Jones County Offers Up Great Outdoor Attractions
Spelunking, Canoeing and Rock Climbing Draw Many Visitors.
By Juli Probasco-Sowers
I would advise any outdoor enthusiasts to put Jones County on their lists of must-visit places.
Jones County’s assets came to my attention recently when my job as the media specialist for the Rebuild Iowa Office took me to the area. Come to find out, even though I wasn’t aware of these great natural assets, thousands of people are drawn there each year.
The 7.8-mile stretch of Maquoketa River that goes from Mon Maq Access to Pictured Rocks Access near Monticello, a portion of a 13-mile water trail, is the most used stretch of river in Iowa when measured by numbers of canoes and kayaks on the waterway, explained Larry Gullett, Jones County Conservation director. There are often more than 1,000 people who traverse the river on each weekend day throughout the summer.
“I tell people to come canoeing during the week if they want to avoid a lot of other people,” Gullett said. He also suggests canoeing in the fall. Once leaves begin to fall, visitors have a much better view of the bluffs. There are several canoe outfitters available in the area for people who don’t have their own canoes.
Anyone visiting may want to camp at Central Park, a well-kept park with 100 campsites available, a 25-acre lake, a beach and more. The park is located near Center Junction.
Additionally, people from all over Iowa, and from out of state, are drawn to the bluffs along the Maquoketa River to rock climb, Gullett said. Others like to explore Indian Bluff Cave located along the river near Pictured Rocks Access. There are currently restrictions on caving in Iowa to reduce a health risk to bats, but this cave is still open to spelunking as long as specific requirements are followed before people enter the cave with their equipment. Check with the Conservation Office before heading into the cave.
This summer the two river accesses -- Mon Maq and Pictured Rocks are more user-friendly and scenic than ever, even though – and in some ways because – the two areas were ravaged by the floods of 2008.
Jones County Supervisors, residents and Gullett, have taken the negative flooding event, and used it to bring the areas back to a state even better than before the floods.
Projects are just finishing up on those two access points which will bring enjoyment to outdoors enthusiasts for years to come. Plans developed for rebuilding the river accesses by working with people who use the area, along with local residents, area farmers, campers and officials from Camp Courageous (a camp for youth and adults with disabilities located along the river), Gullet said.
The results of the project, which cost just over $1 million, are phenomenal. The project was paid for by combining money for flood damage from the Federal Emergency Management Agency; the 10 percent state match for that flood damage repair; grants from Resources Enhancement and Protection program, Vision Iowa, Federal Recreational Trails, State Recreational Trails and the Iowa DNR Dam Safety and Water Trails program; private donations; non-profit organizations; as well as the AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps based out of Vinton.
People visiting the Pictured Rocks access can view a 13-mile water trail map as a carving in a 9,800-pound block of limestone. The limestone is surrounded by a ring of large limestone rocks and benches. The limestone in the tree-covered setting along the river gives the area a special feel as a gathering and resting area.
The nearby boat ramp is bordered by limestone-embedded banks, with the ramp itself made of more than 500 tons of limestone block. All the limestone used is from a nearby quarry. The ramp reaches 20 feet into the water. “I think the boat ramp will be in the same place after the next flood,” Gullett joked.
Limestone is part of the design the county used to keep the facilities in place during a flood, yet still be suitable for the natural surroundings. Additionally, the latrine and shelter house damaged in the 2008 floods have been rebuilt uphill, above the floodplain. 
A trail that leads from Pictured Rocks Access to Indian Bluff Cave was also rebuilt as part of the project because it had been washed out by the 2008 floods.
At Mon Maq Access, portions of an old mill have been protected and enhanced as part of the restoration. Mon Maq includes a stone patio area with seating and a metal deck which reaches over where the mill connected to the river. There are interpretive signs to help visitors see what it looked like when it was operational in the 1800s, and so they can understand how rivers change over time, Gullett said.
For more information about activities and sites to visit in Jones County, visit jonescountyiowa.org/jonescountyconservationboard.aspx or call 563/487-3541.