Category: Iowa

10 Amazing State Parks to Explore This Year

Posted in California, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, State Parks, Texas, UtahTagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Do you crave getting outside and exploring new places? Does your family enjoy activities like hiking, camping, or kayaking? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then I highly recommend visiting your nearest State Park!

It seems like National Parks are all the rave right now, but State Parks are just as amazing! Plus, there’s way more State Parks out there to explore than National Parks. Keep reading to learn about our favorites across the US and why we love them!

Dead Horse Point State Park – Utah

Hands down, one of the most beautiful views we’ve ever seen!

Did you know that the vista from Dead Horse Point State Park is one of the most photographed scenes in the world? Once you visit, you’ll totally understand why! In my honest opinion, I prefer this state park over the Grand Canyon. The views are breathtaking, the hiking was easier for the kiddos, and the location in relation to Moab and the National Parks in the area made for an amazing trip!

We visited in March over our spring break and felt like we had the whole entire place to ourselves! I loved the views and the pictures I was able to take of my family here. The boys loved exploring and climbing around on the rocks (not anywhere close to the edge, I promise). You’ll come across this park right before Canyonlands National Park, so we enjoyed the easiness of seeing both places in the same day!

Click here to for my complete Moab, UT travel guide!

Hunting Island State Park – South Carolina

I love visiting unique beaches!

If you have kids that love to run and climb, then take them to this beach! We visited this state park over spring break in March, so the weather was still quiet chilly and too cold to swim at the beach. That didn’t stop any of the fun, though! This is an awesome beach to visit to search for shells and shark teeth, too!

My boys loved climbing on all of the driftwood along the shore. And they also had a blast running through the trees and bushes farther away from the water. They made little forts under the trees and played together for hours while the grownups relaxed to the sounds of crashing waves! It was nice to see how much fun these brothers had playing together and we have the best memories of this day! I loved the Marsh Boardwalk, so be sure to check that out!

  • Website: Hunting Island State Park
  • Address: 2555 Sea Island Pkwy, Hunting Island, SC 29920
  • Phone Number: 843-838-7437
  • Entrance Fees: $5 per person, $3 for kids ages 5-16

Click here for my complete South Carolina travel guide!

Maquoketa Caves State Park – Iowa

So far, this state park is my most favorite!

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, this state park is AMAZING! I only spent half a day here exploring the caves, but I could’ve stayed for days. Picture it, you’re deep in the forest walking along trails that you know lead to different caves. Limestone bluffs surround you. And then you spot the first cave opening and the true adventure begins!

This state park is considered to be Iowa’s most unique and I couldn’t agree more! There are about 13 caves to explore and inside the caves it stays about 55 degrees, even in the summer! Plan to wear hiking boots, bring a flashlight, and prepare to get dirty! It really is a memorable adventure. I’m not sure who enjoyed this place the most, my kids or myself!

  • Website: Maquoketa Caves State Park
  • Address: 9688 Caves Rd, Maquoketa, IA 52060
  • Phone Number: (563) 652-5833
  • Entrance Fees: We didn’t pay a fee when we visited!

Click here for more information about our trip to Maquoketa Caves State Park!

Emerald Bay State Park – California

Have you ever been to a lake that looked like a beach in the Caribbean?

This is another beautiful state park. We kept saying that it felt like we were at the beach and not at the lake! I really enjoyed the hiking trails, the trees are huge and the views along the way are stunning. The beach area at the lake is also great for relaxing, picnicking, swimming, and renting kayaks, canoes, and SUP boards.

We rented a kayak and explored on the water! It was so much fun. We paddled out to an island and got to hike around it and up to the ruins on top. The weather here is also amazing, not too hot at all and we visited in August. We enjoyed snorkeling here, too and just relaxing along the shore after a day on the water and hiking in the area. California is just so dreamy!

  • Website: Emerald Bay State Park
  • Address: 138 Emerald Bay Rd, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
  • Phone Number: (530) 541-3030
  • Entrance Fees: $5 per vehicle to park

Click here for my complete South Lake Tahoe travel guide!

Custer State Park – South Dakota

The hiking in this state park is a must!

This is one of the most memorable state parks we’ve visited, probably because it was the first long hike we took our boys on! The Black Hills of South Dakota are already pretty fantastic, but add in this state park with lake access, wildlife galore, and rugged hiking trails and the experience is one you’ll remember for a lifetime!

If you’re able to visit, be sure to check out the Sunday Gulch Trail. It’s not the easiest trail, but it is so much fun! Who wouldn’t love hiking over streams and around waterfalls? Seriously, besides driving through the park and taking in the sights, the trail is my most favorite memory here!

