3 days in Northeast Iowa Itinerary

Marquette is a city in Clayton County, Iowa, United States. On the 30th (Fri), look for gifts at Paper Moon and then immerse yourself in nature at Pikes Peak State Park. On the next day, Head underground at Spook Cave, then pause for some photo ops at Effigy Mounds National Monument, and then delve into the lush surroundings at Yellow River State Forest.

To see more things to do and tourist information, read our Marquette holiday builder tool.

Des Moines to Marquette is an approximately 3.5-hour car ride. Traveling from Des Moines in September, you can expect nighttime temperatures to be little chillier in Marquette, with lows of 55°F. Finish up your sightseeing early on the 1st (Sat) so you can go by car to Waterloo.

Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. Kick off your visit on the 2nd (Sun): test your team's savvy at popular escape rooms, view the masterpieces at Phelps Youth Pavilion, and then take in nature's colorful creations at Cedar Valley Arboretum & Botanic Gardens.

To find where to stay, reviews, other places to visit, and tourist information, you can read our Waterloo road trip tool.

Traveling by car from Marquette to Waterloo takes 2 hours. In October, daytime highs in Waterloo are 63°F, while nighttime lows are 41°F. Finish your sightseeing early on the 2nd (Sun) so you can drive back home.