‘Step’ up to Willow Falls Trail in Wisconsin
Among life’s graces is a great hike practically in your backyard. For those living in the Twin Cities area, Willow Falls Trail is one of those gifts.
It’s just across the Minnesota border into Wisconsin, about a half-hour from downtown St. Paul — perfect for a morning or afternoon outing for hikers of all levels, including many with Parkinson’s disease.
(Click here to jump to trail specs.)
The trail is within Willow River State Park, part of Wisconsin’s outstanding park system that includes 80 parks and forests.
There’s a beautiful waterfall, yes, but another exceptional feature of the trail is a high overlook, reachable by a newly maintained and just-reopened wood and metal staircase. And there are a mere 178 steps that stand between hiker and overlook.
The stairs were still under repair when my sister Pam and I set out on a sunny but chilly March morning. Pam is a long-ago transplant to the area who adores all things western Wisconsin and raised seven children there. The hike was her idea — and a good one!
I have a thing for high-up views, so of course my goal was to reach the overlook. Due to the stair repairs, that required some adjustments to the trek.
The 2-mile route follows two trails: The Willow Falls Trail is a straight shot down to the falls, and the Burkhardt Trail is a loop that starts and ends at the falls. The best starting point for this trek is the Willow Falls parking lot near the park office, off County Road 4. (Enter the headquarters, purchase your sticker, and head north half a mile to the lot.)
After parking around 9 a.m., we descended the mostly paved path to the waterfall. It’s a fairly steep half-mile walk. Many people end their excursion there, enjoy the falls from the bridge or climb around the rocks surrounding the falls and Willow River, then head back.
Parkinson’s tip
It’s a mostly paved path that sounds great for wheelchairs, but with a 7% grade it’s likely too steep and could even be dangerous.
The bright sun low in the sky behind the falls made it seem like diamonds were dancing on the water’s surface.
We lingered a few minutes, crossed the bridge, and came to the tall staircase, which would’ve been the quickest way to get to the overlook.
Sigh. All we could do was gaze wistfully at the structure.
Undeterred, we took the alternate route by going left and upward on a steep dirt path. Because of the stair repairs, the loop trail would essentially be an out-and-back trek for us.
After the elevation challenge that got us to the ridge, the trail leveled off. The path was smooth with very few large rocks or roots to trip on.
Just for kicks we took a spur at the top of the trail that led to another parking area, adding about a half mile to our hike. It offered a bench and a view of a gorge that contained Willow River.
Once back on the main trail, we found another set of stairs. They were kind of like a back-door entry to the overlook. While the staircase near the falls goes up to the lookout, the stairs at the trail’s highest point go down to it. We took it slowly and carefully.
The overlook is a fenced wooden platform, and we had it to ourselves. It would comfortably fit 8-10 people at a time.
The views were worth the climb. We looked out several miles in different directions. We could both see and hear the falls directly below us.
While the winter’s starkness still had a hold on the landscape, we observed a few signs of new growth chasing it away.
Having snapped some photos of the views, we headed back the same way we came, stopping again at the falls.
This time I got closer to the water by walking out toward the rocks.
The falls are 100 feet wide at their widest point, and they cascade down about 15 feet in total. They are an impressive sight from above and from river level.
On hot days, some visitors take a dip in the river near the base of the falls. While it’s generally shallow, the water can be as deep as 4 feet, park rangers told me.
For my sis and me, the hike was a refreshing 90 minutes that lifted our spirits with hopes of renewal in the post-winter season.
Hike info
PD difficulty level (see chart): moderate
Distance: 2 miles roundtrip
Elevation gain: 360 feet
Trailhead location: 1034 County Road A, Hudson
Bathrooms: not at trailhead but at park office
Emergency medical support: hospital 15 minutes away in Hudson
Costs: 1-day car stickers: residents $10, nonresidents $13
Road access to trailhead: trail begins from Willow Falls parking lot
Insider tip: It’s nice that the falls are close to the cities, but that also means the trail and parking lot are crowded on weekends. Go as early in the day as you can for the best hiking experience.
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