Backbone State Park

Backbone State Park near Dundee in Delaware County is Iowa's oldest state park, established in 1919, and is widely considered the most scenic. The park takes its name from 'the Backbone' — a narrow dolomite ridge that runs for nearly half a mile above the Maquoketa River, in places only a few feet wide at its crest, creating a dramatic fin of exposed rock rising 50-100 feet above the river valley on either side. The park covers 2,060 acres in northeast Iowa, about 90 minutes northwest of Dubuque via US-20 West and Iowa 192. Its 21 miles of hiking trails vary from easy valley-floor walks along the Maquoketa River to technical ridge routes crossing exposed dolomite outcrops. The Backbone Trail itself follows the narrow ridge crest, with views down into the forested gorge on both sides; the section above the steepest river bend is the most photographed landscape in the park. A 130-acre lake formed by a dam on the Maquoketa River provides fishing for bass and bluegill, swimming at a guarded beach (summer only), and non-motorized boating. The campground (open April-October) offers electric and non-electric sites, several walk-in tent camping areas, and modern shower facilities; reservations through ReserveAmerica are recommended for summer weekends. Rock climbing on the Backbone itself requires a permit from park staff. Fall color along the Maquoketa River gorge, typically peaking in mid-October, is spectacular.