This summer (somehow) I explored the outdoors a shi*t ton while also feeling absolutely trapped in…read moremy home? I don't know if that makes sense to you? But... COVID-19. Amiright?! Hickory Hill Park has been on my gotta-try list all summer. FINALLY on Labor Day weekend, we found the time to drive across town, to the wayyyyy east side to check it out. LET ME TELL YOU. THIS PARK IS BEAUTIFUL. There's tons of trails for jogging, walking and hiking! From wooded ones, to paths through the prairie. There is something for everyone. Picnic shelters, too. There are a couple reasons this is a four vs five star. 1. There's not a lot of signage on the trails, so it is very easy to get lost or not know where to continue on to! Make sure you have a map online pulled up when you visit. 2. Hickory Hill boasts very, very narrow paths. So during a pandemic-- BRING YOUR MASK! We typically are the family just try to distance when we are hiking outdoors... but distancing is hard on trails at this east side gem.

Clearly long cold Iowa winters have made me far more brave than I would have imagined. I mean who…read moresays, "It's a beautiful day lets go check out a new park" when its December and 30 degrees out. Never thought that would be me, but sure enough now knowing subzero temperatures have brainwashed me to think 30 degrees is a gorgeous winter day! With this new found appreciation for 30 degree days I packed the pups in the car and headed to check out Hickory Hill Park. What a nice park full of no shortage of multiple winding trails through the woods and prairies. All the trails were very well maintained and were perfect for exploring with our dogs. This is the perfect park if you are just looking to enjoy nature. So want to trail run, walk/hike, stroll with your dog? Then you found the right spot! I also imagine this would be a great spot for snowshoeing or cross country skiing if there was a significant snow fall. It wasn't muddy when we went since the ground was frozen but I imagine if there was recently a lot of rain this place could get pretty muddy.

I've never been big on swimming in lakes but summer in Iowa is hot and options are limited, so my…read morehusband and I decided to venture out to Lake Macbride one Saturday afternoon. I was pleasantly surprised! The beach area is a little small, particularly on a crowded hot day, but we were able to find space to spread our towels and enjoy the sun. We spent our time cooling off in the water and laying out. We also drove around the park a bit (honestly because we got lost) and found it to be a beautiful area. I definitely plan to go back and try out the boat rental. It's not a boardwalk along the ocean, but probably the best you can do in this area. Tip: bring a cooler full of snacks and beach chairs and umbrellas. We were a bit spoiled from going to bigger beaches and forgot we couldn't just rent/buy whatever we wanted once we got there .

Another state park that has the physical address of the state park and not the campground. If my…read morehusband didn't call Ohio DNR we would have NEVER found it and gone in circles. We got to the park after given a different address. We had electric for 5 minutes and after that it was gone. We called again and they sent a ranger to our site. A tree had gone down and took electric out. We heard two trees fall at that time. Electric came back about 7 pm. They also make you pay for a two day stay, even if you are staying one night. I understand this in a way, because it keeps them booking entire weekend for others. I believe they would end up booking that day again when they see you left.

Wonderful trails! The walks are low difficulty, some steep inclines. There is so much wildlife!…read more I saw 4 deer on my walk. There are lots of mushrooms for foraging but be careful lots are toxic as well. Lots of fishing spots. Highly recommend to anyone.

Wonderful trails in recent early morning hike with my adult daughter. Just watch out for tree…read moreroots which one finds in beautiful woods.

We visited Sugar Bottom for a beach day. The area was beautiful! It has a number of paths and what…read moreseems like a nice camping area (although we weren't there for that). The beach area was spacious--lots of room to spread out on the sand. The beach also has a couple of good shady spots, which is helpful on a hot day. However, we ended up heading over to the Lake MacBride beach because the Sugar Bottom area was a little less lively. Could have just been the day, but we were looking for somewhere more high energy on a summer weekend afternoon. They also don't have the boat rental options that MacBride beach has. If you do like quiet spaces then this would be the place! It also seems great if you have kids (which we don't) because there is just more space to run around. Just be prepared to bring all of your own entertainment.

Beautifully maintained campground. Several spaces with a lake view! Great for families and anyone…read morewho likes outdoor recreation. Boat dock available, and honors system firewood available in the evening. We did reservations through Recreation.gov and that made check in super easy! We brought our 2 Yorkies, and about 1/3 or more of the campers also brought dogs. Lots of trees, but also well mowed green spaces. This is now on our top 10 for Iowa campgrounds! Several spots right next to the bathroom / shower house, and great areas for larger camping groups. Would like to see a couple more updates to the shower facility. The water temp was fully adjustable-a knob rather than a button type, so you could have water the full duration of your shower. The water pressure was great, temperature great, but tile could use some updating. That may be in the works because the lighting was motion sensor and LED. There was also a ceiling fan which helped discourage bugs in the bathhouse!

A truly beautiful hike filled with caves to explore! There are a total of nine caves, ranging in…read moresize from massive walk-through caverns to smaller, single-person passages. Two of the largest caves let you walk straight from one entrance to another, while one of the smaller ones requires squeezing through two tight openings before you can barely stand inside--definitely an adventure! The trails are not wheelchair accessible. The full hike took us about three hours at a steady pace. I'd recommend bringing a flashlight for exploring, though it's not absolutely necessary. Between the unique caves and the gorgeous trails, this park is a gem. I'll definitely be returning to Maquoketa Caves in the future!

