Every time is the perfect time to get out of the house and enjoy a fun outing, don’t you think? Well, we have a particularly lovely one on deck for you; the gorgeous scenery, the proximity to one of the most beautiful state parks in Iowa, and the charming downtown area make the tiny river town of McGregor, Iowa, the ideal scenic destination for a picture-perfect day trip. If you got here by looking up “day trips near me in Iowa”, look no further – this is the ultimate! 

Related Stories

Here Are 10 Unique Day Trips In Iowa That Are An Absolute Must-Do

Here Are 10 Unique Day Trips In Iowa That Are An Absolute Must-Do

The Iowa Ghost Town That's Perfect For An Autumn Day Trip

The Iowa Ghost Town That's Perfect For An Autumn Day Trip

The Small Town In Iowa Boasting World-Famous Pie Is The Sweetest Day Trip Destination

The Small Town In Iowa Boasting World-Famous Pie Is The Sweetest Day Trip Destination

Have you visited this quaint little town? For some awesome fall day trips in Iowa, The Fall Foliage At These 10 State Parks In Iowa Is Stunningly Beautiful. Let us know what you think of McGregor in the comments! We love hearing from you. 

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

More to Explore

Day Trips in Iowa Near Me

Where is McGregor, Iowa?  

McGregor, Iowa, is a tiny little town with a population of under 1,000 people in Clayton County. It’s a river town, being nestled on the banks of the Mississippi River just across the way from Wisconsin. It’s a charming little place despite the remarkably small population; one will find plenty of interesting history should they know where to look. It’s one of the smaller towns to visit in northeastern Iowa, but it’s cute enough that we think you’ll want to stay a while. Nearby is Pike’s Peak State Park, which is worthy of a day trip in and of itself. Hey – that means you can stay in McGregor!  

What are the most charming small towns in Iowa?  

Believe it or not, Iowa is a state with more than one super charming small town. In fact, there are enough that it’s impossible to list them all in a short paragraph like this one. Some of our favorite small towns in Iowa include beautiful Osceola, which is so pleasant that it feels like home even to first-time visitors. There’s also breathtakingly enchanting towns like Pella, which is a mini-Holland of sorts, and Spirit Lake is a super-unique lakeside type of town that you don’t find just anywhere in the Midwest. If you like those towns, you’ll probably also fall in love with Elkhorn, Waverly, and Bentonsport, too. For a longer list with more details about some of these and other favorite towns, take a look at this article.  

Where are the best places to see fall foliage in Iowa? 

Iowa is one of those places where fall color is just magical. Here, the color tends to peak just past the end of the first week of October, with lots of places seeing some of their best vibrance around October 10th. Depending on which part of the state you find yourself in, you’ll see the brilliant changes occurring with elm, ash, hickory, maple and oaks, which shift through brilliant phases of golds, oranges, and reds. Though you’ll see beautiful color in most places, some of the notably excellent ones are places like Backbone, near Strawberry Point, and Palisades-Kepler, near Cedar Rapids.  

Explore Iowa