willow river state park

I LOVE coming here, you can fish, swim, hike, picnic, camp and observe wildlife. I like coming here to walk with my soon to be husband and reflect on life, everything slows down when you're here and nothing else matters. We watch the birds and go fishing, bring our dog sometimes, go on the trails. Only thing people need to be aware of is rattlesnakes HAVE been sighted here, so bring a walking stick and be alert of your surroundings.

Offers something for every season to be enjoyed,,Highly recommended. Fee yes but worth every penny..

The Falls are a Beautfiul sight and so serene. Explore all the trails and hikes around the park. The park is well groomed and clean as well as a good way to burn some calories both in summer and winter w/ the trails.It's a great place to pack a picnic and spend the day or weekend doing so many things nature has to offer.

Really beautiful park and lots of hiking trails. A must-see if you live near Hudson or on the east side of the Twin Cities.

We've been here as a family and hiked on a weekend. There is a beautiful falls well within the park, if you hike towards it, it will be a welcome surprise! We love this place!

Willow River State Park is just beautiful. It's a great place to hike on trails and to the falls. The camping is excellent. Good place for all ages.

Let me start by saying that my girlfriend and I have been going year-round to this park for many years to walk our dogs. It's located approx. 25 mins. east of St. Paul, MN in Hudson, WI. We purchase a WI state park sticker every January. There are several entrances to the park. As stated in previous reviews, there's plenty to do here: camping, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, picnicking, swimming, rock climbing, cross country skiing, snow shoeing, bird and animal watching, and a nature center. I apologize if I missed an activity. There are several hiking paths. The falls are beautiful, especially in the winter when much of the water is frozen. We've seen countless animals like deer (obviously, this is WI), turkeys, eagles, swans, ducks, geese, snakes, turtles, rabbits, owls, grouse, pheasant, otter... We've been chased by deer twice, but that's another story. It's definitely worth the drive.

Not sure if they have a problem employee or what happened. Received notice that there were 0 dollars in parking envelope (funny that they got the envelope w/o the money). My partner wrote license info on envelope, my girlfriend gave him the $10 and he put in envelope and deposited it. Just got a notice and they added $5 to the fee and it's $162 if I don't pay within a few weeks. Just not fair, we put the money in there. We're in our 50's & 60's so it's not like we were trying to pull a fast one - if someone was going to do that - why fill out the info on the envelope in the first place?. Be cautious and have backup. Just use your phone to video tape the process. Hope this doesn't become common place.

The most remarkable feature of this park is that it is under utilized. It is well kept with a great variety of things to do. Lots of open spaces as well as heavily wooded. Nice play areas for kids, hiking trails, water fall, picnic areas and swimming beach. The water quality at the beach wasn't that great but other than that very nice place. Been there on weekdays, weekends and evenings and pretty much had the place to ourselves.

My husband, sister, and I spent a beautiful fall afternoon hiking at this wonderful park. I had never been there before. The fall foliage was at its peak. You have to be sure and hike all the way to the falls - beautiful!

Easy to get to. Fish for trout in the stream. Nice trails and very peaceful. Beautiful falls to dip your feet into.

LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS PARK, but be careful, been told by a couple people rattle snakes have been seen here... amazing place, got my engagement pics done here...

The hike in is a bit challenging from the south down a steep hill, and the hike in from the north is a bit long. But no matter how you get there, you absolutely have to experience these falls both from below on the walking bridge and also from above on the observation deck at the top of the stairs to the north. Absolutely amazing and worth the effort in getting there!

Willow River State Park is a beautiful state park with gorgeous waterfalls that are very accessible. They have miles and miles of well-maintained trails so you can pick how far you want to walk. Very convenient to Stillwater, MN and a great 1/2 day excursion for the family or friends.

I'd heard good things about the trails here and decided to finally check it out. The falls made it worth the trip and I was surprised more people hadn't raved about them. They are very large for so close to the metro area. The trails are okay - pretty smooth. I expected more scenery along the trails. Note there are some significant inclines and declines but otherwise flat. Your legs will tell you that you worked the hills the next day. Also noteworthy if you bring your dog: there aren't trash cans in the park so you'll be carrying presenting back to your car.