So beautiful! It was snow covered today but still worth a…read moredrive through and stop at the gorgeous beach! We will certainly return in the summer.

I'm writing an update since apparently it's been 4 years since I last reviewed this park. Please…read moresee my older reviews too since much still applies! This is a great park for finding some peace and quiet in nature including no cell service in much of the park. I mean the SOS function will still work if an emergency arose, but there will be no incoming texts or notifications to detract from the birds and sounds of the waves. All of the trails are lovely here and they're all easy so no worries if you're not a seasoned hiker. We saw some mergansers on the lake during this visit and, as usual, lots of garter snakes which are fun to watch. We usually bring a picnic lunch to enjoy by the beach after a morning of hiking and never have trouble getting a table. Pro tip: there are flush toilets in the visitor center!

Out of the beaten path but worth it. Coming from the South, turn on the first left street after the…read moretourist information hut in Ellison Bay. Natural trails who will take you on top of bluffs overlooking Lake Michigan.....you walk among the trees, take a quick peak between two branches, a longer one at the first clearing.....you can even look all the way down to the rocky beaches at some points, and spot a bonefire all set up for a fish boil?!? It's beautiful, not busy, free and unique.

My two-star experience is based on the fact that we were looking for a hiking trail and we ended up…read morehiking on a very steep hill. Some sections are extremely inclined. We tried to get to the beach but it didn't feel safe to try to walk all the way down. No other trails were located in te area.

So gorgeous and so appropriately named for the view! Just stroll down Main Street after dinner and…read moreyou can catch a fantastic view of the beautiful lake. It's definitely more of a park than a beach. Come at sunset and the ambiance is just lovely and everyone seemed to really respect the area. There aren't many benches or places to sit so you may find yourself standing for a bit to watch the sunset. If you're feeling adventurous, you can climb around the barrier to walk down and sit on the stone shore for a more intimate view. Very romantic place for our anniversary!

What a cute little park at the end of a street! It is right on the water and there are several…read moreplaces to sit and relax. It is an amazing spot to catch the sunset over the bay, read a book, write, meditate, chat, etc! It is not a beach in the sense of warm, golden sand between your toes; however, there is a path that leads you to the water's edge. Parking can be a bit tight on the small road so I suggest parking a little further away and walking, especially in the warm weather months. A Door County gem!

Awesome day on the island! We took the inaugural ferry of 2026 and had the inaugural tour at the…read morelighthouse! Just a really nice day hiking and having a picnic lunch. The lodge/boat house is really cool; take time to review the exhibits inside. (Enjoy some great soup at Jackson Harbor Soup Shop afterwards!)

This island is definitely worth the ferry rides to get there. You can tour the lighthouse and hike…read morethe entire island. The lighthouse attendants are so friendly and knowledgeable. Very beautiful place to see.

So we were here the other day when the stars aligned and there was an engagement proposal happening…read moreat the same time as teenagers cliff diving and a kayaking tour floating by. Epic! Cave Point is one of those places you just have to see when you're in Door County. The views are incredible, the waves crashing into the limestone cliffs are mesmerizing, and there are plenty of spots to stop and take it all in. Whether you're hiking, kayaking, taking photos, or just enjoying the scenery, there's always something going on. We got a little bit of everything in one visit, and it made for a memorable stop. Definitely a must-see Door County destination.

I'm adding an update since my previous review was 4 years ago, but please also see my previous…read morereviews. This is a great park for just hopping out to get an amazing view if you're not up for hiking. We did a loop from Whitefish Dunes state park that included circling through this park as well; it was a great half day hike. The views of the caves and crashing waves from above are amazing. This is definitely a park that might be challenging for anyone with small children who struggle to follow safety rules as there are very steep drops and it's important to stay a safe distance from the edge. The new connection between this and Whitefish dunes is really nice and features a few blowholes which spout water from below when the waves are particularly high.

