Great Wide Somewhere is a series where I talk about finding adventure and wisdom in Wisconsin’s State Parks and Natural Areas.
It is an early afternoon in September when I pull into the park. The entrance is unassuming, just a drive up to a visitor center surrounded by prairie and a small parking lot. I inch my car along the narrow roads and follow the signs to the campsite where I will be staying. I have made it to Willow River State Park and I can’t wait to start exploring
I have heard amazing things about Willow River from friends who visited earlier in the year. You can walk right up to the falls if you’re brave enough, but the Park Rangers would probably prefer if you didn’t. The roaring cascade can be heard from about a mile away and the falls are spectacular.
I arrive a little later in the day, so the trails around the falls are crowded. People with dogs and kids splash around the edges of the cascade and soaked in the last bit of summer.
I see that a few ambitious people are making their way up the side of a cliff to the observation deck that overlooks the river. The climb to the top is not for the faint of heart, but the views are worth it.
After spending a few hours exploring the trails and enjoying the falls, I head back to camp. Dinner time. After some campfire burritos, I start to get settled in for the night.
I visited a friend in Minneapolis over the weekend, and had foregone my typical car camping supplies. Instead of a tent, I opted for a more minimal approach. I fold down the back seats in my car and spread out my sleeping bag and backpack.The space is cozy, and I can’t help but feel like a kid who had ran away from home. Perhaps some of my neighbors at other sites felt the same way. I do remember getting a few questioning glances, but no one said anything.
The next morning I wake just when the sun starts to peak above the horizon. I pack up quickly and I am just about ready to leave. Before making my way out of the park I stop by what used to be Little Falls Lake. The DNR is currently doing repairs on the Little Falls Dam so in the meantime the lake has been drawn down. It is both eerie and beautiful to watch the fog rise above the river that used to be a man made lake. I even check out the beach, which is a little patch of sand that is quickly being overtaken by long grasses and weeds.
As I make my way south along i-90 I see signs to other parks and places I have been in the past. Even when I’m hours away from where I live, there are places in Wisconsin that always feel like home.
Find your own Somewhere:
https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/name/willowriver/
Field Day 