Fun and interesting state park with plenty of caves to see...but wear good shoes for climbing and…read morewalking along steep paths and clothing that will probably get dirty (layers are best as the caves can get cold). Many of the caves have streams running through which are very cool but can also cause slips and falls... I'd also be careful of some of the off-the-beaten-track paths as one led us to some pretty steep cliffs. And again don't underestimate the slipperiness of even the regular paths... The gift shop is just a few tables set up outside of a shelter-type open building (I had to get my usual magnets) in the parking lot, and the visitors center is a separate building off of the main road (Caves Road) and 98. The visitors center has a few interesting displays and we watched a film about the history of the park, Well worth a visit, and especially recommend seeing the Dance Hall Caves....

Muscatine aquatic park - had a man try to intimidate me (female) in the pool yesterday 7/3/25…read more I was in the water, a younger kid jumped in beside me so I turned my face away because I had on prescription sunglasses on. A woman says "I don't know why you come to a pool and don't wanna get wet". To which I replied "since you're so concerned I moved my head so I wouldn't get splashed in the face". Her (assuming) Husband walks over to her and says "what's going on ?" The woman tells him something, and he then comes over to where I am (a good 30 feet away) and gets in my face yelling at me about "what the f*%! you say about my kid??" He was yelling so hard that his fake teeth flew out his mouth. I'm a 6 ft woman and I will not back down from a so called "man" who gets in my face. I backed up moved around and he was still in my face. I moved to the side of the pool to which he followed me and put his arm over mine and continued to yell. I wasn't quiet either, I was yelling telling him to get out of my face. He took a balled up fist and punched his other hand with it IN MY FACE, and flinched at me as if he was going to hit me. I pushed this man away from me and he fell back into the water. There wasn't a single person trying to help me out, no lifeguards blowing whistles or staff coming over. When they finally did, he went over to them and started talking..there were other women around upset because their kids were crying, telling him to stop (at this point I had got out of the poo). NOW people want to come over and talk and give their stories. I left the pool with my kids and called back to talk to the manager. Apparently he did nothing wrong, she said "oh we were looking for you to get your story". NO THANKS MUSCATINE AQUATIC CENTER! This man may like to intimidate women, but this one stood her ground! Muscatine Aquatic Center allows men to intimidate women in the pool..enter at your own risk!

The park has a pond, metal sculptures, that tells the parks past! A fantastic aquatic center for…read moreall ages! Picnic area, play area.! Shady also.!

I took my daughter for a walk here to try a new path. It was so peaceful. I enjoyed the beautiful…read morelandscape and reading the signs about the Handcart emigration.

Handy trail runs along Clear Creek. From Coralville through Tiffin. Wooded & cemented. Very…read moreGreen. Some wildlife along the way.

Quick to pick up a beverage or snack. Great pizza or burgers and fries, onion rings, cheese balls…read moreand lots of other choices. Friendly staff.

FW Kent Park continues to be a family favorite. Both because of how close it is to Iowa City (it's…read morejust three miles west of Tiffin on Highway 6) and it's beauty. We popped over this weekend for some fresh air and fall family photos. I am always just in awe of how busy the park is year round. Since my last review both of my kiddos have had the chance to take school field trips out to visit the Conservation Education Center, which is located at the park. It offers year-round educational programs and workshops. The staff is knowledgeable and the kids always have a blast. There's something for everyone at this gem. A bird blind for bird watchers. Access to the entire shoreline for anglers. Nine miles of trails for hikers and cross-country skiers. Seven historic bridges for photographers and families looking for fun family photos :) A large campground for campers-- available April through October. As well as a handful of picnic shelters (available via reservation). And, of course, Kent Park beach, my family's favorite (open Memorial Day through Labor Day) -- it is pristine, free and a great time. Overall, FW Kent Park is a wonderful place to get outside and clear your head. Drive over and explore today!

Scenic and popular park with plenty of picturesque spots along the Cedar River and woodsy hiking…read moretrails. It was very busy when we visited one weekend, especially along the Cedar Cliff Trail at the far end of the park. We encountered several beautiful viewing areas of the river along this trail and also a short trail up towards the cute camping cabins. There are lots of stone benches to rest on. A wedding was in progress at the lodge, which is available, according to the website for day use. Some of the trails (like the one leading up to the lodge from the beach) are narrow and winding....but fun to hike! I particularly liked all the stonework we came across, such as could be seen with the signs, shelters and restrooms.

Palisades is my favorite local outdoor escape. My only complaint is that it's not a larger park,…read moremostly so the trails can be longer. They have a few different routes to explore through the woods and along the river. At the right time of day with the sun coming through the trees, it can feel pretty magical. I don't know that I'd describe the trails as beyond beginner, but there are some steep and rocky portions that require a sure foot. Speaking of rocky bits, if you're a climber, there are a few spots in the park to do so once registered with DNR. Along the river, you'll find folks fishing and there's a boat launch somewhere too. The park also offers camping and cabins. There's a reason Palisades is such a popular spot for special photos - particularly in the fall, it's absolutely gorgeous! Grab a hammock and your hiking boots and get on out there!

This park is tucked away and near the interstate-- definitely not a park you'd know about unless…read moreyou live in the area. Having lived in Iowa City most of my life, I didn't know it existed till we moved nearby. With it a few minutes away, this is a go-to park for us and our littles. You can easily access it driving, running or biking down Rohret Road to Duck Creek Road. There is ample free street parking. The park features a few shelters, picnic tables and grills. As well as a plenty of playground equipment to keep your kiddo entertained! This is a personal favorite park because it has a biking trail, hiking/jogging trail and is perfect for a dog walk. Biggest con-- there are no restrooms or water. But come check it out!