Five stars, and this is based on a one day visit, of approximately 3 hours!…read more We were heading home from our stay at Peninsula State Park, and stopped in to check it out, since I had never been here before. What a lovely park! We picnicked down by the boat launch, which looks out over Sturgeon Bay and Sawyer Harbor. Our view actually consisted of two islands and the homes thereon. There is a shelter, of sorts, very near the boat ramp, and we learned that it is actually a place to process your catch....there are metal tables there to do what you need to do. After eating, we drove through the park to take in the sights and get a feel for it. We headed up to the tower, and as of our visit, it is still closed. We continued to the Old Ski Hill Overlook and got out to take some photos. We drove through more forest and ended up at the Nature Center and Park Store. Here you can rent bikes, canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards. You can also pick up a souvenir or two, or some snacks. We made a pit stop at the toilets (flushable and with nice showers) before heading out and on our way home. This park is located within a decent distance of Sturgeon Bay, but is also remote enough that you won't get the sounds of the city disturbing you at night. It is an easy drive up the peninsula from this location, and day trips are definitely doable. The only downside, as others have mentioned, is that there is no beach at this park. If that is a deal breaker, there are 4 more state parks in Door County to choose from. I don't know if we will ever camp here, but I can definitely say that I am not opposed to another visit! 49/2022

Lovely camping spot in Sturgeon Bay! My family and I stayed over the 4th of July holiday weekend,…read moreand really enjoyed our stay. We had an RV and a tent, so we chose an electric camp-site. However there are plenty of options without electric dedicated to just tents, too! The grounds were very well-kept, including the pathways that are paved around the grounds and the trails, which are easily accessible. Plus, the main check-in cabin at the entrance seemed brand new! Would say that the bathrooms/showhouses could use an updated, but they were still indeed cleaned daily. Also worth noting that the 'beach' on-site is all rocks, so it's not the sandy kind where you can park your stuff on for the day. Instead, we made our way into town to access the beaches there. Overall great location and nice park we would return to!

A lovely little spot to learn about the history of lighthouses in Door County, and to enjoy a view…read moreif you are brave enough to climb up 97 stairs to the top. Deb climbed up and enjoyed the view from the lighthouse. For myself, my $12 admission fee was spent on touring the lighthouse keeper's cottage and enjoying the surrounding area. The grounds are well-maintained, just pretty as a postcard. The beach provided a lovely breeze on such a hot day. It is pretty much entirely made up of sharp seashells, so maybe don't attempt it barefoot. There is a short, rocky and uneven walk from the welcome center to the lighthouse. There is also a tractor with a trailer that can take people across, but to my understanding, it isn't always available. It was on the day we visited, but we opted to walk. The parking lot is pretty small. If you are visiting at a busy time, it might take a little while to find a spot. I think Cana Island Lighthouse is absolutely worth a stop if you are in the area.

To get to this island where the lighthouse is, you have to walk on a rocky unpaved causeway. It is…read morea short walk. I have heard that sometimes water level can be high that this causeway can be submerged. If you don't like walking, a tractor-drawn haywagon shuttle provided by the Door County Maritime Museum to reach the lighthouse is an option. When you get to Cana Island, you have to go first to the visitor center to be able to explore the island and go to the lighthouse. This visitor center also has some gift items here. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors. This lighthouse is cool. It is manned by two lighthouse keepers when we went there. The rooms of the previous keepers are preserved and you can see old items there. The climb to the top is 97 stairs. There is no elevator. The panoramic view from the top is nice but not the most beautiful. On one side, you can see the lake while another side shows the rest of the island. Overall, it's still a good experience to see though I would not say that it is a must-see.

