See Inside an Iowa Cave Where You Can Pan for Crystals and Gems
If you're a fan of caves and also love the idea of panning for gold, there's an Iowa cave you should know about. No, I can't help you with the gold, but you could walk away with some crystals and gems.
I've never been to Crystal Lake Cave in Dubuque, Iowa, but it's now on my list thanks to a recent article by Only In Your State. It inspired me to find out more about what's on offer there and it looks like a fun adventure.
The Crystal Lake Cave itself looks like it has some interesting geology at work.
The Crystal Lake Cave website mentions that all of these cave features and gems lie 100 feet below cornfields. The gems, by the way, are something you can pan for yourself.
Lots of different areas to explore within the cave including the Noah's Ark area along with Crystal Lake, The Chandelier, Lost Gardens and Soda Straw.
As of this writing, adult tickets go for $20 while it's $8 for kids age 4 through 11 according to the official Crystal Lake Cave website. It's located just a few miles south of Dubuque, Iowa on Highway 52. Think they even have parking places for RV's which is convenient.
Next time you're wanting to do Mississippi River things in Iowa, might be worth making Crystal Lake Cave part of the trip.