Door County
Door County is a scenic part of the state of Wisconsin on a peninsula in Lake Michigan.
Cities
Map of Door County
- 1 Sturgeon Bay — the county seat and largest city in Door County (pop. 9,000 in 2019) serves as a gateway to the peninsula, and has many hotels, restaurants and popular tourist attractions
- 2 Baileys Harbor — a village of 1,000 people
- 3 Ephraim — a small village on the Bay
- 4 Fish Creek — a town borders Peninsula State Park, a main attraction of Door County, and feels much like a New England seaside resort or town
Other destinations
- 1 Kangaroo Lake
— Located almost in the center of the peninsula, between the two shores, close to Baileys Harbor.
Understand
Considered the Cape Cod of the Midwest, Door County sits on a peninsula on Lake Michigan and is a very popular destination for vacations. The peninsula offers a unique mix of leisure, recreation, and natural beauty. The culture has a rich history of the arts, with more than 80 cultural establishments within the county, including galleries, museums, and theatres. Many offer courses to enjoy while vacationing there. For the nature lovers, Door County offers five state parks, over 300 miles of shoreline, and more than a dozen conservation areas. The ten lighthouses on the peninsula are popular attractions to history and nautical buffs.
- Door County Visitor Bureau, 1015 Green Bay Rd, Sturgeon Bay, toll-free: +1-800-52-RELAX (73529). Door County's visitor information centers offer maps, brochures and other information for tourists. The Visitor Center Lobby is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Visitor Center is staffed weekdays from 8:30AM to 5PM, and week-ends from 10AM to 4PM. Winter office hours: M-F 8:30 to 4:30.
Get in
By plane
- Green Bay-Austin Straubel International Airport (GRB IATA) in Green Bay has direct flights across the county on American Eagle, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, and United Express. The airport is a 45-minute drive from the county seat (Sturgeon Bay).
- Three general aviation airports are located in the county: Door County Cherryland Airport (SUE IATA) in Sturgeon Bay, Ephraim-Gibraltar Airport (FAA LID: 3D2) in Ephraim, and Washington Island Airport (FAA LID: 2P2) on Washington Island.
By boat
S.S Badger is a car ferry that travels from nearby Manitowoc (75-minute drive from Sturgeon Bay) to Ludington, Michigan.
By bus
While there is no direct bus service to Door County, there is bus service to the nearby city of Green Bay.
- Indian Trails stops in Green Bay, coming from Milwaukee from the south and going north to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
- Megabus stops in Green Bay, coming from Milwaukee from the south and going west to Minneapolis.
- Coach USA terminates in Green Bay, coming from Madison from the south.
- Amtrak Thruway terminates in Green Bay, coming from Milwaukee from the southeast. Connections can be made in Milwaukee to the Empire Builder and Hiawatha train routes.
By road
WI-57 from Green Bay and WI-42 from Manitowoc are the two major roads going into Door County.
Get around
Car is probably the only real practical way of getting around, but biking is great in the state parks and on Washington Island
See
- Cana Island Lighthouse, 8800 E Cana Island Rd, Baileys Harbor, ☏ +1 920 743 5958. 10 am-5 pm, May-October. Lighthouse with a scenic view of Lake Michigan. 97-step stair climb required to get to the top. $12 adults, $10 youth.
- 1 Door County Maritime Museum, 120 N Madison Ave, ☏ +1-920-743-5958.
- Edgewood Orchard Galleries, 4140 Peninsula Players Rd, Fish Creek, ☏ +1 920 868 3579, info@edgewoodorchard.com. 10 am-5 pm, May-October. Many different types of art from over 150 artists in a barn and outdoor sculpture garden. Free.
- Peninsula Players Theatre, 4351 Peninsula Players Rd, Fish Creek, ☏ +1 920 868 3287, tickets@peninsulaplayers.com. Nightly outdoor theater shows. Oldest resident summer theater in the US.
Do
- Washington Island is a must-do adventure! Get on the ferry at Northport Pier at the tip of the Door County Peninsula. It's $10 per person, and $24 for a car round trip. It is not necessary to take a car; once on the island, walk just a short distance to Annie's Rentals to rent a moped (get there early before they sell out). They're $90/day, and well worth the splurge! Very easy to ride, even for someone who's never driven a motorcycle - if you can ride a bike, you can ride these. Spending the whole day riding around the island is a very romantic and fun adventure.
- Hike the Ice Age Trail
- Peninsula State Park. The state's third largest state park. Like Door County, it's on a small peninsula jutting into Green Bay. It offers much, including numerous campgrounds, an observation tower, beaches, steep bluffs, an amphitheater, and a golf course. The observation tower has knockout park views. Main entrance is through Fish Creek. Cars $13.
