Need A Door County, WI Weekend Itinerary? Try Ours.
- Updated: 09/14/2024
- Janice
Door County is a northeastern Wisconsin vacation destination I have heard about for years. Living in Chicago, we have friends whose families have spent summers there. And we know others who return annually. After hearing so much about it, we finally carved out time to go.
With input from a friend who lives full time in the “Door”, I found and booked a rental for a long weekend fall break. Then, I set our plans to focus on the state parks. Our family, including a teen and tween, was ready to head north.
Table Of Contents
About Door County
For those not familiar with the upper Midwest, you may be surprised to discover Door County is much larger than you think. Spread over 2,000 square miles with nearly 20 separate communities, you will not be able to fit in a visit to the whole region in one weekend.
Where is Door County? Find it on Wisconsin’s left thumb. Yes, hold out your left-hand palm facing away from you. The thumb part—that is Door County. It is a peninsula surrounded by water. Green Bay is to the west, and Lake Michigan is to the north and east.
This unique geography means pretty much that anywhere you go in Door County, you will be within a short drive of the water.
This unique geography means pretty much that anywhere you go in Door County, you will be within a short drive of the water. If not directly on the coastline. Door County, at its widest, is 18 miles across.
Why Visit?
Go to Door County if you love charming lakeside small towns, water views, and outdoor activities. The peninsula has five impressive state parks with extensive hiking, biking, boating, fishing, and camping options. And also a wealth of county parks. Nineteen of them. Some are so good they demand a spot on your itinerary too.
Although I happened to be underwhelmed by the food choices, I did have some favorites. And I share them in this article. Do you prefer to watch a video? Check out our best of Door County on the quick YouTube video below.
Planning to visit Door County with your pup? Check out this article to get some ideas for the best dog-friendly activities.
Our Itinerary: A 3-Day Weekend
Here is an at-a-glance overview of what we did and a map showing where we went.
How to use this map: In the map header, click the square tab to the left of my logo or click the enlarge frame to the right to view detail. You can save the map to “Your Places” on Google Maps by clicking the star next to the map name. Or you can share it by clicking the share icon.
Day 1: Late Arrival & Coyote Roadhouse
We began our Door County trip on Friday afternoon. With one brief stop to stretch our legs and fill the tank, the drive north from Chicago took us just under five hours.
As soon as we arrived, we dumped our bags at our Kangaroo Lake Airbnb near Bailey’s Harbor. Then we jumped back in the car to drive two minutes down the road to grab a brew, some cheese curds, and the Friday fish-fry at nearby Coyote Roadhouse. This meal was the perfect way to start a weekend in Wisconsin. After dinner, we crashed.
Day 2: Sunrise & Peninsula State Park
Rarely have I been to a place like Door County where the short distance between the east and west coasts made it so easy view the sunrise and the sunset on the same day. It was one of the things I was looking forward to most about visiting the area. However, the weather the weekend we chose to visit did not cooperate.
On our first morning, we rose early, grabbed coffees, and headed east toward Anclam Park in Bailey’s Harbor—one of the best places on the peninsula to catch the rising sun. As we drove, we hoped the overcast skies would be clearer on the coast.
Sadly, they were not. Instead of the sun, all we could see through the drizzle was a solid wall of fog. However, all was not lost.
We were treated with a different and entertaining sight—a small group still partying and dancing from an all-nighter bachelor party right at our sunrise spot. Although it felt too early for party beats from a Spotify playlist, we were amused. So were the handful of others who happened to be at the park that morning too.
Even though I cannot necessarily promise a dawn dance party, I can guarantee with good weather—you will have a much better chance of seeing a spectacular sunrise than we did. Since the day was still early, we let the kids sleep. Instead, we took our time to enjoy the morning and our Kangaroo Lake view.
Breakfast At Heirloom Cafe & Provisions
Eventually, the kids stirred and got dressed, and we all headed out. Our first stop? Nearby Heirloom Cafe & Provisions for a delicious mid-morning meal. While ordering breakfast, we planned for lunch by buying some pre-packaged wraps, noodles, and cookies for a picnic, also available at the cafe.
Sadly, Heirloom Cafe & Provisions permanently closed since I wrote the first version of this article. Sway Brewing & Blending moved into the same space and offers highly-rated breakfast baked goods and coffees.
Satisfied and fueled, we moved on to the day’s main event—visiting Peninsula State Park.
Thinking about visiting Peninsula State Park? View more detailed information about the park in this article that includes quick facts to help you plan your visit.
Peninsula State Park: Biking The Sunset Trail
Our plan—bike the popular 9.6-mile Sunset Trail loop. After a 15-minute drive to Edge of the Park bike rental, we parked and confirmed bikes were available. Edge of the Park does not take reservations. It rents bikes on a first-come, first-serve basis. Luckily, there were plenty of bikes ready to ride, even on such a busy fall weekend. We parked in their lot and quickly got helmeted, on bikes, and were soon happily pedaling away.