  • Website: Custer State Park
  • Address: 13438 US Highway 16A, Custer, SD 57730
  • Phone Number: (605) 255-4515
  • Entrance Fees: $20 per vehicle

Click here for my complete South Dakota travel guide!

Dinosaur Valley State Park – Texas

Kids love hunting for dinosaur tracks here!

We come to this state park for the dinosaurs! Where else can you go hunt for dinosaurs tracks? Here, you can find them in different places along the riverbed of the Paluxy River and walk right in them if you choose to! After all, Glen Rose is known as the Dinosaur Capital of Texas!

We’ve always enjoyed bringing our boys here on warm summer days. The river is a great place to cool off and we all really enjoy hunting for those dinosaur tracks! You can also camp, hike, and look for wildlife here. Glen Rose has a lot of other options in the area, from a drive through wildlife park, to campgrounds, river floats, and more!

  • Website: Dinosaur Valley State Park
  • Address: 1629 Park Rd 59 Glen Rose, TX 76043
  • Phone Number: (254) 897-4588
  • Entrance Fees: $8 per adult, age 12 and under are free

Click here for my complete Glen Rose travel guide!

Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park

I have never seen trees so tall and forest trails so quiet and serene!

There’s not a lot of words that describe just how magical these groves of trees are. And the pictures I took definitely do not come close to showing the massive size of them. Truly an unforgettable day of hiking and exploring and a place that I personally feel everyone should visit if given the chance!

I’ve never seen my boys so happy out in nature. They were impressed with the views, but loved exploring the most. They ran, played, climbed on tree logs, crawled through downed trees, and just acted like kids. It made my mama heart so happy. The Redwoods are unforgettable and this park is a place that we all want to visit again!

Click here for my entire Pacific Coast travel guide!

Robbers Cave State Park – Oklahoma

We felt like outlaws on the run here at this park!

Nestled in the San Bois Mountains of Oklahoma sits Robbers Cave State Park. The landscape and hiking trails are just as legendary as the infamous outlaws that used to flee to the caves to hide.

We find ourselves going back time and again because it’s fairly close to us and it’s just such a fun and easy getaway. The kids love exploring the caves in the area and climbing all the rocks that dot the landscape behind the cabin rentals. We enjoy sitting around the fire pit roasting marshmallows and watching our kids doing all the things that kids like to do when out in nature!

  • Website: Robbers Cave State Park
  • Address: 2084 NW 146th Rd, Wilburton, OK 74578
  • Phone Number: (918) 465-2562
  • Entrance Fees: $3 per person

Click here to my complete Robbers Cave travel guide!

Smith Falls State Park – Nebraska

Short hike to an impressive waterfall, yes please!

This was a surprisingly wonderful stop on our road trip from Texas to South Dakota! We happened to see this state park sign off the road in Nebraska and decided it would be a great place to get out and move around after driving all day. It ended up being so much more than we had expected!

We were utterly shocked at the size of the waterfall we found at the end of a fairly easy walk. Even more surprising though, was that nobody else was there! This is a place that I hope to explore more of one day!

  • Website: Smith Falls State Park
  • Address: 90165 Smith Falls Rd Valentine, NE 69201
  • Phone Number: (402) 376-1306
  • Entrance Fees: $12 nonresidents, $6 residents

Monahans Sandhills State Park – Texas

Being a kid is so fun!

This is another state park that my boys give two thumbs up to! I don’t know your thoughts on sand, but my kids love it! So, can you imagine their delight when we pulled up to a park full of sand dunes for miles and miles? This is a great stop if you’re driving through Texas towards New Mexico. We stopped here along the route to Carlsbad Caverns!

If you visit, bring a sled or something to slide down the dunes on and let the kids run free! There are great facilities to shower off in after a day of playing in the sand. Trust me, it will be everywhere, but totally worth it!

  • Website: Monahans Sandhills State Park
  • Address: Exit 86, 2500 I-20, Monahans, TX 79756
  • Phone Number: (432) 943-2092
  • Entrance Fees: $4 per day for ages 13 and up

As you can see, there are so many amazing places out there to explore! If you find yourself on an adventure, look to see if there are any state parks in the area. I promise you won’t be disappointed! We love adding state parks to our itinerary. They are typically very inexpensive and offer a wide range of activities for all the different interest levels in our family.

Be sure to check back in on the blog to see just which state parks we add to our list this year! We have some fun plans in the works that I can’t wait to share with you all. If you have a favorite state park, I’d love for you to share. As always, happy travels!

