.
Pictured Rocks is 5 miles south of Monticello and is a loved county park by many. It’s got 726 acres of wildlife area along the Maquoketa River - which makes it an ideal place to explore both by foot and in a canoe.
I was first introduced to this park by Iowa City friends as this is their closest outdoor climbing destination. We pulled in to the parking lot and it was just a few minutes on the trail before we were staring at the limestone bluffs. According to the Mountain Project, Pictured Rocks boasts 71 climbing routes. A majority are sport routes, but there’s also trad, bouldering and options for top roping. These routes range from 5.6 up to 5.12 on the sport routes and V2-V5 for bouldering.
If you’re not a climber, there are still plenty of options for you! If you aren’t scared of tight places, there are a few caves you can explore. Don’t forget your headlamp and maybe an extra layer because the further in you go the colder it gets! Right now you must first get authorized before caving because they’re trying to protect bats against White Nose Bat Syndrome. So if you’re interesting in going through the caves, check out this link to find an authorization form.
What else can we do? There’s hiking trails and a nice picnic spot. There’s an easy boat ramp into the river if you’re looking to fish or spend the day floating down river. Basically if you’re looking for a pretty easy day trip, Pictured Rocks is a great destination.
Live big.
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