The Sunset Trail is easy to follow and a pleasure to ride. We enjoyed stops at the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse to walk around and at the Nicolet Bay Boat Launch to skip rocks and check out the view. Altogether, with breaks, riding the loop took us roughly two and a half hours.
Hybrid bikes work well on the Sunset Trail, which is unpaved, though well-graded. I was even surprised to find Edge of Park rented the same hybrid I have at home.
See scenes from our ride in the YouTube video below.
Next up—hiking! After our ride, we bought souvenirs at the bike rental and headed back to our car and into the park.
Peninsula State Park: Hiking The Eagle Trail
Our destination was the highly-rated Eagle Trail. We planned to picnic near the start of the trail and then hike the 2.0-mile loop. In hindsight, we should have viewed the park map more carefully. There are no picnic facilities at the trailhead. Instead, it would have been better to stop along the way at one of the lovely bayside or forested picnic sites.
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However, we were hungry and did not want to give up our parking space at the crowded trailhead. So, we sat down on a small strip of grass near the Eagle Panorama viewpoint and chowed down. Our Heirloom Cafe wrap sandwiches and snacks were picnic-perfect.
With our bellies full, we were ready to move. We opted to hike the flat section of the trail first, looping away from the water. It was a terrific, albeit somewhat crowded, hike. Our favorite part was the 150-foot+ bluffs adjacent to the shore. Seeing them blew us away.
After completing the trail, we headed back to Kangaroo Lake to rest and enjoy an afternoon glass of wine. Then, west again to dinner at the bayside town of Ephraim to try to catch the sunset.
Day 3: Apples, Brunch & Newport State Park
Day two of our trip started with more light rain and overcast skies. So, we opted to skip the sunrise and take it easy. Knowing the weather was expected to clear later in the morning, we let the kids sleep. Then, we started our day by heading west to the charming bayside town of Fish Creek for a late brunch.
Apple Picking At Lautenbach Orchard
In Fish Creek, we dropped by the highly-rated White Gull Inn to put our name in for a table. Since the wait was over an hour, we knew we had time for an activity. Luckily, a Door County favorite, Lautenbach Orchard, is a short five-minute drive away and made for an ideal while-we-wait visit. Once there, we bought snacks and cider for the kids, coffee for ourselves, and picked apples.
Brunch At White Gull Inn
Two big bags of apples later, we headed back to Fish Creek and to the inn. To round out our wait, we grabbed more coffees at White Gull’s outdoor stand and walked down the block to check out bayside Sunset Beach Park to enjoy the views.
After breakfast, we drove north to cruise Door County’s famed curvy highway. I had heard about the road, saw impressive photos, and was curious to check it out.
Driving Door County's Curvy Highway
This unusual stretch of road was built to be the “ideal highway and always keep nature in view,” according to this DoorCounty.com article. Unsurprisingly, this snaky road is no secret. And especially in fall, driving and taking photos of the road is extraordinarily popular.
With kids in the car and a hike planned, my family sadly did not have the patience for me to join the ranks of my fellow amateurs and get the perfect curvy highway photo. Though, we did catch some video, which you can see below.
After our scenic drive, we headed back south on backroads nearly as pretty as the curvy highway to visit our second state park—Newport State Park.
Newport State Park: Hiking
Designated a “Wilderness Park,” and “Dark Sky Preserve,” Newport is far less crowded than Peninsula State Park and stunning in its own right. We hiked the 2.5-mi Lynd Trail Point Loop*, thoroughly enjoying its forested paths, beaches, and Lake Michigan views.
*Note: The Lynd Trail Point Loop length is 2.5-miles, not 3.5 as stated by AllTrails. View more detailed information about the Newport State Park in my this article that includes quick facts to help you plan your visit.
After the hike, we stopped to shop, see the sunset, and grab dinner in Sister Bay.
Day 4: Cave Point County Park & Home
On our final day, we caught the gorgeous early morning light on the north end of Kangaroo Lake, immediately across the quiet causeway from our rental.
After enjoying the last morning of our stay, we packed up and headed into Bailey’s Harbor for breakfast. We stopped for coffee and everything bagel egg sandwiches at Bearded Heart Coffee, which has since closed and been replaced by Roost + Banter. Then we drove south to squeeze in one more park visit.
Stopping at Cave Point County Park on our way out was a recommendation by my local friend. And I am thrilled I listened to her advice. Not only was the drive into the park through the wooded county roads lovely, but the half-mile hike along the park’s rugged coastline was spectacular. It is a must-do for any visit to Door County.