Marinette Waterfalls - there's Good News and there''s Bad News. On top of that, we need to know The…read moreGood, The Bad and The Ugly. The Good News: Marinette County bills itself as the "Waterfall Capital of Wisconsin" and judging from the amount of fast water on the rivers in the county, there is plenty of evidence to back up that claim. The county tourism people would like you to come visit and tour the waterfalls. The Bad News: No one publishes a dedicated map to help you find the waterfalls and plan out a route to see them. There are too many to see in one day, possibly even two days. Without a map or a plan, you're liable to take three or four days to see them all and do a great deal of criss-crossing and back tracking to accomplish your goal. Incidentally, Marinette County does publish a map on their website that has waterfalls in the legend. It is one of six maps on the website and is not identified as a "waterfalls" map. It is the first of three maps listed as "Marinette County Waterfalls, Recreation & Snowmobile Maps" but once you print it, there's so much detail you can't see much of anything. It is next to useless as a PDF file, too. Now for the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. The Good: Some of these waterfalls are breathtaking and well worth the effort to see them. The Bad: Others, not so much. The Good: Some are easy to reach without an real hiking experience. The Bad: Many are at the end of unimproved trails and will require some creative hiking to reach them. The Ugly: Some of the trails are a bit dangerous and downright scary to reach. A few caveats for potential waterfall hunters: 1) Most are off the beaten path, several miles from main highways. 2) Most of the access is on narrow, gravel roads, shared by enormous logging trucks. If you like your car to be kept in pristine condition, waterfall hunting in Marinette County is not for you. Drive with care! 3) Most of the waterfalls are in county parks. A nominal daily fee is required, however, once the fee is paid for the day, the permit is good in all the county parks. 4) Plan your day(s) before you head for Marinette County to go waterfall hunting. 5) Many of the waterfalls are actually whitewater rapids, very popular with rafters and kayakers but not so exciting for people looking for dramatic drops. I took a few hours and located the waterfalls on a map app and located the GPS coordinates. I was surprised how many of them are actually close together, but how far out some of them are. You actually have to go to Michigan to see waterfalls on boundary waters. My own favorites? Dave's Falls, Four Foot Falls, Horseshoe Falls, Twelve Foot Falls, Strong Falls and McClintock Falls. There are others that I need to go back to Marinette County to see.

In a whim, we decided to stay one night here to tour the historical landmark town. So glad we did…read more We got a site, #18, in a Thursday night, by making a request on the website. We have had luck with all the parks finding openings within a week or two of our travel (thought we tend to travel during the weekdays in the summer) The historical iron smelting village is fascinating. The state has done a wonderful job preserving the various community buildings, the iron smelting factory and some of the homes in the community. It is truly a loving, outdoor museum. Great information on signs and plaques throughout. We visited about two-hours before sunset on a Thursday evening. We rode to the historical village and were able to ride our back to the campground , after sunset. The village is bikable which is a great if mobility is an issue. There's a lot to see and it's spread out. Excellent photo ops around sunset. The sun sets behind the community area and the buildings can be nice "props". The sun also reflects off the rocks of the Niagara Escarpment which makes for a pretty photo. We biked the handicap road back to the campground. It's an easy and direct route between the two areas. There are clearings among the trees to get a wonderful, private view of the sunset. The trip is worth it simply to check out the historical community. What a gem in the UP. The campground was fun, yet busy and crowded for our tastes. Site 18 is good for a tent with some fairly flat grassy areas around it. The bro G bird behind and to one side of had RV's and were flexible about letting us spread into their site to find a good place for our tent. Similarly, the neighbors to our right, #20, camped in the bed of their truck. They struggled to find a level space and were concerned about mid with possible space. They parked partially on our site. It all worked out; we had great neighbors, but it was a bit of juggling. The fire rings can also be closer to a tent than we prefer. The washroom was close by and was clean. Small number of shower stalls to share with lots of people. Other sites looked larger and might have offered more privacy. The star of the show is accessibility to Lake Michigan. Wonderful sandy beaches. Lots of good walking, hiking. We would return to have more time to check out the peninsula. We had dinner at a fun restaurant in the water, not far from the campground (10-minutes): The Dock Grill & Bar. Nice people. Beautiful patio view of the water and good "bar food" options. The Shell gas station also has a mini mart with good meat and deli items, some grocery selections and frozen food.

Almost didn't go here as it was a little off our travel path. So glad we did tho. This place is…read moreamazing, old village with buildings intact and a great historical story. You can see the past while you're here. Great photo ops here as well. If you need to use a wheelchair, they have a wheelchair equipped for terrain that you can use, I thought this was amazing!

I remember this from my childhood and this place is just really too cool to bring family and…read morefriends, have picnics. Excellent stop if you go through the Menominee area.

This is one of our favorite stops while visiting upper Michigan. This park has a beach with a…read morenaturally rocky shore as well as a sandy beach for swimming. The park features a volleyball court and a pretty nice playground. There is a road that circles the park which a lot of people use for walking. We like to look for sea glass on the Rocky shoreline.