Spend 4 Days on a Road Trip Through Door County, Wis. Road Trips
A Four-Day Road Trip Through Door County Wisconsin
Exploring hundreds of miles of enchanting shoreline along Lake Michigan
Getty Images/ AARP; JHeinimann / Alamy Stock Photo A popular peninsula in eastern Wisconsin piercing , Door County is blessed with 300 miles of shoreline easily explored by car, mostly on two-lane roads that never take you more than a few miles from the water. On this four-day road trip — a memorable mix of coastal and countryside drives — make a scenic loop around this slender jewel, which is 70 miles long and just 18 miles wide at its base. You’ll pass bucolic family farms and cherry orchards that intersperse cliff-hugging state parks, photogenic lighthouses and intimate resort towns with quaint shops, farm-to-table dining and cozy inns. The county’s appeal defies its deterring namesake, “ Porte des Mortes,” or “Death’s Door, ” for the treacherous passage between its tip and offshore Washington Island. Join today and save 25% off the standard annual rate. Get instant access to discounts, programs, services, and the information you need to benefit every area of your life. Stephen Saks Photography / Don Smetzer / Alamy Stock Photo Door County Maritime Museum Day 1 Green Bay to Sturgeon Bay 70 miles
Setting out northeast from the city of Green Bay at the bottom of the peninsula, State Highway 57 mostly hugs Green Bay (an arm of Lake Michigan) and introduces the rolling farmland for which the region is famed. About half an hour in, stop to taste (and savor) the signature 2-year-aged cheddar at Renard’s Artisan Cheese, made from locally sourced milk. Just before you reach Sturgeon Bay, the county’s largest city (population 9,700), detour north 2½ miles on Park Drive to , home of the eastern terminus of the Ice Age Trail, a 1,000-mile hiking path that winds its way through the state, tracing the ice-sculpted landscape left behind 12,000 years ago when the glaciers retreated. On its first few miles, stretch your legs on a level, hard-packed, former railroad bed along the Sturgeon Bay inlet, part of a channel that crosses the peninsula. That channel helped establish Sturgeon Bay as the shipbuilding hub of Lake Michigan, one subject of the in town. Take a guided tour of the 1919 tugboat John Purves that formerly worked on the lake and served in Alaska during World War II with a 13-man crew (quarters are tight, and the tours include stairs to the engine room).
Spring for a steak or walleye at Donny’s Glidden Lodge, a stone-and-wood-built classic supper club with panoramic lake views about 12 miles northeast, mostly via State Highway 57. Where to stay: In Sturgeon Bay, all 38 suites at the modestly priced Westwood Shores Waterfront Resort come with a kitchen and gas log fireplace, providing residential comfort perfect for multigenerational travel. Another plus for families: swimming pools, indoor and (seasonally) outdoors. James Schwabel / Alamy Stock Photo Wilson’s Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor Day 2 Sturgeon Bay to Sister Bay 41 miles
Continuing along Door’s bayside, State Highway 42 and smaller tributary lanes string together a series of small towns, beginning with Egg Harbor, roughly 17 miles north of Sturgeon Bay. There, the intriguing gift shop Chief Oshkosh Native American Arts sells local and Indigenous crafts (various Native American tribes inhabited this land long before European settlers arrived). If you need a bite to eat, drop into MacReady Artisan Breads for a loaf studded with Door County cherries , or stay for a Wisconsin cranberry chicken salad on homemade French bread. About 7 miles north, Fish Creek, an original timber and fishing settlement, is another walkable town (most are invitingly level) with a bustling marina and shop-lined main street. Take in a guided tour of the , an 1875 Greek Revival farmhouse (the main floor is accessible to those in wheelchairs and walkers, but not the second). There you can pick up a copy of a self-guided tour to more than 20 historic buildings in town (there’s also a free audio tour). The artistic seat of Door County, Fish Creek is home to several cultural attractions, including the popular Peninsula Players Theatre, where an 8 7-year-old professional company performs June through October (with wheelchair-accessible seating). Next, spend some time in neighboring , a nearly 3,800-acre knob of forest edged in limestone cliffs. Stop to snap a photo of the 1868 Eagle Bluff Lighthouse. From the popular 60-foot-high Eagle