Category: Parks
Door County is the only county in Wisconsin with five state parks, plus one state trail. No visit to the peninsula is complete without exploring these pristine open spaces that are home to historic landmarks, rare flora and fauna, hiking trails, and much more.
Peninsula State Park
The crown jewel of the Wisconsin State Park system, Peninsula State Park offers more than 3,700 acres for exploration.
Bike or hike on the Sunset Bike Trail, or challenge yourself on more than 12 miles of off-road biking trails weaving through the woods. Rent kayaks and peddle boats at Nicolet Beach Concessions at famous Nicolet Bay beach, where you can also get snacks, burgers, supplies, and ice cream.
The park is also home to the beautiful Peninsula State Park Golf Course, award-winning Northern Sky Theatre and historic Eagle Bluff Lighthouse. The 75-foot Eagle Tower was closed in May 2015 for structural concerns, but is expected to reopen in 2018. More>>
Potawatomi State Park
Home of the eastern trailhead of the Ice Age National Scenic Trail, 75-foot observation tower and views of Green Bay from the escarpment, overlook of the park’s old ski hill, several picnic areas and playgrounds, more than 2 miles of shoreline, canoe, kayak, paddleboat and bicycle rentals, boat launch and fish cleaning station, nature center and park store. More>>
Newport State Park
Newport State Park is Wisconsin’s only formally designated wilderness park, with miles of sand beach, secluded hike-in camping on the lakeshore, quiet hiking and biking trails, and great skiing in winter. More>>
Rock Island State Park
If you want a quiet beach, Rock Island is your place. The sand beach on the north side of the island was recently lauded in Minnesota Monthly magazine as one of the last “remains of old Door County.” More>>
Whitefish Dunes State Park
It was the rare botanicals, unique beauty and the largest and most significant dunescape on Lake Michigan’s western shore that led noted landscape architect Jens Jensen to recommend Whitefish Dunes as a state park site in 1937. More>>
Ahnapee State Trail
We are quick to praise Door County’s five state parks as the crown jewels of the county, but we often forget about the Ahnapee State Trail. The county-operated trail runs 48 miles between Sturgeon Bay and Algoma and its history as a railroad predates the founding of the parks system. More>>
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This Weekend in Door County: Lighthouse Festival and Goat Fest
This weekend, learn about Door County history during Lighthouse Festival, celebrate goats in Sister Bay, and experience live music throughout the peninsula. Festivals Lighthouse Festival and 150th Anniversary Celebration of the Baileys Harbor Range Lights Explore and celebrate Door County’s 11 historic lighthouses from June 7-9. Tours, tales, boat excursions and educational programming will take […]
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2019 Jacksonport Maifest Schedule of Events
The 47th annual celebration of Jacksonport Maifest is taking place on May 25-26. Since 1973, the Jacksonport Advancement Corporation, a non-profit organization committed to community benefit and enrichment, has hosted Door County’s unofficial summer kick-off festival at Lakeside Park, located at the intersection of County V and Highway 57. Event highlights include the grand parade […]
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Volunteers Prepare Plum Island for Visitors
May 11 was the year’s first Plum Island volunteer work day, sponsored by the Friends of Plum and Pilot Islands and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. About a dozen people helped to get the island ready for visitors. Fall and winter stormy weather damaged part of its pier, so new stringers had to be […]
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County Parks Department Offers Michigan St. Home
With the recent acquisition of the Younkers building next to the Door County Historical Museum, the county has been pondering what to do with the house at 442 Michigan St. that was purchased for $89,000 in August 2008 to serve as archival storage for the museum. At its May 8 meeting, the county Facilities & […]
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Peninsula State Park’s Blossoms and Birds Program
Join the Peninsula State Park naturalist on May 14 and 21 for the Blossoms and Birds program: an easy walk of about a half mile to look for spring wildflowers and migrating birds – shorebirds and palm, yellow-rumped and other warblers. The walks start at 8 am and last about an hour. Take binoculars if you […]
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Half Marathon Registration Closes Monday
Organizers of the Door County Half Marathon and Nicolet Bay 5k have extended registration through Monday, April 29. “We’ve had a lot of runners transfer from the half marathon to the 5k, which has opened some spots in the half marathon,” said race director Brian Fitzgerald. The race takes place Saturday, May 4 in Peninsula […]
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High Costs Delay Eagle Tower Reconstruction
When the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) dismantled Eagle Tower in 2016, officials said it would be extremely expensive to reconstruct it in accordance with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. It turns out that the expense is even greater than expected. The lowest bid for the project came in at $3.6 […]
