Backbone State Park
4.7(1.9K)google
4.8(4)yelp
OutdoorHikingRock FormationCamping
Overview
Backbone State Park is Iowa's oldest state park, dedicated in 1920. Located in the valley of the Maquoketa River, it is approximately three miles (5 km) south of Strawberry Point in Delaware County. It is named for a narrow and steep ridge of bedrock carved by a loop of the Maquoketa River originally known as the Devil's Backbone.
Practical Info
Mon4:00 AM –10:30 PM
Tue4:00 AM – 10:30 PM
Wed4:00 AM – 10:30 PM
Thu4:00 AM – 10:30 PM
Fri4:00 AM – 10:30 PM
Sat4:00 AM – 10:30 PM
Sun4:00 AM – 10:30 PM
Suggested Duration4-6 hours
Best TimeEarly to mid-October during peak autumn colors is the golden season to explore Iowa's oldest state park. Hiking the rugged Backbone Trail between 7:30 AM and 10:00 AM is strongly advised; crisp morning sunbeams beautifully highlight the narrow, winding limestone ridge—the 'backbone'—towering dozens of feet above the Maquoketa River loops, offering sweeping, mist-filled canyon vistas.
Getting ThereLocated north of Manchester at 1347 129th Street, Lamont. Driving is required as no public transit links exist; travel east from Waterloo via US-20 E, take Exit 275 for IA-13 N northbound, turn right onto County Rd D22, and follow the state park signs left onto 1347th St into the north gate. Free, well-maintained gravel lots are stationed at all rugged trailheads.
Travel Tips
- Park entry is free. The flagship Backbone Trail traverses a razor-thin limestone ridge with sheer drops and zero safety handrails; the rocks turn incredibly slick during wet weather, making high-traction hiking boots non-negotiable.
- As Iowa's oldest state park, premium modern RV campsites fill by Friday noon in summer, requiring pre-booking via the DNR portal 7 days early; be prepared for total cellular dead zones throughout the lower canyon floor.
- The park's north historic loop features a restrictive stone underpass bottlenecked at 9' wide and 11'6" high, completely banning large class-A RVs and fifth-wheels; main property gates lock sharply at 10:30 PM.
Reviews
Positive
- Iowa's first state park; the iconic 'Devil's Backbone' limestone ridge towers above the stream loop, delivering breathtaking canyon views.
- A premier natural playground for climbing and road-trips; historic CCC-built stone picnic shelters and waste bins are beautifully kept.
- Charges zero general admission with massive free lots; boasts modern accessible RV utility camps and pristine hot-shower restrooms.
- Spanning a huge wild footprint, outer forest loop density is very low, preserving pure, uncommercialized nature and solitude safely.
Heads up
- The iconic Backbone ridge trail is incredibly narrow and steep, flanked by sheer drops with zero guardrails, hostile for vertigo sufferers.
- As an aged park, lower riverside vaulted toilets look weathered, dim, and damp, severely lacking modern accessible infrastructure.
- Boiling summer months harvest intense swarms of biting horseflies and heavy toxic mosquito clouds around stagnant river bends.
- Cellular mobile signals cut out completely at the canyon base and cave mouths, gridlocking GPS routing without offline maps.