You Must Visit Starr’s Cave Nature Center in Burlington, Iowa
Starr’s Cave Nature Center
This is a beautiful smaller state nature preserve and park consisting of 184-acres and located minutes from town. A park with limited activities, still offers a serene opportunity to walk among the trees with the birds chirping, the creek rambling, and a moment of relaxation as you walk on the path next to the plants, trees, and animals in their natural setting.
Address: 11627 Starr’s Cave Road, Burlington, Iowa
Hours: 6am to 10:30pm
Pets allowed if on a leash
The Nature Center which was originally a barn in the 1910’s and is now a place for visitors to explore and learn more about the history of the area. The barn belonged to German immigrant William Starr who homesteaded the land and lived in the limestone house that can still be seen today along the hiking path.
Within the Nature Center you will find nature displays, animals of the land, and a history of the area. Hours vary by season. Summer hours typically open Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4pm and winter hours typically are open Monday to Friday 7am to 2pm. Hours may change so call ahead to confirm they are open 319-753-5808.
Summer Camps
Starr’s Cave runs several summer camps. They provide the opportunity for kids to gets hands on experience exploring the land, making crafts and learning about the ecology that makes this park great. Check out their Facebook page for details: Starr’s Cave Nature Center.
Camps run during the day and in the evening for ages 3 to 13. Camps run about 4-5 days and the average cost is $50-60 per kid. My kids did these summer camps for years and loved them!
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What is there to do at Starr’s Cave
2 miles of hiking trails
picnic under a covered pavilion with access to a grill
walking in the water if the water level is low
cross country skiing when there is 4” or more of snow
visit to the Nature Center
amazing and affordable summer camps
Starr’s Cave
Starr’s Cave is a natural formed cave created by water erosion and offers an experience to hike and eventually belly crawl to the small room at the end of the cave. Crossing the bridge allows you to peek inside the gate to view the entrance to the cave. This cave allowed visitors to hike deep into Starr’s Cave, but it is closed to visitors indefinitely to reduce the spread of White-Nose syndrome in bats. A beautiful opportunity that is lost but hopefully someday can reopen. Meanwhile, you can enjoy the view of the water from the bridge and take some beautiful pictures from this area.
Rock formations
Rock formations at Starr’s Cave consists of limestone and dolomite with fossils which are not found anywhere else in the world but can be seen along the walking paths at Starr’s Cave.
There are two other caves at this park which are manmade. Devil’s Kitchen and Crinoid Cavern (see below) that are both assessable to visitors. They do require some climbing but with caution and assistance even young children can make it to the caves. These caves were created by mineral seekers blasting it with dynamite in the 1920’s looking for zinc in the area.
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What you cannot do at this nature center
Rock climbing
fishing
camping
hunting
no collections of plants, minerals, animals
no motorized vehicles on the trails
Other things to do in Iowa and surrounding states
Visiting a Food Truck Fight and Antique Archaeology in Le Claire, Iowa
Enjoy a spectacular view at the Gateway Arch National Park in St Louis
This is a park I have loved to visit for so many years. The trails are easy to navigate, and the small caves make it easy to explore. We have enjoyed many picnics and walking through the water in the warmer months. Make this a quick stop while visiting Burlington, Iowa when looking for solitude from the city. I lived in Burlington most of my life, comment below if you have any questions about what there is to do in the area.
Need a place to stay while in Burlington? Check out booking.com or VRBO.com to book your local overnight stay.
Enjoy the journey,
Meet the author: Jennifer
I am a girl who loves to travel and enjoys sharing expert family travel advice. I am a content creator and influencer on Instagram with years of travel experience and provide readers with advice, tips, and details on adventurous family travel and tips on saving money while boondocking or traveling across the US.
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