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Join a Peninsula State Park naturalist for a hike along Skyline Trail on April 27, 10 to 11:30 am. Leatherleaf, a pretty shrub with yellow blossoms, should be blooming; migrating shorebirds may be visible at the outset; then it’s into the woods for a walk past the historic girls-camp site and up to Sven’s Bluff. […]
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Assessment Finds Significant Decay at Potawatomi Tower
CAn assessment commissioned by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has concluded that the load carrying capacity of Potawatomi Tower has been compromised. Forest Products Laboratory, part of the U.S. Forest Services, Department of Agriculture, has released its report outlining the nondestructive wood testing done on the observation tower at Potawatomi State Park. Routine inspections […]
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State Supreme Court Keeps Sister Bay Pavilion Lawsuit Open
The Wisconsin Supreme Court reversed part of Door County Circuit Court Judge D. Todd Ehlers’ decision in a lawsuit over concerts held at the Sister Bay performance pavilion. In the lawsuit filed July 8, 2016, the Yacht Club at Sister Bay alleged that concerts held at the pavilion constituted a nuisance. The legal question did […]
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Land Donation Expands Chambers Island Nature Preserve
Door County Land Trust announces the donation of nine acres of land at the Chambers Island Nature Preserve. The donation of land, made by Pete and Fawn Rogers, long-time summer visitors on the island, is the fifth conservation project to be completed on Chambers Island during 2018. The donated land connects other protected lands within […]
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Roughing the Trails of Door Bluff Headlands County Park
A winter hike at Door Bluff Headlands County Park provides spectacular views.
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County Supports Medical Marijuana; Votes to Expand Door Bluff Headlands Park
On a voice vote at its Dec. 18 meeting, the Door County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution in support of the legalization of medical marijuana. Chair Dave Lienau said he decided to directly sponsor the resolution because he knows people who use cannabis for pain relief, and 33 other states already allow its use […]
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Kewaunee County to Groom Trails this Winter for Fat Bikes
Kewaunee County is gearing up to bring fat biking to its parks. The Promotions and Recreation Department is partnering with Broken Spoke Bike Studio in Green Bay to create winter trails at Ryan Park and Riverview ATV Park. “More people are riding these off-road bicycles with oversized tires, especially in winter and we’re happy to […]
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34 Things We Love About Winter in Door County
I used to hate winters. Though some friends loved the day when the tourists disappeared, the restaurants cleared out and the shops closed for the winter, I dreaded it. The Monday after Fall Fest was always one of the most depressing of the year. But after returning to Door County in 2017 after living in […]
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Start December off right by attending a program at Crossroads at Big Creek. Enjoy a Hike to the Evergreen Forests on Dec. 1, 10 am. This hike will visit several evergreen forests, and participants will learn how these trees adapt to winter. Meet at the Collins Learning Center. Get in the holiday spirit with the Friends […]
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Voters Say Yes to Gills Rock Shoreline Purchase
A full house turned out for Tuesday’s special Liberty Grove Town Board meeting, most of them there to say yes to the town’s proposal to purchase three properties on the Gills Rock shoreline for $1.45 million. The proposal passed by a vote of 111 – 19 via paper ballots. The stretch of 440 feet of […]
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The New Eagle Tower – Pulse Podcast
Andrew Kleidon and Myles Dannhausen are back this week to discuss some interesting news featured in this week’s Peninsula Pulse. Andrew also sits down with Alissa Ehmke about her recent interview with US Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith. Our feature this week centers around the DNR’s sketches of the new Eagle Tower design, featuring a […]
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2018 Potawatomi State Park Run Wild Results
More than 300 runners turned out for the 30th Run Wild at Potawatomi State Park. The fundraiser for Friends of Potawatomi State Park featured a 5k, quarter marathon, and Smokey Bear Kids Run. Patrick Walsh of Brookfield was the first to cross the finish in the 5k with a time of 19:12. Eleven year-old Benjamin […]
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DNR Releases Eagle Tower Sketches
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources released new sketches of the new Eagle Tower Oct. 2. The plans came with the announcement that the State Natural Resources Board has accepted a $750,000 donation from the Friends of Peninsula State Park. The new design will consist of a 60-foot observation tower with a 1,000-square foot observation […]