It’s not a very long river that splinters into shallow tributaries upstream of Durango, but downstream to the mouth it is plenty big enough for paddling. Starting the trip by Burtons Furnace Road, There is a popular bike path nearby (the Heritage Trail), At first we thought these were nice limestone outcrops…. The Little Cedar River is an 82.4 - mile - long 132.6 km river of Iowa and Minnesota. Here are some trip ideas. (S36 T89N R1W Dubuque Co.) to north line of S5 T88N R1W Dubuque Co 9.6-10′: Good depth. River & Stream Biological Monitoring Fish and Benthic Macroinvertebrate Surveys Physical Habitat Assessments The river and its tributaries mark the border of the Driftless Area of Iowa, with the areas east of it not having been covered by ice during the last ice age. Once we started the paddle, the clarity never improved, but the first third of the trip was perhaps the most interesting part and reminded me somewhat of the lower Grant River. Film Television show Game Sport Science Hobby Travel Technology Brand Outer space Cinematography Photography Music Literature Theatre History Transport Visual arts Recreation … Its watershed covers 1,694 square miles (4,387 km2)[3] within a rural region of rolling hills and farmland southwest of Dubuque. Mud Lake Park to Deere Dike Park: 4.2 miles. Anyone who is interested in visiting Little Maquoketa River can print the free topographic map and street map using the link above. Amenities at Little Maquoketa include: District-Wide Trout Stream Fishing Report All the trout streams in the Manchester District are in excellent condition. Twin Springs/Asbury Road to Burtons Furnace Road, < 9.5′: You might have to walk many of the riffles (say, 6 times). ISBN 978–1–4113–3317–8 Nice hills (but thought they would be much bigger), Hiding behind that interesting bridge pylon…, But if you continue on, you can see more outcrops, Mud left on the limestone shelf from earlier flooding, It looks bad, but we never had to portage, It is a long hike up the embankment to reach the car, Great boat launch can serve as an alternate take-out (or put-in), Checking out a barge from Eagle Point Park, Because of the local dam, it has to go through the locks. The valley that the Little Maquoketa River runs through is deep with steep limestone bluffs and slopes that are heavily wooded. Agricultural operations are a mix of cash grain and livestock farms. For the first three miles the river has a pool and riffle configuration where there are shallow riffles and then extremely deep pools (many over 8′). It flows briefly northeastward, then generally southeastward through Clayton, Delaware, Jones and Jackson Counties, through Backbone State Park and the towns of Dundee, Manchester and Monticello. Now, I actually don’t want to sound too negative about the trip, as I may be unfairly judging it based on my preconceived expectations. It’s not a very long river that splinters into shallow tributaries upstream of Durango, but downstream to the mouth it is plenty big enough for paddling. I recommend paddlers check these out and simply double back upstream to take out. North Fork: Caven Bridge Access - located at the bridge on 60th Ave. 60th Ave is a gravel road off county road Y31. Much of this river flows through steep terrain and farm country, which with poor to no regulatory oversight, has resulted in devastating erosion and damage to the river (much worse than I’ve ever ever seen in Wisconsin). About at the halfway point, most of the rapids die off, and the open grassy areas are replaced by messy hardwoods struggling to stand in the unstable mud banks. Heritage Trail - Little Maquoketa River Bridge #4 (Dubuque County, Iowa) Built Ca. There is a farm road nearby which is tempting to park on, but that is likely private and you’re best off just parking on the shoulder where there is room. Little Maquoketa River Term Accession: GAZ:00186231 Aspect: GAZ Synonyms (0) None. There is a faint trail used by paddlers on the northwest side of the brand-new bridge that leads to the shoulder, but this requires you drag your boat 150′ up a steep embankment and over rocky fill. Very few signs of wildlife. County. Little Maquoketa River Mounds State Preserve Wind Statistics . The river corridor is a combination of state land and private land. The area also experienced 75 mph wind gusts which could result in new logjams that we didn’t encounter. Be sure to check out Julien Dubuque Monument after the trip. The Maquoketa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 150 miles (240 km) long, in northeastern Iowa in the United States. Tagged: Duck Pond, Flooded fields, Hurstville Marsh, Little Maquoketa River, maquoketa iowa, Photography, Photography Session, Signets, Trumpeter Swans. Eash, D.A., 2012, Floods of July 23–26, 2010, in the Little Maquoketa River and Maquoketa River Basins, Northeast Iowa: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2011–1301, 