Location: The cave is located within Dunning's Spring Park: Ice Cave Rd, Decorah, IA. Park your vehicle at the entrance of the park, then walk along the provided road for 1/2 mile until you reach the cave. If you have extra time, take a short walk to Dunning's Spring, Iowa's tallest waterfall.
The Ice Cave is free to visit.
Are you suffering through the midwest winter cold, and wish to be even more miserable? Or perhaps you’re visiting in summer, and want a nice reprieve from the unrelenting heat and humidity. Either way, stop at the Decorah Ice Cave, one of the largest ice caves in the Midwest. Formed due to a combination of geological factors, including glacial movements from the last Ice Age, which ended about 11,700 years ago, the microclimate inside the cave creates a year-round ice formation, providing a fascinating–albeit cold–glimpse into the region's geological past.
The internal cave measures approximately 200 feet in length, with ice formations that can reach several feet thick in certain areas, and it provides a unique habitat for various species and contributes to the ecological diversity of the Driftless Area. The weirdest species that calls Ice Cave home is rumored to be Norwegian trolls. George E. Knudson, professor of chemistry at Luther College in the 1970s, recorded local lore about trolls in Decorah, citing the Ice Cave as the main inhabitance for the traditionally Nordic creature. Trolls must live in a climate similar to the frigid mountains of Norway, and thus they are said to have flocked to Decorah’s ice cave after hitching a ride on ships carrying Norwegian emigrants to America. During the winter months, trolls hibernate deep under the ground, so Ice Cave is home to the creatures year round. They delight in playing nasty tricks on humans, and this includes placing rocks on the footpath inside the Cave.
If you happen to encounter a troll in the Ice Cave, try saying the phrase “Uff-Da!” or “tilbake til Norge!” (till-bok-ah till nor-guh). Trolls speak strictly Norwegian, and these phrases have been reported to be especially troll-repellent. Knudson, the troll expert, was also the foremost expert in the mid-late twentieth century on Ice Cave and its ecological and sociohistorical role in Decorah. He applied for its residency on the National Register of Historic Places and studied the physical composition as well as how local legends of trolls are mixed into the area. His study of how science and the weird work together suggests that they might not be separate concepts, but rather that they are one and the same. You cannot have Ice Cave without acknowledging its weirdness, even if you are unwilling to accept the possibility of trolls.
Even if you are a troll skeptic, just know that the walls of Ice Cave are packed with folklore regardless of personal opinion or general logic. Ice Cave, if viewed as an organism or ecosystem living and thriving in the Driftless, is one of the region’s oldest inhabitants. It’s seen the rise and fall of species, narratives, groups of humans in the area, the migrations and life spans of various plants and animals, Indigenous histories, immigration from Norwegian and other European settlers to the area, and maybe even something as outlandish as trolls. Through its persisting history and the stories that it must contain, it holds secrets that are much older and more important than you or us, and should be respected as such. Right now, it can provide us with nature’s own narrative of our changing world, as we watch Ice Cave as an ecological and geographical marker of the climate crisis. The Cave has lasted through countless eras, but will it be able to outlast us?
Believe in the magic of Ice Cave and the quiet power that it wields as you visit. Understand that standing within the cave transcends time and personal cognition. And keep an eye out for trolls.
The path to Ice Cave is mostly flat terrain, but it is a half mile long. The cave lacks accessible access through ramps, elevators, or handrails. Ice Cave is only accessible at the end of a short set of stairs.