Strongest 14 October, 2020 25.3mph S; Average October 10.8mph; Strongest 30 September, 2020 27.7mph W; Average September 9.9mph; … Just prior to Hwy 3/52 there is a small but nice limestone outcrop (finally!). Next forecast at approx. 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. 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. [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. 10.1-10.5′: River would be high at this point and might not be attractive for paddling. 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. Be notified when future paddle reviews go live by subscribing! Photo: Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0. Now certainly you can paddle the next 2.4 miles to Herber Road (which we did) but there is nothing going for this section. 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. Trip was done at 9.75′. Comment: None Maybe this is nicer in the spring or fall when the hillsides are more visible. 1913 Deck plate girder bridge over Little Maquoketa River on Heritage Trail Open to traffic Little Maquoketa River All posts tagged Little Maquoketa River. Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens is situated 2 miles south of Little Maquoketa River Mounds State Preserve. The Maquoketa then flows generally eastward in a meandering course as it approaches the Mississippi. This trip can easily be connected with the Dubuque Water Trail described earlier. Easy to subdivide or to do roundtrip loops. 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. Its watershed covers 1,694 square miles (4,387 km 2) within a rural region of rolling hills and farmland southwest of Dubuque. Discovered in 1977 by a team of state archaeologists, the site is north of Dubuque just outside of Sageville along Highway 52. Herber Road is a doable, but not great access option with some mud. The water is deep and dirty here (and most everywhere else). 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. Perhaps my expectations were unrealistically high, but honestly I was pretty crestfallen when I saw the take-out and then the put-in. JESSICA REILLY . Little Maquoketa River Mounds State Preserve Park. The Maquoketa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, about 150 miles (240 km) long, in northeastern Iowa in the United States. For really tippy kayaks just launch directly under the Burtons Furnace Road bridge. 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. 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. Little Maquoketa River Mounds State Preserve JESSICA REILLY; Aug 4, 2020 Aug 4, 2020; Facebook; Twitter; WhatsApp; SMS; Email; Print; Save; Buy Now. 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. The Maquoketa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 150 miles (240 km) long, in northeastern Iowa in the United States. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. Update from the webmaster. 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. It is not to be confused with the Little Maquoketa River. [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]. October Wind Dubuque Regional Airport (11.8 miles) 2020 September October. For bike shuttlers, the shuttle length is 5.9 miles with some minor hills (98′ of climbing and 66′ of descent). 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). Restaurants near Little Maquoketa River Mounds State Preserve Restaurants in this area are known for American, Contemporary American, Italian, Fusion / Eclectic and Steak cuisines. For more information on these see the book “Paddling Iowa” which I highly recommend. Some riffles will be a bit bumpy but the rest of the river will be plenty deep. Little Maquoketa River Term Accession: GAZ:00186231 Aspect: GAZ Synonyms (0) None. 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. Much of this route can be done on the Heritage Trail, which is a scenic bike trail but does require a trail pass. Float down the western shore by urban Dubuque, past the Mines of Spain to Massey Station Road. Its watershed covers 1,694 square miles (4,387 km2)[3] within a rural region of rolling hills and farmland southwest of Dubuque. Join us as we discuss the Iowa Fishing License options, fishing rules and fishing regulations. Film Television show Game Sport Science Hobby Travel Technology Brand Outer space Cinematography Photography Music Literature Theatre History Transport Visual arts Recreation … Four days after the trip, Dubuque County experienced heavy rains and the Little Maquoketa River flash flooded. Absolutely gorgeous. The pools were incredibly deep (4-6′ on average) with some much deeper (wear your life jacket! 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. This is a very small drainage in a basin that is less than 40 square miles in size. Mud Lake Park to Deere Dike Park: 4.2 miles. Little Maquoketa River near Durango, IA (USGS-05414500) site data in the Water Quality Portal. The Grant–Little Maquoketa River Watershed is located in the Driftless Region of Southwest Wisconsin and northeast Iowa. Little Maquoketa River Mounds State Preserve: Maquoketa Company–Clinton Machine Company Administration Building ★ Maquoketa: Add an external link to your content for free. 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. 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. Cameron Steffen (left) and Marisa Hansen, both of Dubuque, hike at Little Maquoketa River Mounds State Preserve in Dubuque on Tuesday. The Little Maquoketa River is a Mississippi tributary just north of Dubuque, Iowa and west of Grant County, Wisconsin. Article from Tri-State News. These were quite cool and the highlight of the trip. See also: Dams and Locales Man-made. Iowa, unlike Wisconsin, hasn’t gotten as much rain for 2017 and in fact parts of south-central Iowa have near drought conditions. Also the locals really like it. The river corridor is a combination of state land and private land. 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. The highest concentration of deadfall was after the Hwy 52/3 bridge, and this segment could experience logjams after a big storm. This segment was mostly a floodplain paddle and I suspect it frequently gets beat-up by Mississippi backfills. Then we checked out Eagle Point Park, which is Dubuque’s most famous park and overlook. 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. There is a self-pay station in Durango by the parking lot (it costs $2.10 for an adult). After Access Road and the subsequent bike trail bridge, the riffles pretty much disappear. 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. It’s Iowa’s Grand Canyon! I recommend paddlers check these out and simply double back upstream to take out. Most paddlers will take out at the prior bridge (Hwy 52), which I recommend. Half-dead boxelders are everywhere as is the mud and honestly it was a pretty boring segment. 11:27 am. There are certainly enough sugar maples to make for an interesting fall color trip. Note…there are likely additional paddling options on the north branches of the Little Maquoketa River as well. Please remember to check with the local Fish and Wildlife department to ensure the stream is open to the public. This creek does experience serious flooding! The channel is wide enough to get around these obstacles but it was unsightly. 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