45 p. with appendix. Iowa, unlike Wisconsin, hasn’t gotten as much rain for 2017 and in fact parts of south-central Iowa have near drought conditions. The Little Maquoketa River is a 29.6-mile-long direct tributary of the upper Mississippi River.The Little Maquoketa River is confined to Dubuque County and enters the Mississippi in the rural areas north of Dubuque; the Little Maquoketa River should be distinguished from the Maquoketa River, a distinct and separate river.Little Maquoketa River is a put and grow stream including brown trout. The canoe launch consists of a pseudo pier/one foot concrete ledge which is great for canoes but for tippy kayaks can be a real pain. Shortly after Access Road, the river arcs south and enters a nice area flanked by a wooded hill to the north. Be notified when future paddle reviews go live by subscribing! Join us as we discuss the Iowa Fishing License options, fishing rules and fishing regulations. (Nearest navigable creek or river...not city!). The current is pool-and-riffle (fast, then very slow, then fast, then slow, etc…). This was nice, but the hills didn’t seem especially big or special, which I had firmly expected from the guidebook description that this river flowed through “one of Iowa’s deepest valleys”. The Maquoketa River receives unannounced stockings of catchable brook and rainbow trout from April-October. The river then flows another 30 miles until it reaches the Mississippi River. Many of the mud banks were massive (say 10-20′ high) and bigger than any I’ve seen on any Wisconsin river. A breach of the Lake Delhi Dam on July 24 aggravated flooding on the Maquoketa River. No geology, no riffles, no sandbars, virtually no wildlife or anything else that makes a river distinct. U.S. Geological Survey. It is quite the operation as it has to be split up to get through. This segment was mostly a floodplain paddle and I suspect it frequently gets beat-up by Mississippi backfills. Four days after the trip, Dubuque County experienced heavy rains and the Little Maquoketa River flash flooded. One turtle, a food begging hawk, a great blue heron and several fishing jumping out of the water (probably to see where they were going). By John Deere Dike Park paddle west past the dike to see gorgeous lilly beds, then take out at the public ramp. Very open, with occasional riffles and Class 1 rapids flanked by large mud banks and cornfields. It is high up on a limestone ridge above the Little Maquoketa River, not too far from the river's mouth with the Upper Mississippi River. Easy to subdivide or to do roundtrip loops. McDonald Park. LITTLE MAQUOKETA RIVER MOUNDS PRESERVE. Now certainly you can paddle the next 2.4 miles to Herber Road (which we did) but there is nothing going for this section. The Maquoketa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 150 miles (240 km) long,[2] in northeastern Iowa in the United States. Little Maquoketa River Mounds State Preserve rich in nature, … Article from Tri-State News. Many not succeeding and ending up in the river. Trip was done at 9.75′. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. For the rest of the trip, the current slows and the river is more consistent in depth. I initially heard about it from the book “Paddling Iowa“, which got me excited to do the trip based on a positive description of car sized boulders, limestone walls, and coursing through one of Iowa’s deepest valleys. Then we checked out Eagle Point Park, which is Dubuque’s most famous park and overlook. For more information on these see the book “Paddling Iowa” which I highly recommend. Some of the popular local menu items include Chicken Marsala, Chicken Alfredo, Cheese Garlic Bread, Crab Cake Salad and Steak And Shrimp. Now get out there and fish! Also the locals really like it. To avoid having to drag your boat 250′ from the parking lot to the launch, most paddlers temporarily double park in the ditch to unload their gear, and then park in the main lot. Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens is situated 2 miles south of Little Maquoketa River Mounds State Preserve. Explore up the Little Maquoketa River distributaries if you wish. After Access Road and the subsequent bike trail bridge, the riffles pretty much disappear. Posted in: Daily Posts. All three trout hatchery offices still remain closed. These were quite cool and the highlight of the trip. JESSICA REILLY . Good public access at Mud Lake Park (opposite the Platte River mouth) where you can see gorgeous rock bluffs on the Wisconsin side of the river. Cameron Steffen (left) and Marisa Hansen, both of Dubuque, hike at Little Maquoketa River Mounds State Preserve in Dubuque on Tuesday. Was told by another local that 150 paddlers paddle this leg on summer weekends. Place or area set aside for recreation or preservation of a cultural or natural resource and under some form of government administration; not including