Dubuque, Iowa

Camping
This past Labor Day weekend we decided to check off another state on the map! We were able to find a short notice campsite at a county park in Iowa called Heritage Pond Campground near Dubuque. The campground is right along the Heritage Bike Trail, which is very convenient. There is also a pond on the property for fishing. The sites are not very private and no trees. We definitely prefer campgrounds that have more secluded sites. Regardless, we were happy to find a spot with such short notice. We found many activities to do in the area, so we didn't spend a lot of time at the campsite anyway.
Biking
​Saturday we spent the day biking along the Heritage Bike Trail. It was very well maintained and we were really impressed at how nice of a ride it was. It is definitely a bike trail for all levels. Since the trail used to be an old railroad track, it was nearly flat the entire ride. Part of the trail was next to a river which was very peaceful and beautiful. We rode 20 miles with lots of breaks for snacks and pictures. We definitely lucked out with the weather, it was in the 70's and perfect riding weather.
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Horseshoe Bluff Nature Trail
This short little hike near Dubuque gives great views of the cliffs and river. Dogs are allowed on the trail as well. Its a little steep getting up to the overlook, but definitely worth the views.

Pikes Peak State Park
Sunday brought some morning storms which made it very humid during the day. We drove up to Pikes Peak State Park to explore. It was about an hour away. Pikes Peak offers great views of the Mississippi River. We hiked the Bridal Veil Falls Trail which connected up to a couple other trails, even though we combined a few trails it was still very short maybe 1.5 miles total. The falls were a little crowded so we just continued on the trail to avoid the crowds. It was just a small waterfall even though it rained the night before. We then hiked the Point Ann Trail. We had to drive to a different parking lot to connect with the trailhead. Point Ann was another short trail, but had a great view on the top of the Mississippi River. We were not very impressed with the amount of options for trails, but the wooded sections on the Bridal Veil Falls Trail was pretty and I was impressed with the nice boardwalk they had built. There is also a campground in Pikes Peak, if you were looking for a weekend trip.

Fishing
The boys tried their luck at fishing in the pond at our campground on Sunday night and Monday morning. They had no luck. They used worms, but the fish were not biting. The website says it is good fishing and some locals told us you can catch a lot of fish, but no luck here. I'm sure there are fish in the pond since we could see them jumping, but we must not have found the right bait.