Top 10 Hikes Across the US

Posted in Arizona, California, Colorado, Destinations, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Iowa, South Dakota, United States, Utah, WyomingTagged , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

It’s no secret that a lot of our road trip adventures have led to some pretty epic hiking destinations! I am sharing my top 10 favorite trails that we have hiked so far. These trails are all suitable for my boys that are under the age of 12!

10. South Kaibab Trail to Ooh-Aah Point at Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

We visited the Grand Canyon in November over Thanksgiving Break. I really wanted to hike down into the canyon, so we decided we would take the rim walk from Mather Point to the Kaibab Trail and hike down to Ooh-Aah Point. If I am being honest, I would have really liked to hiked rim to rim. But that just wasn’t an option with our boys. I also looked into mule rides to the bottom, but you have to be 9 and older and Jake was only 7 at the time. So, we did the hike and trail that we thought the boys would be able to handle the best. We ended up hiking 8 total miles because we went past Ooh-Aah Point. The views were truly stunning the father down into the canyon we hiked. The switchbacks on the start of the trail were really cool, until the hike back up! Just remember that however far you hike down, you must hike back up. And while we didn’t go that many miles down, it was very hard for me to get back up and I am in pretty decent shape. I am thankful that the weather was cooler, I cannot imagine doing that hike in the summer temps. The photos will never do it justice!

Click here for our Grand Canyon Trip Itinerary!

9. Hidden Falls Trail in Grand Teton National Park, WY

We were able to spend a couple days hiking in the Grand Tetons this past June on our Yellowstone Road Trip. I really enjoyed every hike, but this one was so peaceful and beautiful! This hike starts at the Jenny Lake area, so we decided to head that way and grab lunch at the store right at the trailhead. From here, we followed the trail around Jenny Lake. If you don’t want to hike, you can purchase tickets for a boat ride across the lake that drops you off about a mile from Hidden Falls. We decided to take the hike since we had been riding in the car so much on this trip! The views are fantastic around the lake and we even saw a deer along the trail. Before getting all the way to Hidden Falls you will eventually see a bridge with a raging river running under it. This is a great place to stop for photos! We stopped in this area and had a picnic snack on the rocks and just watched the river roar by underneath us. From this spot, it’s about a mile or less to the Hidden Falls. This waterfall is majestic and another great location for photos!

  • Hidden Falls Trail Information:
  • Distance: 4.9 mile out & back
  • Time: 2.5 hours
  • Location: Grand Teton NP, Jenny Lake area, Jackson, WY
  • Rating: Easy/Moderate
  • Grand Teton National Park website

Click here for our Grand Teton National Park Itinerary!

8. Lake Haiyaha Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

The hike to Lake Haiyaha was one of the toughest I have ever done. But I am beyond thankful that we persevered and made it to the lake because it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen! I visited Rocky Mountain National Park this past October for a long weekend of hiking. RMNP is one of my favorite places on earth, but this was the first time I have ever hiked to Lake Haiyaha. The majority of the hike is up a steep incline and there were several times I wanted to give up and turn around. When you finally even out on the incline, you are then faced with several yards of boulders that you must scramble over to get to the lake. Once you do, the sight is amazing! Especially right now since a rockslide over the summer turned the lake a unique shade of blue! This is one hike that you don’t want to miss! And this is one of two listed hikes that I didn’t take my boys on, but I know that they would have loved the rock scramble. Please keep in mind that you do need timed-entry reservations for Rocky Mountain National Park from early spring through the fall.

  • Lake Haiyaha Trail Information:
  • Distance: 4.0 miles out & back
  • Time: 2 hours+
  • Location: Rocky Mountain National Park, Bear Lake area, Estes Park, CO
  • Rating: Hard
  • Rocky Mountain National Park website

Click here for my Fall in Rocky Mountain National Park Itinerary!

7. Munds Wagon Trail to Merry Go Round Rock in Sedona, AZ

We traveled to Sedona over Mother’s Day weekend in May last year. Our first hike of the trip was on Munds Wagon Trail, which is about 8 miles out and back. AllTrails had the hike at 6.4 miles, but I clocked us at 8.1 miles with all of the extra exploring and climbing we did along the trail. I would rate this trail as moderate, especially if you’re hiking with kids. We needed to stop for food quite a bit. Luckily the majority of the hike is uphill on the way to Merry Go Round Rock, which makes the hike to the car mostly downhill. The views are stunning and the trail was very well marked. We really enjoyed all of the hikes we did in Sedona, but this one had those infamous Sedona red rock views the entire way and that’s why I picked this one as my favorite!