National or State forests or Reserves. The father and son were fishing the Little Maquoketa River, which is a tributary stream of the Mississippi River to the east. Minor flooding occurred July 23, 2010, in the Little Maquoketa River Basin and major flooding occurred July 23–26, 2010, in the Maquoketa River Basin in northeast Iowa following severe thunderstorm activity over the region during July 22–24. Dubuque Water Trail: 9 miles. There is a good canoe launch by the Heritage Trail parking lot in Durango, just between Burtons Furnace Road and the bike trail bridge. The river is considered one of the best smallmouth bass and trout fisheries in Iowa. It is not to be confused with the Little Maquoketa River, another distinct direct tributary of the Upper Mississippi River meeting the Big River north of Dubuque. One kayaker we talked to was doing it again based on a previous positive experience. It is not to be confused with the Little Maquoketa River. Aside from the strong cow manure smell, the river was incredibly muddy, water clarity was nonexistent, and strange things floated on the surface of the water. No hazards really and this is a safe river for paddlers including canoers. If you take out at Deere Dike Park, this would be a longer 7.5 mile shuttle. The Little Maquoketa River is a Mississippi tributary just north of Dubuque, Iowa and west of Grant County, Wisconsin. It enters Pool 13[5] of the Mississippi from the southwest in eastern Jackson County a few miles upstream from Sabula approximately 30 mi (48 km) southeast of Dubuque. Just prior to Hwy 3/52 there is a small but nice limestone outcrop (finally!). The depth we went at was probably fairly typical for mid-summer. This creek does experience serious flooding! Related terms: national historical landmark, national park, State park, wilderness area . Definition: A direct tributary of the Upper Mississippi River. The Little Maquoketa River is a Mississippi tributary just north of Dubuque, Iowa and west of Grant County, Wisconsin. Note…there are likely additional paddling options on the north branches of the Little Maquoketa River as well. The Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens 52 acres are an arboretum and botanical gardens established in 1980 and located at 3800 Arboretum Drive, Dubuque, Iowa. The Grant–Little Maquoketa River Watershed is located in the Driftless Region of Southwest Wisconsin and northeast Iowa. There is quite a bit of deadfall in the river, but you can always go around it. Much of this route can be done on the Heritage Trail, which is a scenic bike trail but does require a trail pass. Little Maquoketa River Mounds State Preserve in Dubuque on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. 10.1-10.5′: River would be high at this point and might not be attractive for paddling. Large tracts of surrounding land are open to the public, including the Pictured Rocks Wildlife Management Area (1,138 acres, cooperatively managed by Jones County and the Iowa DNR,[12] and the Indian Bluffs Primitive Area State Preserve (845 acres, privately owned, managed by the Iowa DNR). This is a round trip where you start at a landing by Mines of Spain Road, paddle as far upstream as you can and then float back downstream. If you (as most paddlers do) take out at Hwy 52 by Sageville, that would be only 3.6 mile shuttle. While nice, that was pretty much it for boulders on the entire river (not counting all the concrete fill that had been dumped haphazardly into the river). Posted by Dave Updegraff on October 12, 2018. Discovered in 1977 by a team of state archaeologists, the site is north of Dubuque just outside of Sageville along Highway 52. There are two forks of the Maquoketa River that meander some 50 miles through the county, meeting just north of the town of Maquoketa. Restaurants near Little Maquoketa River Mounds State Preserve Restaurants in this area are known for American, Contemporary American, Italian, Fusion / Eclectic and Steak cuisines. Herber Road is a doable, but not great access option with some mud. The Maquoketa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, about 150 miles (240 km) long, in northeastern Iowa in the United States. Little Maquoketa River Mounds State Preserve: | || | | | The |Little Maquoketa River Mounds State Preserve|... World Heritage Encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and the most definitive collection ever assembled. The best part of the park is Horse Shoe Bluff which many visitors overlook. Please obey signage as posted and respect private property rights. October Wind Dubuque Regional Airport (11.8 miles) 2020 September October. Its watershed covers 1,694 square miles (4,387 km 2) within a rural region of rolling hills and farmland southwest of Dubuque. The pools were incredibly deep (4-6′ on average) with some much deeper (wear your life jacket! If you are lucky (and we were), you can see a barge