Frommer’s Calls Mink River Estuary One of 500 Places to see Before they Dissapear

A glimpse of the Mink River Estuary, one of Door County’s protected wildlife areas. Photo by Dan Eggert.

Frommer’s guide to the “500 Places to See Before They Disappear” gives a nod to the Mink River Estuary in its 2009 edition.

Author Holly Hughes selected the Ellison Bay preserve for the thick traveler’s guide highlighting the world’s “cultural, historic, and natural treasures at risk,” intended to help travelers “learn why these attractions are important, why they need protection, and how you can explore them responsibly, preserving them for future generations.”

Hughes suggests exploring the estuary by canoe to soak in the silence, spot migratory birds, and enjoy one of the most pristine tracts of wilderness in the country.

“A migratory stopover for more than 200 species of birds, the area is home to two species on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s threatened and endangered list,” Hughes writes. “Saved by government and conservation groups from residential and commercial development, the Mink River Estuary is being protected as one of the most pristine estuaries in the struggling Great Lakes region.”

The author does not lose sight of peninsula commercial trends.

“Tourist development has put such pressure on shoreline habitats that the Mink River – one of the last and most pristine estuaries – is more important than ever.”

The estuary is listed in the chapter titled, “At Water’s Edge,” under the headline, The Mink River Estuary, Blending the Great Lakes Shore.