Fall in Door County

I've been lucky enough to visit 20 countries and over 30 states... but it took me over 3 decades to visit one of my home state's most popular destinations. In fall of 2021, we finally made it to Door County!

Our first stop was Cave Point County Park to see its limestone cliffs and the turquoise water. I may be from the Milwaukee area and used to Lake Michigan views, but this park was pretty special!

One of the towns we spent the most time visiting was Fish Creek. The town itself was very charming, especially with the added ambience of fall leaves and decorations.

We took a sunset boat ride from Fish Creek and cruised around the nearby Strawberry Islands and Peninsula State Park. 

The Eagle Bluff Lighthouse (inside Peninsula State Park) has been around since 1868! That’s pretty old when your state wasn’t created until 1848. It’s possible to tour the inside and see what life was like for the lighthouse keepers who manned the light until it was automated in 1926.

Although the cloudy weather prevented a colorful sunset, we had a relaxing time and enjoyed seeing more of the area.

A highlight was seeing a few bald eagles in the wild! I didn’t even know that Wisconsin had any… but apparently out of all 50 states, Wisconsin is tied for the third highest number of bald eagles.

The next day we saw more of Peninsula State Park by trolley. It was a fun and unique way to get a guided tour from someone who knows the area.

We made a stop at Sven’s Bluff Overlook- named for the Sven who once chose this spot to build his cabin. I can see why it’s one of the most popular views in the park.

My favorite view was this one because of the fall foliage! The colors are coming out a little later than normal this year, but even with only about 50% color it was pretty spectacular.

Just north of Fish Creek, the tiny town of Ephraim has less than 300 residents. It was founded in the 1850s by a group of Moravian immigrants from Norway. 

Moravians are a strict Protestant sect. Part of the reason the town is cute (I think it has New England vibes!) is because it used to be a rule that people could only paint buildings white. 

Another fun fact about Ephraim is that alcohol was banned all the way up until 2014, when they finally strayed from their Moravian roots to cater to the demands of drunken Wisconsin tourists.

We started out our second day of Door County exploration by driving to the tip of the peninsula. The winding road between the town of Gills Rock and the Washington Island ferry is a famously picturesque drive. The most interesting thing is that no one knows why the road was made this way- there’s no discernible reason. But it makes a fun tourist stop!

We also stopped at the nearby Porte des Morts park to get a view of the water. Porte des Morts means “Door of the Dead” in French, and that’s how Door County got its name (at least according to folklore).

The strait of water between the mainland and Washington Island has dangerous currents and hidden rocks. In the 1600s, hundreds of Native Americans supposedly died in a battle crossing this strait. 

Rumor has it that they eventually dropped the “Dead” from “Door of the Dead” because Door County without death was more likely to attract tourists to the area.

Door of the Dead or not, this whole area is so pretty and charming place! It’s only a few hours from where I live and grew up, but it feels like a different world. I can’t believe it took so long to make it here.

We will definitely be back. Until next time, Door County!