  • Munds Wagon Trail Information:
  • Distance: 6.4 miles out & back
  • Time: 3 hours+
  • Location: Coconino National Forest, Sedona, AZ
  • Rating: Moderate

Click here to for our Sedona Itinerary!

6. Delicate Arch Trail in Arches National Park, UT

We visited Moab over our Spring Break in March. On our first day in Moab we decided to spend the day hiking at Arches National Park. I had to see Delicate Arch, so that was our first hike for the day. I kept a close watch on the live webcam at the ticket area, and never saw long lines to get into the park. We arrived around 10 am. I am sure it’s much busier during the summer. This was our first visit to Utah, so I didn’t really know what to expect at the Park. But it ended up being super easy! Take the map that is offered to you at the ticket area. The park has signs along the way and we were able to find the Delicate Arch hike fairly easy and we enjoyed the sights along the drive. What I love about this Park is that even people that can’t hike can enjoy almost everything! There are places to pull over and view the famous landmarks or you can park and hike to them. We knew that the hike to Delicate Arch would be the longest and hardest of the trip so we started there first. I am not going to lie, it was pretty hard in one part that is a very steep incline. The rest is fairly easy and the walk back down was no trouble at all. The kids did great and we saw people of all ages and ability levels able to do this one. And I promise that the view at the end is amazing! I also loved that everyone waited turns to take photos under the arch and we all offered to take photos of each other. Please keep in mind that you need timed-entry reservations for Arches National Park starting in early spring through the fall.

  • Delicate Arch Trail Information:
  • Distance: 3.2 miles out & back
  • Time: 1.5 hrs
  • Location: Arches NP in Moab, UT
  • Rating: Moderate
  • Arches National Park website

Click here for our entire Moab, UT Itinerary!

5. Stout Memorial Grove Trail in Redwood National & State Parks, CA

There are several different parks that make up the Redwood National and State Parks, so I had a hard time deciding which area to visit. We settled on Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park and the Stout Memorial Grove Trail to hike. I am so happy with this decision, we had the most amazing day in the Redwoods and ended our hike with a beach walk that was absolutely stunning! We encountered maybe 4 people on this day, at both the Redwoods and the beach! So, I highly recommend a visit if you want to experience a National Park with no crowds. The road to this trail does turn into a packed dirt road, but our 2 wheel drive rental car had no issues making the trip! Our boys loved climbing all the fallen trees, especially after being in the car for so long the day before. The pictures don’t really do it any justice, I have NEVER seen trees so big and tall in my life.

  • Stout Memorial Grove Trail Information:
  • Distance: 0.7 mile loop
  • Time: 30 min+
  • Location: Jedediah Smith Redwood State Park in Crescent City, CA
  • Rating: Easy
  • Redwood National & State Parks website

Click here for our entire Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip Itinerary!

4. Sunday Gulch Trail in Custer State Park, SD

My favorite day in South Dakota was hiking in Custer State Park! I can’t even begin to describe the trail we hiked. I came across images of the Sunday Gulch Trail and knew we had to do it. I am not going to lie, there were tears shed around the 2.5 mile mark from my oldest kiddo. (We didn’t know he was actually getting sick with a fever/cold at the time). This hike is 3.9 miles long, it’s labeled as a HARD trail with a lot of uphill and downhill hiking, trekking through water, over rapids and streams using rocks or tree logs to get across. It was so much fun, but so much work. I can’t even describe how beautiful the sights were and my pictures just don’t do it justice. We could’ve explored this park for 3-4 days! I didn’t get many shots of us on the crazier parts of the trail because I had to help pass our little one off to Jereme and didn’t want to drop my phone in the water. But trust me, it was so cool! We packed a picnic lunch and found a nice, shady area to eat and then took off. It cost us $20 to get into the park, but that includes a 5 day pass to return. There are bathrooms, a store/souvenir shop, canoe rentals, and probably more than I even saw. After the hike, the kiddos and Jereme jumped into the lake for a freezing cold swim!

Sunday Gulch Trail Information:

Click here for our Texas to South Dakota Road Trip Itinerary!

3. Secret Cove Beach Trail in South Lake Tahoe, CA

Secret Cove Beach was one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever visited. The hike is not very long, roughly a mile from the parking lot. There are not a lot of signs marking the trail, but we still had no trouble finding the secret cove. It is a clothing optional beach, I would never go nude, but didn’t mind if others did. However, we didn’t see anyone else without swimsuits on. We were there pretty early and it felt like we had the entire cove to ourselves. We explored the trails above the cove and just took in the sights, then hiked down to the beach and relaxed on the shore and took a few swims.

  • Secret Cove Beach Trail Information:
  • Distance: 0.9  mile loop
  • Time: 30 minutes+
  • Location: Carson City, NV
  • Rating: Easy

Click here for our South Lake Tahoe Itinerary!

