Nelson Dewey is one of Wisconsin’s smallest state parks, but it boasts mighty views of the Mississippi River on its various hiking trails. The park has five short hiking trails that total to be just under two miles – nearly all of which border the Mississippi River. On our latest camping trip, we decided to hike all five of these trails and provide a description of which trails we liked and which to leave off your itinerary.
Approximate Distance: 2-mile loop total
The trails at this park are rather short, but they are very beautiful. Luckily, they are positioned in a way that makes it very easy to hike all five trails as one continuous loop. Combined, all the trails add up to about 1.7 miles of hiking, not including the connecting routes along roads. To hike this 5-trail loop, it took us about an hour and a half, but that was with many photo stops. Below are the lengths of each trail:
Woodbine Nature Trail: 0.3 miles
Mound Point Trail: 0.6 miles
Prairie Trail: 0.2 miles
Cedar Point Trail: 0.2 miles
Oakwood Trail: 0.4 miles
Our Route — The 5-trail Loop:
We camped near the start of the Woodbine Nature Trail, so we began our hike with that small loop (red). We didn’t realize until we were on that trail that the Mound Point Trail connects to the nature trail. So we walked up past the walk-in sites and started the Mound Point Trail from the trailhead. This connects to the Prairie Trail indirectly via a parking lot and viewpoint. Similarly, the Cedar Point Trail connects to a picnic area. The largest disconnect is between the Cedar Point Trail and Oakwood Trail. You’ll have to walk along the road until you get to the main picnic area. The trailhead for the Oakwood Trail is harder to spot, but just walk along the woods past the toilets and you’ll eventually find the sign. Then you can follow that trail all the way back to the other trailhead at the campsites.
This is a very easy loop, and the most challenging part is on the Mound Point Trail between the northern trailhead and the connection point to the nature trail. If you are concerned about steeper inclines and declines, we can start your loop at the nature trail and get on the Mound Point Trail from there, skipping the beginning of the trail.
The Trails:
1. Woodbine Nature Trail (red)
The Woodbine Nature Trail is an easy loop that’s perfect for any age. The trail is well-maintained and has self-guided educational plaques along the route. The trail itself is rather lackluster despite a beautiful view of the Mississippi River at the turnback point of the loop. If you are looking for a nature lesson, this is the perfect trail for you; if you’re looking for an adventurous hike with a variety of landscapes, I’d recommend the Mound Point Trail.
2. Mound Point Trail (orange)
The Mound Point Trail is the longest of the trails at Nelson Dewey State Park, and it was by far my favorite. This trail has two trailheads; one near the campground and the other near the main picnic area, as well as access points on the Woodbine Nature Trail and at the Mound Point overlook wildlife observation area.
The trails at Nelson Dewey would more accurately be described as scenic walking paths, but the Mound Point Trail has earned the proper title of a trail — though still an easy one. This trail follows the landscape through crests and valleys, along the bluffs of the Mississippi River and through the prairie. This trail truly felt secluded, and we were even visited by a doe as she bounded across the path in front of us and down into the valley.
My favorite segment of the trail was the section between the backpacking sites and the connection to Woodbine Nature Trail. This section follows the peaks and valleys of the Mississippi River bluffs while traversing through dense foliage. At all points on this trail, you are completely surrounded by nature with no parking lots or roads in sight. My favorite views of the entire park were on this trail.
If you don’t have the time or ability to do a full hike, some of the best views are accessible via the overlook on the Mound Point Trail and at the end of the Woodbine Nature Trail loop.
3. Prairie Trail (green)
This short trail passes through native prairie and has some of the best-unobstructed views of the Mississippi River and beautiful wildflowers during the warm months — a true photographer’s dream. At the crest of the gentle hill, the trail detours toward the forest and winds through the greenery. This trail was beautiful, especially in the early summer months and I’d highly recommend this trail if you are looking for a short but worthwhile trail.
4. Cedar Point Trail (blue)
Although this trail is one of the shortest in the park, it has some great variety. This trail passes along the edge of the bluffs and is the only trail to actually get a bit rocky in terrain. At the edge of the bluff, this trail hosts the best view in the park of the Stonefield Village Historic Site which is also located in the park. The trail then winds back away from the edge and into the forest for some easy trail walking before spitting you out at a parking lot.
5. Oakwood Trail (purple)
The Oakwood Trail trailhead is tricky to find if you are entering from the picnic area, at least it was for us. The park map isn’t very accurate, so look along the forest’s edge north of the toilets for the trailhead sign. This is the only trail in the park that doesn’t have a view of the Mississippi River, but it has its own wooded fairytale charm. The trail winds through the forest and is paved in some parts. While this trail is a nice walking area, it seems almost like its primary purpose is to connect the campground to the picnic area. But hey, if the forest is your favorite hiking location, this is probably the trail for you!
Camping Tips
We did camp at Nelson Dewey State Park as well, and there are some things we wish we had done differently. We stayed in the family campground, which was nice but very public. Our campsite neighbors were very loud even past quiet hours, and the sites were rather close together.
Overall, I think we are starting to realize our camping preference is to be a bit more secluded. We decided to check out the walk-in sites near the start of the Mound Point Trail and realized that these were the way to go. If we were to camp at Nelson Dewey State Park again, we would try to book walk-in site D because it has a spectacular view of the Mississippi River right from the campsite.
Overall Thoughts
Nelson Dewey State Park is a beautiful park with some of the best views of the Mississippi River in the state of Wisconsin. However, I think I’ve seen everything I care to see in just a single visit. The park is very small, and if you were passing through, I think you could easily see all you need to see in an hour or less. The trails are beautiful but unchallenging, and unless I was able to snag a walk-in site, I wouldn’t camp here again.
While this park wasn’t suited well for our type of hiking adventure, I think it would be the PERFECT spot to bring someone who is newer to hiking and camping to ease them into the lifestyle. Similarly, this park is perfect for families with kids looking to introduce them to hiking and get them excited about nature. It’s the perfect park to get outside and enjoy nature in a fun, casual setting.
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