As soon as I dipped my paddle, I knew we were somewhere very special. The Willow Flowage is a wild world of little bays and islands, and it’s accessible to anyone who loves experiencing nature. I recently enjoyed a kayak trip into the Willow Flowage, and it was even better than I expected. We traced quiet bays and islands, and I felt like I was deep in the Wisconsin wilderness, even though I was not very far from home. Here’s what I found at this Wisconsin paddling destination.

The Willow Flowage is a large, beautiful reservoir that’s located in western Oneida County.

It was created about a century ago, with the construction of a dam on the Tomahawk River for flood control.

The Flowage is huge – it covers over 6,300 acres.

It has nearly 80 miles of shoreline, and 95 percent of it is undeveloped. It’s also home to more than 100 islands!

We started our kayak adventure near the Cedar Falls Campground, on the north side of the flowage.

This area has a long history - Native Americans paddled these waters long before European settlers arrived, and in the 1700s, there was a trading post near here.

We encountered a couple of fishing boats as we paddled downriver, but soon found ourselves alone.

This place has a very wild and remote feel. We passed some of the remote campsites and wished we had a tent and sleeping bags along – we could easily spend some time here.

We saw a lot of wildlife – balds eagles and ducks always seemed to be in view.

A kayak is a great way to explore this place, as you can easily poke around the shallows. We went ashore on one of the islands and explored a bit. Then we waded into the reservoir’s cool waters.

Continuing on, we paddled through more bays and islands of the Willow Flowage Scenic Waters.

There was so much to explore that we barely scratched the surface of this place. We’re already planning another voyage!

I’ve traveled to a lot of Wisconsin paddling destinations, but I think I have a new favorite spot. Learn more about the Willow Flowage on the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website, and check out some area hikes on AllTrails Plus. If you’re planning a trip on the Willow Flowage to enjoy some kayaking near Minocqua and Hazelhurst, here are some must-haves for nature lovers.