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Welcome to Wisconsin’s Most Beautiful Peninsula
Door County stretches 70 miles into Lake Michigan like a finger, with 300 miles of rocky shoreline where limestone cliffs reach 150 feet high.
The peninsula features 53 beaches, 11 lighthouses, and 2000 acres of cherry orchards running from Sturgeon Bay to Washington Island. Here’s why you need to visit.
The Underwater Caves at Cave Point Park
Waves hitting Cave Point’s limestone caves make loud booms as they crash 30 feet above water. On calm summer mornings, kayakers paddle through eight connected cave passages.
These caves, shaped by Lake Michigan over 10,000 years, become even more striking in winter when spray freezes into stunning icicles and ice sculptures, that locals call “ice volcanoes.” Certified divers often explore the 35-foot-deep underwater tunnels, where they can spot schools of smallmouth bass.
The Accessible Observation Tower at Peninsula State Park
The new Eagle Tower cost $3.5 million and rises 60 feet above Peninsula State Park, with its observation deck reaching 253 feet above Green Bay’s waters. The design includes an accessible 850-foot canopy walkway that winds gently through old cedar trees, before reaching the observation deck.
On clear days, you can see four Lake Michigan islands, including Washington Island, Chambers Island, and Rock Island. The tower is also perfect for watching stars on moonless nights, and in fall, you can see hawks flying past at eye level.
The Largest Lavender Farm in North America
Fragrant Isle Farm on Washington Island grows approximately 20,000 lavender plants, including popular types like Grosso and Hidcote. The farm thrives here because the island’s limestone ground and lake weather match the conditions in France’s famous Provence region.
From mid-June through August, walk through fields of purple Grosso, Phenomenal, and Hidcote Giant lavender. The farm’s shop sells cooking lavender, pure essential oils, and soaps made from flowers grown right there.
The Traditional Seafood Boil Experience
At spots like the 124-year-old White Gull Inn, skilled cooks prepare Lake Michigan whitefish using methods from the 1800s Scandinavian settlers. They cook fresh catch and local potatoes in large iron kettles over fires that carry the scent of cherry wood.
The show ends when the cook throws kerosene on the fire, creating a huge flame that makes the fish oils spill over the pot’s edge. This timing trick ensures the fish is cooked perfectly.
The Rare Limestone Beach on Washington Island
Schoolhouse Beach is special because it’s covered in smooth limestone rocks instead of sand. Only five such beaches exist in the world. The limestone rocks make the water so clear you can see 30 feet down on a sunny day. Here’s a fun fact: these rocks are protected by law so taking even one carries a $250 fine.
Scientists believe Lake Michigan’s waves have been smoothing these stones for over 12,000 years, since the last ice age.
The Historic Lighthouse with an Underwater Path
The Cana Island Lighthouse, built in 1869 for $12,792.55, stands on a small island that you can reach by a causeway or wagons pulled by special tractors that run three feet deep.
The 89-foot lighthouse still uses a third-order Fresnel lens (originally used for oil lamps). It’s been updated to electric now, sending light 17 nautical miles across the water.The keeper’s house looks just as it did long ago, filled with old furniture and tools from when lighthouse keepers lived there.
The Historic Dock Covered in Messages
Anderson Dock in Ephraim, standing since 1858, has become Door County’s most unique art display. Its red walls are covered with boat names, dates, and messages painted by visitors, with some marks dating to the early 1900s.
Each spring, sailors add their boat names next to older ones, some left by their grandparents. The place is now a popular photo destination and home to the Hardy Gallery, known for its colorful graffiti.
The Ridges Sanctuary
The Ridges Sanctuary is home to at least 29 of Wisconsin’s 40 species of native orchids. The land protects its floral ecosystem including the rare Ram’s Head Lady’s Slipper (fewer than 500 of these plants still grow naturally).
These flowers thrive because of the sanctuary’s unusual ground pattern. About 30 ridges formed as Lake Michigan’s shore moved back over 1,200 years. Each ridge creates special growing conditions for different orchids.
The Door County Maritime Museum
The Door County Maritime Museum tells stories about more than 240 ships that sank in “Death’s Door,” the dangerous water between the peninsula and Washington Island.
Learn how ships from small canoes to 300-foot steamers met their end including, interactive experiences that replicate the conditions that sank the Fleetwing in 1888. Advanced mapping unveils underwater wrecks through robot cameras and 3D images.
Door County’s Montmorency cherry trees
Around mid-May, Door County’s Montmorency cherry trees (over 2 million) bloom at once across 2000 acres. While the area produces 8-12 million pounds of tart cherries yearly, the 10-day flowering period creates the most beautiful views.
Places like Lautenbach’s orchard lets you walk through rows of white blossoms that stretch for miles along Lake Michigan. Check out events like the Cherry Festival to celebrate the harvest come spring.
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