pass through the locks. For really tippy kayaks just launch directly under the Burtons Furnace Road bridge. The wildcard variable is the Mississippi River which I suspect when high can backfill the Little Maquoketa River for miles. The highest concentration of deadfall was after the Hwy 52/3 bridge, and this segment could experience logjams after a big storm. Little Maquoketa River Mounds State Preserve wind forecast issued today at 11:27 pm. Little Maquoketa River Mounds Situated high atop a limestone ridge, overlooking the Little Maquoketa River just north of Dubuque on Highway 52 & 3, this 41 acre preserve features 32 ancient burial mounds. The Maquoketa rises in southeastern Fayette County just southwest of Arlington in Fairfield Township, and approximately 10 miles (16 km) east of Oelwein. [11] Along much of this stretch, the river flows through a canyon bounded by steep cliffs of Silurian dolomite. You can also do round trips from either access location. Park at the trailhead and hike to the overlook which is north of the bluff. Little Maquoketa River near Durango, IA (USGS-05414500) site data in the Water Quality Portal. But the trick is the best limestone outcrops are actually AFTER the bridge and hiding just around the corner, which most locals miss. Little Maquoketa River Mounds State Preserve: Maquoketa Company–Clinton Machine Company Administration Building ★ Maquoketa: Add an external link to your content for free. Paddle south through Mud Lake and a protected subchannel due to an adjacent long narrow island (1.8 miles). Some riffles will be a bit bumpy but the rest of the river will be plenty deep. Little Maquoketa River is displayed on the Dubuque North USGS quad topo map. [13] The canyon walls in Pictured Rocks make it one of the most popular rock climbing areas in Eastern Iowa, with numerous routs and pre-set anchors for climbing ropes; the highest rock face is 75 feet (23m).[14]. As featured on +7. 11:27 am. For further information see the official webpage for the trail. There are some riffles, including a few Class 1’s, but nothing too noteworthy. After the trip, we scouted the Mississippi at Deere Point Park and honestly that one scene by the boat landing looked more interesting than our entire Little Maquoketa trip. Hiding behind that interesting bridge pylon... Support WisconsinRiverTrips.com With a Donation! The banks were filled with “disturbed ground” species and invasive weeds (especially Japanese Hops) which gave the river a messy, disorganized vibe. Comment: None Ruth Herzberg and John Pearson, Indian Bluffs Primitive Area State Preserve, Last edited on 14 November 2020, at 17:44, U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Maquoketa River, https://waterdata.usgs.gov/ia/nwis/uv/?site_no=05418500&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060, "Evaluating Agricultural Nonpoint Loadings on Pool 13 from Maquoketa River Watershed, Iowa", U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Hartwick Lake and Dam, "CNN:Dam fails in eastern Iowa, causing massive flooding", Dam Removal Study & Local Floodplain Master Planning (Floodplain Management Services, Iowa), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maquoketa_River&oldid=988687073, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 14 November 2020, at 17:44. Float down the western shore by urban Dubuque, past the Mines of Spain to Massey Station Road. Data Provider: NWIS (Learn more about Water Quality Portal Data Providers) This stream site, maintained by the USGS Iowa Water Science Center (identifier USGS-IA), has the name "Little Maquoketa River near Durango, IA" and has the identifier USGS-05414500. It was a relief when we reached Herber Road (not an easy take-out BTW) to end the trip. Maquoketa Caves State Park, a few miles upstream from Maquoketa protects a segment of the Driftless Area's karst topography, characterized by caves, ice caves and sinkholes. Most locals take out here where there is a hidey access path downstream/east of the bridge, which I suggest in hindsight. Honestly the Mississippi looked much more interesting than Little Maquoketa River. The Little Maquoketa River Mounds State Preserve is an Iowa state owned archaeological site and natural area located within the city of Sageville (just north of Dubuque) on U.S. Highway 52. The Little Maquoketa River Mounds State Preserve can be found at 18602 Walking Way, Dubuque, IA 52001 Foursquare / Joan E. This 41 acre site is full of walking trails, scenic overlooks of the river, and peaceful places to observe stunning Iowa nature. Facebook / Mississippi Trail While you need to pay to use the bike trail, the parking lot is free to use, but does get pretty full on weekend afternoons (were told 150 paddlers per weekend use this in the summer). The water is deep and dirty here (and most everywhere else). For bike shuttlers, the shuttle length is 5.9 miles with some minor hills (98′ of climbing and 66′ of descent). But if you do this, paddle past the bridge and around the corner to see some cool limestone outcrops, then you can double back to disembark. Little Maquoketa River The Little Maquoketa River is a 29.6-mile-long direct tributary of the upper Mississippi River.The Little Maquoketa River is largely confined to Dubuque County, Iowa, and enters the Mississippi in the rural areas north of Dubuque. ), while in contrast the riffles were shallow and bumpy. Hwy 52 by Durango was under water and the Sageville Road bridge was impassible. There are certainly enough sugar maples to make for an interesting fall color trip. It costs $1 to enter (Iowans can be strange), but at the top of the hill (eastern part of park atop the tall rock face) are a series of overlooks panning the entire Mississippi valley including a lock and dam below. Perhaps my expectations were unrealistically high, but honestly I was pretty crestfallen when I saw the take-out and then the put-in. The Little Maquoketa River is largely confined to Dubuque County, Iowa and enters the Mississippi in the rural areas north of Dubuque, Iowa. So if you are a local and have never seen limestone outcrops or boulders on a river before, it may be worth checking out, but otherwise, the prospects in neighboring Grant County, Wisconsin are much more interesting. Half-dead boxelders are everywhere as is the mud and honestly it was a pretty boring segment. [6], The stretch of river from just below the Mon-Maq dam to Iowa Highway 136 is one of Iowa's most popular canoe trips. See also: Dams and Locales Man-made. At Maquoketa, it receives the North Fork Maquoketa River from the north; the North Fork rises in northern Dubuque County and flows 96 miles (154 km)[2] generally southward past Dyersville and Cascade. Other cool Iowa driftless paddles include the Yellow River, Turkey River, Little Turkey River, Volga River, the North Fork of the Maquoketa River, Catfish Creek, and Whitewater Creek which I hope to all do in the future. Little Maquoketa River is a stream located just 5.4 miles from Dubuque, in Dubuque County, in the state of Iowa, United States, near Rose, IA. Don’t fall in. This just goes to show how volatile the river can be and to stay off of it after a big rain. This is a very small drainage in a basin that is less than 40 square miles in size. The Maquoketa then flows generally eastward in a meandering course as it approaches the Mississippi. Catfish Creek/Mines of Spain: 2-3 miles. That’s not to say that Iowa paddling is bad…northeast Iowa is part of the driftless area and includes some special paddles most notably the legendary Upper Iowa River. Little Maquoketa River IA 01-TRK-132 from confluence with Hogans Br. Little Maquoketa River is in the Streams category for Dubuque County in the state of Iowa. Little Maquoketa River Mounds State Preserve Park. Following the Heritage Trail bridge, the river arcs north with views of the adjacent hills. The preserve also harbors a mature forest containing numerous wildflowers and a small remnant of native blufftop prairie. (2012) The highly agricultural watershed is 714,953 acres in size, with slightly over 80% of that area in farms. I’m not aware of any local liveries, but Dubuque is a big city and it is quite possible there is one hiding somewhere. Start south of the dam by A.Y. Its name derives from Maquaw-Autaw, which means "Bear River" in Meskwaki.[4]. There is really neat geology on this trip and it is very scenic. Little Maquoketa River Mounds State Preserve JESSICA REILLY; Aug 4, 2020 Aug 4, 2020; Facebook; Twitter; WhatsApp; SMS; Email; Print; Save; Buy Now. This trip can easily be connected with the Dubuque Water Trail described earlier. Strongest 14 October, 2020 25.3mph S; Average October 10.8mph; Strongest 30 September, 2020 27.7mph W; Average September 9.9mph; … Next forecast at approx. The Little Maquoketa River Mounds State Preserve is an Iowa state owned archaeological site and natural area located within the city of Sageville (just north of Dubuque) on U.S. Highway 52. Most paddlers will take out at the prior bridge (Hwy 52), which I recommend. There is a self-pay station in Durango by the parking lot (it costs $2.10 for an adult). 1913 Deck plate girder bridge over Little Maquoketa River on Heritage Trail Open to traffic Absolutely gorgeous. Update from the webmaster. The channel is wide enough to get around these obstacles but it was unsightly. Corn, soybeans and alfalfa are the dominant fi eld crops. Little Maquoketa River All posts tagged Little Maquoketa River. It’s here that we encountered the three large limestone boulders I saw pictured in “Paddling Iowa”. Many of the trees and debris had this ghostly grey look to them from being dipped during earlier spring floods. Maybe this is nicer in the spring or fall when the hillsides are more visible. 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