If you are planning a visit to Cave Point County Park, be sure to check out this great article from the Door County Mom website to help you plan your visit.
Where To Stay: Overview
The short answer on where to stay when you visit Door County is wherever you can book a room or a rental. The area is popular and has a loyal visitor base that returns year after year. However, if you are planning a trip with the benefit of time on your side, staying in Sturgeon Bay or further north is ideal. Although the peninsula may be larger than you expect, it is easy to navigate and a joy to drive around. So, do not worry too much about finding the perfect location.
For our visit, we stayed in an Airbnb on Kangaroo Lake, a few minutes outside Bailey’s Harbor. This location is on the eastern side of the peninsula and is considered the “quieter” side. We loved it. And thoroughly enjoyed our water view, which helped make us feel as if our short getaway was a true vacation.
Additionally, we found some of the best food in the area to be on the east side. Another bonus, you can snooze in a bit if you want to catch the sunrise as you are already much closer to the sunrise viewing areas. During our stay, we headed west for dinner each evening in hopes of catching the sunset. We never found the 15-minute drive from our rental to be an issue.
Where To Stay: Resources
Door County lodging ranges from staying at rentals to one of the peninsula’s several historic inns and resorts or in pretty wooded campsites. Search for accommodation in Door County on Booking.com and vacation rentals in the area on VRBO. Or check out this resource list on the Destination Door County website. Additionally, our very responsive rental owner, Martina, owns several properties on the peninsula and will book directly through her website, Door County Stay.
Does finding the right lodging matter to you? Then check out my five-step guide for tips and tricks to finding the best accomodation for your next trip.
Related Reading
If you are traveling to Door County, or going on a Midwest road trip, check out these related articles to help you get the information you need to plan your best trip.
Or view my Wisconsin book list, including guidebooks, biographies, histories, and fiction set in place, shown below. It includes Door County-specific titles such as Moon Wisconsin’s Door County guidebook and Door County Tales: Shipwrecks, Cherries and Goats on the Roof.
Relatedly, check out these other online resources I recommend using to help with Door County trip planning.
- Destination Door County. The official convention and tourism board website for Door County that provides extensive and helpful trip planning information.
- Door County Mom. For more family-friendly information about lodging and activities throughout the peninsula.
Additional Trip Planning Resources
To further help you with travel planning, I share my go-to resources for every trip below.
Google Flights. My first research stop for affordable flights for every trip. Learn why here.
Google Hotels. Use its “Where to stay” button to discover the best neighborhoods to base your visit.
Booking.com. For hotel and rental bookings, I appreciate its flexible cancellation, candid user reviews, discounts, loyalty program, and easy-to-use interface.
Viator, Get Your Guide, & Airbnb Experiences. Quickly find and book highly-rated tours and activities on these sites.
Google Travel Things to Do & Google Maps. Find more things to do in your destination on Google Travel, then record where you want to visit on a custom Google Maps list.
AllTrails. Love to hike? Me too. I religiously use AllTrails to discover hiking and biking trails and download its offline maps to manage my hikes.
Guide Along. 5-star self-guided audio tours that are GPS-compatible for US road trips and national parks. We loved the Glacier National Park tour.
Insure My Trip. I never travel internationally without trip insurance. Learn why here. My preferred place to shop and compare policies is InsureMyTrip.com.
Plus, check out the 15 travel apps I use on trips, my preferred guidebooks, and my free customizable travel itinerary template, downloadable in four file formats.
About the author: Janice Moskoff is a travel writer and blogger who loves hiking, exploring the world, and reading. She writes to inspire travel-loving families, adult friends, and couples on her blog, Gather and Go Travel. After attending the University of Michigan undergraduate business school and following a career in retail strategy and event management, she returned to focus on her first love—travel. Read her bio, learn how she became a blogger, and discover how to work with her. Sign up for her monthly Discovery Newsletter for travel recs and how-to’s. Or follow her on social media (@gatherandgotravel).
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Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I only recommend products and companies I use. And the income goes to keeping the site community-supported and ads minimal.
Welcome to Gather and Go Travel, a blog inspiring families, adult friends, and couples to explore US and international destinations and to get outdoors. I am Janice, a world traveler to 50+ countries, a travel writer/blogger, and a book lover. Learn more about me, read our story, and how to work with me. Get my latest updates, how-tos, and trip ideas in my monthly Discovery Newsletter.
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2 Responses
This is good to know! Thank you for sharing it.
Have you read this new Door County book with a refreshing take on tourism?
There is a new Door County book available on Amazon with a refreshing take on tourism.
Highly readable, it is a fun journey of ghost stories, parks, scenic beauty, wildlife, maritime history and entertainment.
The title: “Pursuing the Ghost of Happiness in Door County”
It is an Amazon eBook, with lots of photographs!