Willow Falls and Nelson Farm Trail Loop is a 6.1 mile heavily trafficked loop trail located near Hudson, Wisconsin that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
PLEASE NOTE: As of May 26, 2020, users have reported that Wisconsin is not doing day passes currently, only annual passes that you have to buy online beforehand, so some pre planning is required. The overlook above the falls is closed seemingly for repair. Nelson Farm trail is a point to point trail in Willow River State Park. This trail is demanding in some parts with hills that are fairly steep. It is on the North side of Willow River and goes from near the waterfalls to the Bridge on the West side of the park. A wide graveled trail that is well maintained.
Willow River State Park.
North of Hudson WI On US 12
September 28, 2020Great trail
September 26, 2020September 26, 2020September 26, 2020Great hike - lots of ups & downs- prairie lands & tree lined- near the lake. Beautiful fall day. Trail is sandy at parts, but some asphalt at the beginning. Beautiful falls in the middle of the hike.
September 20, 2020Nice wide trails with nice elevation. Falls are beautiful.
September 15, 2020September 13, 2020started by the beach/picnic area. starts out really hilly if you go opposite of the falls. fairly easy walk back from the falls. overall a decent hike
September 12, 2020September 6, 2020
August 29, 2020Great hike, despite very crowded around falls
August 22, 2020Crowded for a 10am hike on a Saturday but still great fun
August 15, 2020August 8, 2020There were a ton of people at the falls, but once we got past the falls, there were only some small groups here and there. Nice trail and it took us about 2.5 hours. WI parks are only doing annual fees to park right now. You have to purchase online or call (we did it in the parking lot before our hike because we didn’t know).
August 8, 2020July 26, 2020My boyfriend and I decided to walk from the beach to the falls (about 2 mi each way). for the most part the walk was paved and only had a few steep inclines. The falls were magnificent. You are able to go behind the falls and sit if you wish. I had tons of fun just sitting in the water and relaxing after a humid walk.
July 18, 2020July 4, 2020The trail to the dam area is currently closed. The waterfall is very cool.
June 26, 2020Beautiful falls and great scenery changes, but trail is way over developed. Park staff drive cars up and down trails. feels like you're hiking on a road the entire time, because you are. Still worth hiking though.
June 16, 2020Very clean, beautiful trails. I hiked along the river to the beac area. There’s really private shaded camping grounds too. The waterfall is really awesome, folks were crossing over on parts of the pool, I wasn’t brave enough. I highly recommend it.
June 15, 2020We did this hike on Saturday and when you enter the park they give you a piece of paper of the website you need to purchase for the annual pass. Pretty easy to do on your phone and just write the order confirmation number on the sheet they give you and leave on your dashboard. This hike was really enjoyable. There was multiple hills to go up, but very doable. We started around 11 am and there was hardly anyone on the trails, but once you got to the waterfalls it was packed with people. Might need to plan to go early morning to avoid the crowds. Though overall very fun hike.
May 24, 2020Wisconsin is not doing day passes currently, only annual passes that you have to buy online beforehand, so some pre planning is required. This was an enjoyable hike, the perfect length, secluded and the different terrains kept it interesting. The falls are definitely a highlight but also where it was most crowded. If you start this trail clockwise you’ll hit the falls pretty quickly into the hike and will encounter steep uphill climbs. Depending how tough you want your hike you can choose your starting direction. The inclines are slippery due to very loose gravel, shoes with good traction recommended. The overlook above the falls was closed seemingly for repair, sad we missed the views which are supposed to stunning. Will be back for sure!
May 24, 2020Great trail that’s surprisingly a bit challenging! The falls were absolutely beautiful and there was a nice mix of woods/fields throughout.
May 1, 2020Great trail- secluded, diverse scenery, semi steep hills
April 25, 2020April 23, 2020What a fantastic find! This trail is wide and mostly gravel and in some spots grass. We got there at 9:00am on a Wednesday and parked at Nature Center. The path is easy and the main attraction was the water fall about 1/4 way in to the hike. Wow! Spectacular! The hike then continues through woods, pine forests, meadows. I’d say the only thing making it moderate is some uphills but nothing crazy. Go early! Maybe passed 4 people the whole time. Highly recommend for a 3 hour hike!
April 19, 2020Great trail! Some wider trials but options for off trail foot paths and hills. A few sections of the main trail are pavement or pebbles but the majority is dirt and grass. The waterfall is beautiful and the rest of the wooded & plains areas are too. It was free due to COVID and more crowded than we would have liked but less crowded away from the falls. Some of the parking lots were closed.
April 19, 2020The farmer trail was not busy. Got there about 1130 am. Just busy around the falls. Dry and easy to hike.
April 16, 2020Overall a fantastic trail. Great area by the falls to take in the beauty. Trail was very beautiful and lots too see. Would recommend this trail to everyone.