2. Emerald Lake Trail in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

We visited Rocky Mountain National Park in July a couple of summers ago. On our first day here, we were so excited and decide to head to the Park right before 4:00 pm, and didn’t wait in line for more than 5 minutes to enter. We drove right to the Bear Lake parking lot, used the restrooms at the trailhead, and began the hike to Emerald Lake. It was AMAZING!!!! The signs along the trail were easy to follow and take you around two other lakes, Nymph Lake and Dream Lake, before getting to Emerald Lake. Our boys, ages 10 and 7 at the time, did great on this one. I absolutely love this hike and this National Park! Please keep in mind that you need timed-entry reservations to Rocky Mountain National Park from early spring through the fall.

  • Emerald Lake Trail Information:
  • Distance: 3.2 mile out & back
  • Time: 2 hrs
  • Location: Rocky Mountain National Park, Bear Lake area, Estes Park, CO
  • Rating: Easy/Moderate
  • Rocky Mountain National Park website

Click here for our entire Rocky Mountain National Park & Beyond Itinerary!

1. Lower Caves Trail in Maquoketa Caves State Park, IA

If you are craving a unique travel adventure, then look no further! What makes this State Park so incredible is that it has 6 miles of hiking trails and 13 caves to explore, completely on your own. My family loves visiting caves, but usually that comes with a guided tour and a time limit on your caving experience. Not this place! You park your car and your adventure begins! There are no guides, no time limits, just a nicely marked trail system to venture at your own pace. My boys loved this adventure just as much as I did! We started with the lower caves, so that involved walking down wooden stairs to get inside the caves. There were different places for the boys to climb and explore, and if you have kids, you know that they love to climb and explore! I could not get over all of the geological features and was just in awe the whole time! We will definitely venture back to Iowa just to hike these caves again!

  • Maquoketa Caves Trail Information:
  • Distance: 1.7 mile loop
  • Time: 1 hour+
  • Location: Maquoketa Caves State Park in Maquoketa, IA
  • Rating: Easy
  • Maquoketa Caves State Park website

Click here for more information and photos of Maquoketa Caves State Park!

Helpful Hiking Tips: Bring plenty of food and water for the day, wear sunscreen and reapply often, use bug repellent, bring a first aid kit, take a swimsuit or change of clothes/shoes, expect to get wet, and have a blast!

Budget Friendly Hiking Gear Recommendations

This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you purchase any items using the links provided at no extra charge to you.

I would love to hear what your favorite trails are! If you have a favorite trail or a recommendation, leave me a comment. And as always, thanks for following along on our adventures!

Discover the Adventures at Iowa’s Maquoketa Caves State Park

Posted in Iowa, State ParksTagged , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

If you are craving a unique travel adventure, then look no further! Our visit to Maquoketa Caves State Park in Iowa ranks in my top 3 favorite experiences of all-time and I am already planning our next trip back!

So, maybe you’re like us and you’re on a quest to visit all fifty states. Maybe you’re looking for something different, or maybe you live in the Midwest. Either way, I cannot recommend a trip to this State Park enough! If you follow along already, then you know that I have set a goal to visit all 50 states with my boys. When planning our summer adventures I knew that I wanted to knock out some new states that we haven’t visited yet and so I got out my map and started making plans. Most of the states we have left to visit are not really in driving range, but Iowa looked doable. My first thought though was, “What on earth are we going to do in Iowa”? Little did I know that I would come across one of the most epic hiking trails I could ever imagine!

What makes this State Park so incredible is that it has 6 miles of hiking trails and 13 caves to explore, completely on your own. My family loves visiting caves, but usually that comes with a guided tour and a time limit on your caving experience. Not this place! You park your car and your adventure begins! There are no guides, no time limits, just a nicely marked trail system to venture at your own pace.

My boys loved this adventure just as much as I did! We started with the lower caves, so that involved walking down wooden stairs to get inside the caves. There were different places for the boys to climb and explore, and if you have kids, you know that they love to climb and explore! I could not get over all of the geologic features and was just in awe the whole time!

The caves stay the same temperature year round, but I found that they were pretty humid in August when we visited. There’s lots of water dripping throughout the caves, so wear a hat if that is something that might bother you. I also recommend wearing waterproof shoes and bringing a flashlight or headlamps. Some of the caves are really wet, some even require you to walk through shallow waters to explore!

For more information on Maquoketa Caves State Park, visit their website linked HERE! If you would like to check out videos of our hike through the caves, check out my Instagram page: road_trip_queen!