Tower, spy panoramic views of the surrounding waterfront and smell the sun-warmed pines; climb 100 steps or take an 850-foot accessible walk that winds its way up at an angle of 5 percent or less, with benches for resting along the way. On the park’s north side , in Ephraim, grab a root beer float (the soda’s home-brewed) at the 1906 favorite Wilson’s Restaurant and Ice Cream Parlor , and take it five blocks north to the Anderson Dock, a landmark boathouse graffitied by sailors and tourists since the 19th century. Catch sunset with a stroll or a sit along the 1,900 feet of public waterfront at neighboring Sister Bay, then return to Fish Creek for a fish-boil dinner. Such feasts are a local tradition dating back to the late 19th century, when fish and potatoes were boiled in a vat to feed large numbers of Scandinavian immigrant workers. Watching the flames and the signature “boilover” of water into them has long entertained diners at the 1896-vintage White Gull Inn. Where to stay: The Dörr, a 47-room hotel in Sister Bay , draws on the region’s Nordic heritage with bright minimalist interiors and wood finishes (ADA-compliant rooms are available). Welcoming Adirondack chairs ring firepits on the front lawn seasonally. UCG/Getty Images Ellison Bluff Day 3 Sister Bay to Baileys Harbor 41 miles
Don’t leave Sister Bay first thing. Instead, start your day with lingonberry-topped pancakes at Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant & Butik, famous for the goats that graze its sod roof by day (they spend their nights — and the winter — safely in a nearby barn). Then browse unique shops selling garden goods, gourmet foods and housewares. Back on State Highway 42, just past tiny Ellison Bay, stop at The Clearing Folk School, established in 1935 by the renowned Danish-born landscape architect Jens Jensen. The school offers classes and welcomes visitors to browse its art-filled gift store and walk the paths of its wooded campus (two-hour docent-led walks take place Saturdays and Sundays May through October). The terrain is rugged in places , and sturdy walking shoes are recommended. The sleepy fishing town of Gills Rock, 5 miles farther north on 42, marks the northern tip of the Door, a tranquil place to escape the crowds and take in the water views. Then, descend Door County by roughly following the peninsula’s lakeside, a.k.a. the quiet side. In the north, Newport State Park offers access to beaches and forest trails over 11 miles of shoreline. Paved paths from the parking lots near the entrance easily reach the beach at Newport Bay, where Lake Michigan audibly laps the shore, making for a pleasant experience even for the visually impaired. Doubling back to Ellison Bay, take a rural drive south on Mink River Road to county roads ZZ and Q , and follow signs to the Cana Island Lighthouse near Baileys Harbor. You can reach the region’s most iconic beacon, located on a nearby offshore island, via a hay wagon pulled by a tractor across shallow water May through October. It’s a precipitous 97-step spiral staircase to the top of the 89-foot attraction, but most fans are content with views and photos from the ground. Hit Baileys Harbor for a waterfront dinner at Harbor Fish Market & Grille, with outdoor seating in season. Try the local whitefish (highly esteemed and priced accordingly). Where to stay: The affordable, family-friendly, 2 0-room Beachfront Inn has its own beach (and pool). Request a first-floor room if you have mobility issues; second-floor rooms require walking up stairs. J. Castro/Getty Images Wisconsin Lighthouse Day 4 Baileys Harbor to Sturgeon Bay 28 miles
Head south about 10 miles along lakeside State Highway 57 and North Cave Point Drive to , where the crystal-clear water meets the peninsula’s limestone base along 900 feet of shoreline. The ground is uneven, and paths often have exposed tree roots, but you can view the lake from the parking lot to avoid these obstacles. For beach access, make the short drive to adjoining , which preserves a vital ecosystem of dunes and grasses. Continue 15 miles south to close the Door County loop, making your final stop the North Pierhead Light at the mouth of the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal. A popular must-see for its bright-red color, get a good view of it from the break wall. It fronts a working U.S. Coast Guard station. Elaine Glusac, a Chicago-based journalist, writes the Frugal Traveler column for The New York Times. More on Travel br
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