Willow River State Park Campground

Taking off 1 star for the extra $15 PER NIGHT charge for out of state campers and for the condition of the the bath/shower house. (2 of 5 showers not functioning, very sporadic hot water, and the fact that the sanitary disposal in the women’s bathroom is just open garbage cans, so it’s terribly smelly) Otherwise it’s a beautiful park and campground that has large, secluded sites. The hiking is nice, with a spectacular falls and a nice beach area. Super crowded on the weekends due to it being so close to the Twin Cities. Would probably return, but the condition of the bathrooms is frustrating for the price being paid for an electric only site.

Never again, $81 for an electric only site. Come on Wisconsin let's jab the out of .staters. Entry fee to parks, extra for out of staters. The site was secluded but not close to level. Not close to the facilities. I am going back to SD. They don't add fees because you are from out of town, they actually encourage out of state tourists. Last trip to a Wisconsin state park . And the showers were closed for the season, this is 10/9/25. But still full price and just an electric only site. No thanks Wisconsin

Facilities are great no complains, the beach is a bit over run my goose so is a little dirty, there is a great spot below the dam to cool off if needed.

We stayed at Site 133 and found it to be fairly spacious. One downside was that there’s a trail running just behind the site, and several campers cut through our area to access it, which disrupted the sense of privacy.

While the walk to the running water bathroom was a bit longer than we preferred, the facilities themselves were clean and nicely updated.

There weren’t many mature trees or good spots for hammocking, but the dense sumac in July offered great natural privacy. We also appreciated being in a no-generator loop, which kept things peaceful—though highway noise was noticeable in the evenings.

Overall, a solid site with a few trade-offs.

This campground is really beautiful. It's big with over a hundred sites, some with power. No water at the site. Water nearby at stations. Large campsites, most with thick wooded areas between the sites. Most of the trail heads start at the campground. Walked about a mile to the falls area. This was really beautiful and was only a the head was only a couple hundred yards from my site. Unfortunately, I was only able to stay one night as my cross country trip hit this campground on the Thursday before memorial day and the whole weekend was booked. It was cold and a bit muddy (though packed gound) but with some management I was able to keep the inside of the tent clean

Lovely trails, the beach is a large area with a nice park and picnic area. The water itself is ok, lots of geese and algae. The falls are wonderful though. The bathrooms are fine. I could not find a garbage bin to save my life, not near the bathrooms or anywhere in campground 200 or by the park ranger post. If there were garbage cans dispersed throughout the campground, I would have given 5 stars. Especially along the trail to the waterfalls because there was garbage all along the trail unfortunately. Not the camps fault, but maybe people would be more responsible if garbage bins were placed along the route.

Plenty of sites and hiking to do. Very cool area. The falls are awesome!

Stayed here for our first camping of the season. It's a great park that has hiking, mountain bike trails, water features and good mix of electric and non electric sites.

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.

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.