Getting outside, experiencing the beauty of nature in Door County, Wisconsin, enables visitors to see some of the best of what the peninsula has to offer. In his Part 1 article, Jimmy McDonough, Real Food Traveler’s Eco-Friendly Food, Travel & Adventure Editor, gave us a taste of the “finer” side of Door County through its arts, culture, and dining scenes (here). Come along for Part 2 to explore the wilder side!

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Hungry for more? Get to know Door County’s Finer Side.

Getting to know Door County, Wisconsin: The Wilder Side

10,000 years and more before the European settlers, original nations made their homes in this beautiful land of plenty: Ho-Chunk, Huron, Menominee, Ojibwe, Ottawa, Petun, Potawatomi, and Sauk. We acknowledge their history on these lands. To learn more about the first peoples and nations of the region, Destination Door County’s website is a good start.

Along the shores of Green Bay, clear waters lap against stretches of white rock cobblestone beaches and towering bluffs smothered in dense forests. Scooped out of the coastline are a series of bays with charming towns such as Sister Bay, Fish Creek, and Ephraim.

Settled by Moravian immigrants in 1853, the village of Ephraim could be lifted from a Currier and Ives print. Ephraim offers a small cluster of shops and dining options, with a scenic waterside path, and my lodging, Eagle Harbor Inn, was ideally situated for an easy walk into the village center as well as a public beach. Forming a tiny village unto itself, Eagle Harbor Inn offers several large “cottages” divided into private suites as well as the main historic building with public spaces and private guest rooms upstairs. There’s even an indoor swimming pool and fitness studio cleverly hidden inside “The Commons,” one of the clapboard cottages. Suites include a large sitting room, kitchenette, large bedroom with a massive whirlpool tub and a two-way fireplace – hello romantic getaway! Morning coffee and tea is available in the main house; no food is served onsite, so come prepared with your own provisions or plan ahead to visit nearby eateries. Note: seasonal closures and reduced operating hours during shoulder seasons will severely limit dining options throughout much of the peninsula.

Eagle Harbor Inn offers a cozy and charming home away from home.

Adventuring Door County

After a peaceful night’s sleep in quiet Ephraim, I was rested up for time in the great outdoors along the shores and in the forests of Door Peninsula!

On the Lake Michigan shore, The Ridges Sanctuary protects a unique ecosystem created by wind and waves. Along with a brand-new visitor center, a wheelchair accessible boardwalk ventures into the forested ridges and watery swales with interpretive signage. There are miles of rough, stone trails to explore, as well, through the forest and to the shore. This volunteer-run organization’s long history inspires me to believe that people can and should take action to save endangered natural environments for future generations to treasure.

The Ridges Sanctuary is a beautiful place to explore. Don’t miss the visitor’s center to learn what makes this place so special.

Hungry for more? Get the itinerary for 3 perfect days in Door County.

Nearby Cana Island Lighthouse is accessible by foot (warning – you’ll likely get wet feet!) or by a bumpy tractor ride across a rocky causeway. A visitor center collects admission and provides history and souvenirs. Carefully climb the 97 steps to the top of this impressive lighthouse for spectacular 360 views – be sure to admire the craftsmanship of the structure including the French made glass lenses. The trip down is dizzying, so hold on tight and step carefully. After the climb, take the easy going ¼ mile trail through forest and along shoreline, back to the visitor center. The island may not be easily accessible to people with mobility issues, so call ahead.

Explore Door County’s maritime heritage at the Cana Island Lighthouse.

Nearby are two more noteworthy public parks to explore. Whitefish Dunes and Cave Point are clustered together, sharing the shoreline and with trails meandering through both. Cave Point is a popular place to kayak and explore caves carved into the bluff by waves, weather and water conditions permitting. (Pay the state park fee for Whitefish to gain access to Cave Point).

For cycling fun, Peninsula State Park is a must visit. The friendly folks at Nor Door bike shop (in Fish Creek) offer trail-friendly bikes, e-bikes, anything cycling (gloves, clothes, etc.), and good advice to explore the park’s trails, like the Sunset Trail, a 9-mile loop. My late October visit found the hard-packed gravel trails through the forest transformed into ribbons of gold, paved by fallen leaves. Riding through the forest brought flashes of russet, crimson, and yellow from all the trees surrendering their foliage to the season’s change. Mostly easy-going terrain, a few hills provided a challenge on the way up and a gleeful thrill on the downhill. Sunset trail weaves through varying landscapes, skirts the shoreline, and offers glimpses of sheer rock bluffs above. Signage for snowmobiles and cross-country skiing hint at the winter wonderland that is to come – enticement for a return visit. See this ride in action on our YouTube channel.

Peninsula State Park offers bike trails through the dense forest that double as snowmobile routes in winter.

Don’t miss: Towering above even the tallest tree in the state park, the recently completed Eagle Tower offers a meandering, wheelchair-friendly ramp that ascends through the forest canopy to a viewing platform with spectacular views of unspoiled coastline, islands, and dense forest. Gazing out, I wondered how similar it may have appeared to the original inhabitants of these lands and hoped their memories were respected by all who visit their homelands.

A dramatic sight itself, Eagle Tower affords stunning views.

Hungry for more? Don’t miss these other stops in Door County.

Eco-friendly travel tips in Door County

Sign the Door County Pledge: Similar to Iceland’s pledge as described in this article (it is noteworthy that there is a strong Scandinavian influence on the peninsula, and even an entire enclave of Icelanders on Washington Island just off the coast). Learn more about Door County’s Sustainability Initiatives.

Eat and drink local: Door County’s agriculture producers offer delicious options, harvested from field and lake. Shop roadside stands and stores, run by local families, to purchase locally made food items, treats and gifts. In restaurants, ask about locally produced fare and order that when possible; I found the local whitefish to be fine and delicately flavored, like halibut or sole.

Engage in conversations with local food producers about what sustainability means to them; their responses may well surprise you. Learn how you can choose sustainable food while traveling, and how to live an eco-friendly way of life, as I describe in this article.

When you go

The Destination Door County website offers great tips for trip planning.

Flights into nearby Appleton and Green Bay airports are readily available; a two-hour, scenic drive brings you to the area of the peninsula described in this article. A car is really a must-have to tour around, especially in the off-season (late Fall through spring thaw); seasonal trolley tours may be helpful (and fun!) for local hops and to reduce traffic.

You can use this Real Food Traveler Hotels.com or Expedia.com affiliate links to make your reservations, which doesn’t change your experience at all. However, it may provide a small amount of commission to help support the running of our site.

-Story and photos by Jimmy McDonough, Real Food Traveler Eco-Friendly Food, Travel & Adventure Editor

Please note: Jimmy was hosted for this trip, as is common practice with travel writers. However, as is our policy, laid out in our Disclosures page, we never let that influence our opinions of a destination or the ability to inform our readers.