My husband and I had two days in Door County on our recent road trip of Wisconsin. I found there to be two personalities of Door County, the towns that dot the peninsula which are full of boutique shops, galleries and restaurants and then the state and county parks full of beautiful hikes and scenery. Since we steer toward the outdoor beauty of places we visit, this post will give you great ideas about where to go in Door County if you are interested in the latter followed by information on a few yummy places to eat along the way.
Parks and Hiking
Cave Point County Park and Whitefish Dunes State Park– These were by far our favorite two parks in Door County and they are actually adjacent to each other and connected via a hiking trail. The trail goes along the edge of Lake Michigan and we couldn’t get enough of the gorgeous shoreline you see in the pictures below. The water was a pretty blue-green even though we were there on a cloudy day.
Peninsula State Park– As the name suggests, this state park sits on a peninsula between Ephraim and Fish Creek on the western side of Door County. It is the largest and most popular state park in the area and has numerous campgrounds, roads and hiking trails. We chose to embark on the Eagle Trail, a difficult two mile loop that starts on a bluff and makes its way down to the water, giving you views of 150 foot cliffs and some of the rock formations seen below. The trail itself does have a significant amount of rocks and tree roots along the way which is why I believe it is classified as difficult by the Department of Natural Resources.
After finishing the Eagle Trail, we continued driving along Shore Drive around the rest of the Peninsula and made a quick stop at Eagle Bluff Lighthouse.
Ellison Bluff County Park-The county parks in Door County are usually small, but provide some beautiful views and/or picnic areas. Ellison Bluff was no different and the boardwalk seen below was high above Green Bay and only a short walk from the parking area. We typically didn’t spend much time at the county parks but they were always worth the trip.
Door Bluff Headlands County Park– This park is at the northern end of the Door County Peninsula and is one of the least visited parks in the area. The hiking trails are considered unmarked but the path is well tread and easy to follow. We simply hiked down to the shore line of Green Bay and through some of the forested area. Throughout our time in Door County, we were amazed by both the rock formations and the trees which seemed to be hanging on every cliff. Door Bluff Headlands Park was a great place to view both of this things.
Newport State Park– Bring Bug Spray!! I hesitated even mentioning this state park because our two mile hike was actually quite miserable. We chose the Lynd Point/Fern Loop trail that is on a peninsula between Newport Bay and Europe Bay. The hike was through the woods but next to Lake Michigan (notice the lack of pictures…we couldn’t stop moving or we would instantly have 5 mosquitoes on our hands). If you go at a time when there are none of the pesky bugs or you have amazing bug spray, the park is actually beautiful and Wisconsin’s only designated wilderness area. There is only 1 road in the park, but plenty of hiking trails and 16 back country campsites that are hike in only.
All things food!
Even though we mostly stuck with visiting parks during our trip, we still had to eat! We only got a few strange looks going to restaurants in our hiking clothes during the day, but we did enjoy some good wine and food in the evenings.
White Gull Inn Fish Boil– If you go to Door County, you absolutely must partake in one of the area’s famous fish boils. With some research prior to our trip, I found that the one at the White Gull Inn in Fish Creek came highly recommended (make reservations several weeks in advance). Fish Boils are a long standing tradition of the people who originally settled the area and consist of locally caught white fish and potatoes boiled over a fire with salt as the only seasoning. There is typically a demonstration of the technique prior to indulging in the meal, the most exciting part being when the Master Boiler throws kerosene on the flames. This is done so the fish oil that rises to the top of the cauldron during cooking will boil over, leaving just the fish perfectly well cooked.
Wild Tomato in Sister Bay– Sister bay is one of the larger towns in Door County with plenty of restaurant and shopping options. After our less than ideal hike through Newport State Park, we were in need of a quick lunch before heading to Peninsula State Park. Wild Tomato offered a variety of pizza and sandwiches that were just what we were craving. I had a chicken pesto sandwich on focaccia bread while my husband had a sausage pesto pizza…both were delicious!
Lautenbach’s Orchard Country Winery and Market– On our way out of Fish Creek we decided to stop at this cute winery as they happened to be having their Summer Harvest Fest. It was complete with beer and wine tasting, live music, pick your own cherries and the famous cherry pit spit. The wine tasting is complimentary and they have a very large selection with anything from whites and reds to various fruit wines. Don’t miss out on buying some local food products in the market, especially anything related to the cherries grown in the area 🙂
***Like I mentioned in an earlier post about Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan (read here), Door County is very popular during the summer and I definitely suggest booking lodging early. There are no chain hotels in the county so using websites like Hotels.com or Expedia won’t be very helpful. We planned this trip only a few weeks in advance and ended up staying in Sturgeon Bay, one of the southernmost towns of Door County and driving into the area each day.