Willow River State Park Campground

It’s a great park conveniently located near the twin cities making it a great spot for a quick getaway.

Stayed in the 100 loop. The sites are secluded by sumac trees. Sites are level, electric power and fire ring. The back side of the 100 loop where we stayed was a ways from the bathhouse. Bathroom and showers were clean and fresh. Very few bugs. Because we were there during the week, the loop was probably 70% full.

T-mobile reception was good. No reception in the other two loops as they are down the hill farther.

Lots to do here. Hiking, Mountain Biking, bird watching and Campin! Three great campgrounds with the 300 loop being the oldest. However, it is the only one with lake sites and has a night playground in the center of it for kids. Great trail from the campground to the falls as well with very little elevation gain. 200 and 100 loops are newer and the 100 loop has the best shower facility as well as a small playground. The draw back for 200 and 100 is more road noise (Cty A) and less tree cover. Cell service is solid 5G in the 200 and 100 campgrounds. 300 isn't quite as good as you are in the valley more and have more trees.

We've camped here in every season by winter and at multiple sites.

The campsites were very nice. Showers and bathrooms were clean. Hiking great trails mosquitos are prevalent. Falls and river access both sides. You can hike along falls and crawl the back concave wall to other side.

General: Three campground loops, each with a mix of electric and non-electric sites; the 300 Campground is the one closest to Little Falls Lake. 

Site Quality: Sites (at least in the 300 Campground where we stayed) are very wooded, providing decent privacy, and spaced a good distance apart. Pads are dirt and gravel and most appeared to be level. Our site (352) had a filtered view of the lake. 

Bathhouse: This almost caused me to deduct a star! Decent enough but could not accommodate the number of campers. Hot water in the two showers was out as of 10 am on Saturday; a sign was finally posted by 7 pm. Toilet paper was out in one stall by Saturday night and out in the second of three stalls by Sunday morning. Soap was out in one of the two dispensers. Fortunately, the toilet paper was replenished by the time we left at noon. 

Activities: Bring your canoes, kayaks, or SUPS. There was a sign indicating rentals, but I am unsure if the season was over when we were there in mid-September. The lake does have a lot of algae but it was calm and we enjoyed a nice time in our kayaks. There are several hiking trails, some of which are marked better than others. The most popular one is the Willow Falls Trail, leading to Willow Falls (about a mile from the 300 Campground). It is so popular, in fact, that there is an established selfie station at the falls. After that, it was a little less clear which trail we were on. In September, there were also guided nature hikes on the weekends. 

Even though the large campground was full, we enjoyed our two nights here but with the extra fees ($13/day for non-residents) in addition to the camping fees we paid, I would expect the bathrooms to be better maintained. Also, the trash receptacles are not within easy walking distance from the campsites, so people tended to dump their trash in the bathrooms.

I grew up camping here with my parents so I am biased! There are 3 campgrounds and I would recommend getting a site in the 300 loop. It is right on the lake and the sites are wooded. Some sites are more private than others. It is only a 20 minute drive from the Twin Cities and you can visit Pitchfork Brewing down the road on rainy days. Great hiking to the falls area.

Next to the lake and a mile hike to the falls. Deer literally 10 feet away on the trail. Bathrooms easily accessible. Couldn't ask for a better family camping experience.

Campgrounds are very well maintained.  Very clean and when we arrived we could tell that the site was recently groomed and even the firepit was cleaned out.  Bathrooms were very clean but did not check out the showers but I can only assume they were well kept as well.

Ice, firewood and fire starters are available at the main office and firewood only is available at the host site 300.

The waterfall is beautiful - make sure to pack some water sandals or shoes so you can do some exploring within the waterfall.  All trails are marked well and the map provided at the main office is very nice.

I really like the hiking and waterfall part of this park. We visit it regularly. I've only camped here once but it was fun. Drive in campsites that are only a short hike away from the falls and observation point.

Would be 5 star review if there was more privacy, but this is to be expected from state park camping.

Campsite was flat, open, and had plenty of room. Plenty of trails nearby and the falls and scenic outlooks were well worth the walk.

Amenities included wood available onsite until 8pm, bathrooms (pit style, but clean), playgrounds, and a nature center.

Fire-pits had a place for cooking, but do not place hot cookware on the picnic bench because the coating of the table will melt….

Very beautiful park. Falls were great and plenty of trails. Good exercise. 10$ for parking just fyi.

Nice campground close the cities. This was a large campground with 3 different loops. Loop 200 didn’t have a shower house, will need to use the one in 100 loop. For the size of the campground, it should have 2 dump stations and potable water fill ups. The hiking and falls were great. Good cell phone coverage.

Three campgrounds, first come first serve. $10/day entry $40/daily for electric hook up (non-resident); no full hook-ups, no water, only 1 vault toilet open per campground. Year round availability, however- tough to find! Very hard to get a cellular connection (T-mobile). Beautiful views of the river, right along the edge if you tent camp. Multiple playgrounds, hiking trails and loads of nature, large beach and waterfalls.

Sites are spacious, bathhouses are clean and well-maintained, lots of trails for walking and biking. Campers are friendly and respectful. Hosts were very helpful. Firewood is available in the evenings.

Private sites with electric hook up and a dump station in the 200 camp ground. Great hiking trails to the river and waterfall. We had little to no bugs! Public showers were closed when we went there. Firewood is available to buy certain days when there is someone at the station. Only con is that you had to purchase a year park pass in order to camp, I’m not sure if that’s changed.

Pros:

* A long, but pleasant, walk to a beautiful waterfall. Lots of streams and small pools of water, as well as large boulders, for the kids to explore.

* We didn't use the beach, but it looked nicer than most we've seen in WI state parks.

* The campgrounds were large and wooded.

Cons:

* Lots of bees this weekend, for some reason. Perhaps due to all the wildflowers blooming!

* Not as much privacy between sites as we'd like

* We saw quite a few younger party groups with louder music and drinking games

For RVs they Only have electric hookup, and long the walk to the falls

This park has literally everything to offer for campers. There is a newly filled lake after the reconstruction of the dam. This is a non motorized lake for paddling, swimming and fishing. The lake is fed by the Willow River which features one of the most beautiful water falls in Wisconsin. There are miles of well maintained trails from easy and flat to hilly and challenging. 

The campgrounds in both the 300 and group camp areas are heavily wooded. Shower facilities and easy potable water access. This campground would get a 5 star if the camp sites were bigger. Most of the spots in the 300 by Little Falls lake are close together with little separation or privacy. The park offers so much recreation that this downside can be overlooked. 

Oh, and the bug levels are extremely low. They must treat the park as there are virtually no mosquitos on the summer trails and heavily used areas of the park!

The hike to the falls is a must-do. Like others said, it gets crowded in the summer. There’s a nice 6 mile loop with lots of hills, and plenty shorter hikes around the lake a dam. Camp in the 100 or 200 sites for a more peaceful camping experience. There’s a small beach and boat launch, and plenty of picnic sites. We also biked on the st croix river trail, and enjoyed the cute small towns on both sides of the river. For rvs, this is the dream campground. There’s wide gravel and mostly level sites, with plenty of space for slide outs. Big sites, yet private ! Nice bathrooms and great showers in the 100 campground. Can’t wait to come here again!!

I camped here when I was younger, and i loved it so much that I constantly thought about it and eventually brought my own family here recently. If you’re looking for a nice campsite to stay and a place to explore, then this is it! Try it, and I bet you’ll love it as much as I do!

Great for hiking and mountain biking! Campsites are pretty private except to people walking the trails. The falls are gorgeous!! Great for swimming when the water is not too high. There is also a little park for kids near the day parking area towards the end of the park. Saw a tone of deer while walking the trails- even though my dogs were with me!

The hiking here is great, there are a few different trails that are more difficult and quiet, and the trail to the falls is beautiful. It has gotten more popular in recent years, but if you hike to the falls early in the AM or later at night and during the week, you can beat some of the weekend traffic. I recommend camping in the 100 campgrounds-RV lot, even if you have a tent. They are quieter and more private, and the other campgrounds go through main trails. The 300 campgrounds in particular is on the hike to the falls, so you will see people all day.

We had a RV, Class C, and no addl vehicle. This park is HUGE & a separate vehicle or bikes at the minimum are needed. We camped in the 100 campground and the lake was 2+ miles (one way) away.

Also, we had a pre-schooler. I felt this park was fabulous for older kids. The playground was fine (closed due to corona) was fine. But really with the amount of space, older kids and bikes would be ideal.

Walk to waterfall was fabulous. My 4 year old granddaughter struggled with super steep hill on return route. But was able to do it!

Private sites at well spaced. No water on site. There is water and dump station at the 300 campground.

Great picnic table and fabulous restrooms & showers.

Views are good. Firewood expensive.

This is a true gem. Amazing waterfall you can explore. Great hiking and nearby lake being restored. Great family vacation. Be careful. This place is addicting!

Great state park. All the expected amenities. Showers, electric, water. Bathrooms, sanitary dump. Hiking trails, nature center. Swimming. Picnic areas. Beautiful waterfall!!!

Fun to play in the water, go behind the waterfall and a good hike up 200 steps to view the falls from above! Beware in winter the hike down to the falls is a grueling one when icy and covered in snow.

Serene campground and gorgeous falls to hike to!

A good little campground for tents and trailers with trails nearby and some sweet waterfalls not far off.  Good for those who want to explore the twin cities without staying in town.

Memorial Day 2019 with my siblings and our dog. Campsite 202 had plenty of room for an 8 person tent and 2 pickups. The overall campgrounds were spread apart enough to not feel like you were on top of your neighbors. The park was very clean no garbage or debris on the trails. Overall highly recommend. Will be back again!