Attractions

People who say Iowa is as flat and green as a pool table have never been in the state's northeast corner.

Up here, on the road between Marquette and Decorah, Iowa, it's hard to keep your eyes on the road.

Within two hours of Dubuque, travelers can find Iowa's newest floating casino, big-name nightclub entertainment, a national monument, historic architecture, ethnic heritage and antiques.

At the Isle of Capri riverboat and casino in Marquette, you'll find plenty of opportunity to take some chances with your money.

Or, you can just enjoy the scenery, as thousands do every autumn.

There are bluffs, mounds, rivers and even a forest to eye. You can get a good view from the car. But don't settle for that. Stop. Get out. Look around. Walk, or maybe canoe, for an afternoon. This is outside country up here.

Three miles north of Marquette, you'll find Effigy Mounds National Monument.

In the visitor's center, you'll find displays about the prehistoric people who built mounds shaped like eagles and bears. We don't know why those people built their mounds more than 1,000 years ago, but we can still hike out to them and wonder.

Pick up a map and hit the trail. Within the monument are 191 known mounds. A two-mile hike to Fire Point and back will take you past more than a dozen of the mounds, including Little Bear Mound.

Effigy Mounds attracts hundreds to its monthly moonlight walks in the summer, always when there's a full moon. Hikers on the nearly vertical trails meet up with rangers who portray figures from the area's past.

In the winter, there is hiking, and a free film festival.

While you walk please remember that all archeological and natural objects in the monument are protected by law. And, please, stay on the trails.

If you prefer river travel to foot travel, you're in the right neighborhood. Just south of the monument's visitor center, Iowa 76 crosses the Yellow River, one of the wildest streams in the Midwest. It's certainly one of the best canoeing courses in the state.

The river is steep, dropping 6 to 27 feet per mile. That means the paddling can be a challenge. And it means you better tie your gear down. You might get dumped.

If you're ready for a full day of paddling, start at Volney, an early mill town, that's four miles south of Iowa 76 on County Road X26.

It will take as many as 10 hours to make the trip to the mouth of the river. Along the way, you'll paddle through the Yellow River State Forest and past a sawmill that Jefferson Davis, while a lieutenant at Fort Crawford in Prairie du Chien, Wis., helped build. He later became the president of the Confederacy during the Civil War.

Parks

* Clayton County Conservation Park, west of Marquette on Bloody Run Trout Stream, offers camping facilities, hunting and fishing.

* Effigy Mounds National Monument, three miles north, features ancient Indian burial grounds. Open year-round with guided and self-guided tours.

* Yellow River State Forest Reserve, north of Marquette, contains 6,000 acres of virgin timber, along with picnic facilities. Paint Creek unit offers wilderness camping.

Camping

* Red Barn Resort, two miles west of Lansing on Iowa 9. A 320-acre family operated recreational area provides trout fishing, trailer and tent camping, electrical and sewer sites, showers and flush toilets, miniature golf, restaurant and bar.

* Andy Mountain Campground, privately owned 65-acre park one-half mile south of Harpers Ferry on Iowa 364, offers campground, showers, all hookups, swimming pool, hiking trails, screened shelters and a 655-foot lookout tower with 40-mile view of the Mississippi River. Fees charged.

* Yellow River State Forest, 6,548 acres, about two miles west of Harpers Ferry. Includes fireplaces, picnic sites, trout streams, hiking trails, primitive camping spots, drinking water supply, toilets, areas for seasonal hunting, bridle trails and unloading ramps for horses. Camping in designed areas are for overnight, weekend or maximum two-week period.

* Scenic Ridge View Exotic Animal Ranch, 416 Iowa 76, Harpers Ferry. Petting zoo, mountain bike trails, primitive camping, teepee rentals, hay rides, barn dances and more. 563/586-2721.