Kayaking
- Kayak the Mink River Estuary in Rowley's Bay, which is owned by the Nature Conservancy. Gravity Trails +1 920 854-9292
- Cave Point Paddle and Pedal explores Cave Point County Park with guided eco-tours using zodiacs, kayaks and paddle boards.
Biking
Cave Point Paddle and Pedal offer surrey bike rentals
Sailing
- Stiletto Sailing, 9993 Hwy 42 Ephraim, WI 54211, ☏ +1 920 854 7245.
Buy
Fish Creek has plenty of shops selling all sorts of arts & crafts, furniture, and knicknacks.
Eat
- Al Johnson's Restaurant, Sister Bay, Wisconsin. A Swedish restaurant and a connected gift shop. Tempting are the Swedish pancakes served with lingonberries, waffles piled high with strawberries and whipped cream, Swedish meatballs and Swedish fruit soup. As an added attraction, the restaurant is housed in a building with a Scandinavian-style sod roof. Goats are on the roof from mid morning to late afternoon every day, "cutting the grass" and provide great photo opportunities. Wait times can be long.
- Wilson's Diner, 9990 Water Street Ephraim, WI 54211. A Door County tradition for over a century. A 1950s-style restaurant and soda fountain.
- Shipwrecked Brewpub. Door County's only microbrewery. It also had a restaurant and inn. (It burned down in 2017, with plans to reopen - but possibly not until Summer '19).
- Door County Confectionery. Another Door County Favorite. Sample some fudge, or purchase from a variety of candies. Several locations, but the original is in Ephraim.
Drink
- 1 von Stiehl Winery (von stiehl winery), 115 Navarino St, Algoma (From Green Bay: Take Hwy 54 east to Algoma. Continue straight on 54 until you reach the lake. Turn left at the stop sign (Intersection of Hwy 42 & 54) and drive about a block. Follow the Y intersection (Co S) to the right and continue on it until you reach Navarino Street. Turn right just before the bridge (on Navarino), the winery is on the left.), toll-free: +1-800-955-5208. 9AM to 5PM. Take a tour of the winery. Tours and tastings are offered May through October. The winery store is open year-round, seven days a week. Tour: $3.75.
Sleep
- Rowleys Bay Resort, 1041 County Rd, Ellison Bay, ☏ +1 920 854-2385. Affordable Lake Michigan waterfront destination resort with Rowleys Bay Restaurant, Grandma's Swedish Bakery, Rowley's Pub, pool, marina, and more. Boating, fishing, 100 acres of private hiking, cross-country skiing trails, Segway tours, zip-lining and kayaking tours. Only all you can eat fish boil buffet in Door County.
- Alpine Resort, ☏ +1 920 868-3000. Scenic Route G, Egg Harbor. Open since 1921, this resort is on the shoreline and has its own golf course. Both an inn and private cottages are available.
- Beachfront Inn at Bailey's Harbor, Hwy 57, Baileys Harbor, toll-free: +1-866-251-0750, stay@beachfrontinn.net. Offers great rooms with views on Lake Michigan. Amenities include heated indoor pool, cable, high speed wireless internet. Pet friendly.
- High Point Inn, 10386 Water Street, ☏ +1 920 854-9773, toll-free: +1-800-595-6894. High Point Inn offers 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom resort suites at discount prices. $170-290.
- Nordic Lodge, 2721 Hwy 42, Sister Bay, toll-free: +1-866-854-5432, fax: +1 920 854-5974. Nordic Lodge has 33 rooms and one deluxe suite, all non-smoking. Amenities include free wireless internet, complimentary breakfast, indoor pool/whirlpool.
- Westwood Shores Waterfront Resort, 4303 Bayshore Dr, toll-free: +1-800-440-4057, fax: +1 920 746-9890. Beautiful lodging in Sturgeon Bay.
- Little Sweden, 8984 Highway 42, Fish Creek, ☏ +1-920-868-9950. Villas at Little Sweden offer all the comforts of home in a spectacular natural setting. One-bedroom or two-bedroom villas, decorated in subtle wood tones and with vibrant Scandinavian–designed furniture. In each you’ll find large living and dining rooms, fully appointed kitchens, fireplaces and whirlpools.
- Chanticleer Guest House, 4072 Cherry Rd., ☏ +1 920 746-0334, toll-free: +1-866-682-0384, information@chanticleerguesthouse.com.
Camping
Door County offers campers a choice of 5 state parks.
- Rock Island State Park
- Newport State Park
- Potawatomi State Park
- Whitefish Bay Dunes State Park
- Ahnapee State Trail
Stay safe
Bike off of the Highway on the inner roads of the peninsula.
Go next
- The city of Green Bay has numerous sightseeing options, like the National Railway Museum and Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame