The Sabula Anamosa Route connects Iowa’s only Island City (Sabula) to its pumpkin capital (Anamosa) with a side trip to Dubuque for good measure. This route follows the Mississippi River north on the Great River Road from Sabula to Dubuque, Iowa. Although Highway 52 is a US Route, in some places along this stretch it looks more like a county road. It is sandwiched between the hillside and the river and at times becomes a tree-lined tunnel. Near Dubuque the route takes a slight detour through the Mines of Spain Recreational Area where you can hike or just relax and enjoy the views. After this route leaves the Dubuque area the scenery transitions from steep bluffs to rolling farmland alternating with hill formations. In Anamosa be sure to stop at the National Motorcycle Museum, and visit one of our favorite stores, J&P Cycles. Wapsipinicon State Park is also a great stop, and don’t miss the amazing architecture of the Anamosa State Penitentiary. On the final leg of this trip you will pass by Maquoketa Caves State Park as well as the historic Hurstville Lime Kilns as you make your way to Sabula.
Approximate Mileage: 240 Miles
Estimated Riding Time: 6 Hours
Road Surface: Paved
Attractions:
Maquoketa: Clinton Engines Museum, Costello’s Old Mill Gallery, Hurstville Interpretive Center, Hurstville Lime Kilns, Maquoketa Caves State Park, Jackson County Courthouse, Jackson County Historical Society
Anamosa: National Motorcycle Museum, Wapsipinicon State Park, Grant Wood Art Gallery, Anamosa State Penitentiary, Jones County Courthouse
Dubuque: Crystal Lake Cave, Monastery Candy, Mines of Spain Recreation Area, Julian Dubuque Monument
Monticello: Edinburg Manor Haunted House, Jones County Historical Society, Edinburg Pioneer Village
Amber: Hula Hoop Tree
Bellevue: Bellevue State Park, Pleasant Creek Recreation Area
St. Donatus: St. Donatus Pieta Chapel
Onslow: Chamberlain Park
Wyoming: Wyoming Historical Museum
A Paper Map is available for this route.
Motorcycle Rides, Dubuque, St. Donatus, Bellevue, Green Island, Sabula, Savanna, Preston, Springbrook, Maquoketa, Baldwin, Wyoming, Anamosa, Monticello, Cascade, Garryowen, LaMotte, Zwingle
Sabula Anamosa Route
If you are riding with a group, we ask that every person using our route for navigation purchase their own copy.
In order to encourage this, we are happy to offer a discount for group purchases. Please contact us after purchasing 1 item at full price, and we will set up a coupon code that will give everyone in your group 50% off of the same item.
Our digital routes are designed to operate in most GPS devices. In addition to GPSs, our routes should work with several smartphone apps. They will NOT work on Google Maps or Apple Maps.
If you plan on using a smartphone app, we recommend the REVER app. REVER will work with both Android and iOS and in addition to navigation it has many other great features.
For best results in REVER, download the route to your computer first, then import into your smartphone. Turn by turn may not work, so we recommend that you utilize the "Follow the Line" option.
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