Wisconsin may be famous for its amazing cheese selections, its Green Bay Packers, and its Wisconsin Dells Water Park. But the Badger State is also home to a peninsula of charming towns, dazzling cherry blossoms, and historic lighthouses. Door County is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the state, and it has certainly earned its reputation. From gorgeous parks to local wineries, tourists enjoy their stay on the peninsula year after year. Let’s learn more!
The easternmost county in Wisconsin, Door County is home to over 30,000 residents on a 70-mile peninsula with Green Bay to the west and Lake Michigan to the east. “Death’s Door” was given to the strait linking Lake Michigan and Green Bay between the northern tip of the Door Peninsula.
Created in 1851, Door County, Wis., saw different groups of immigrants venture into the area to establish settlements. The region saw tremendous growth in the 1850s, welcoming Moravians, African-Americans, and Irish. In the mid-1880s, a Coast Guard Station started at Sturgeon Bay. The Ahnapee and Western Railway extended to Sturgeon Bay in 1894.
You can’t talk about Door County without talking about the water. With 300 miles of shoreline from Green Bay and Lake Michigan, plenty of recreational water activities are available. But there’s also space to relax and take in the beautiful scenery. The small coastal towns offer visitors local shopping, apple and cherry orchards, and wineries.