HOW TO FIND THE BEST SEA KAYAKING IN DOOR COUNTY
HERE ARE MY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR INDEPENDENT, SKILLED KAYAKERS

You'll find this gem of a kayak launch nestled in Newport State Park.  This spot is dear to me, I shouldn't even be telling you about this spot as I've watched this once hidden and off-the beaten path for locals to wander is now over-run with out of state license plates. But its a nice sandy beach with plenty of space to relax and enjoy the scenery as you get your boat and gear ready to paddle!

 

Paddle north to watch the ferry crossings at Deaths Door or paddle south and explore Newport State Park the way to the Mink River estuary.  There are small gravel shoals like Spider Island and Gravel Island where all the birds go to escape human interference.  Luckily, due to the shallow limestone shoals you won't encounter any motorboats in Newport State Park making for serene and relaxing time on the water. 

For kayakers with real training, gear and preparation there is the legendary Deaths Door crossing that you can take to get to Plum, Detroit or Washington Island. I recommend finding a professional guide that knows the area well to help you cross the notorious stretch of water that connects Green Bay to Lake Michigan.

 

I highly recommend bringing food with you and packing a small cooler, camp stove for coffee and drinks for hanging out after tour on the beach. Bring firewood and have a fire after dark. Take your time and relax with this spot, it's a gem. Newport State Park is really special for the locals so give a hoot and pick up any garbage left behind by others and build up that good karma!

       

DIRECTIONS

• PARKING: Free parking, cars & trucks, small lot, no room for trailers on busy days.

• LAUNCH: Anywhere on sand beach is fine.

• CONDITIONS: Beginner to Advanced. Lake Michigan is no joke and wind can shift rapidly at this northeastern Door County location, watch for shallow rocky limestone outcroppings called headlands, heading north watch for current at the eastern Door approach.  Do not kayak this spot when Southeasterly or Northeasterly wind gusts above 18mph.

• ROUTE: From Europe bay beach you can go north to the ferry boat crossing of Death's Door or head out to pilot island 2 miles offshore or head south and traverse the entire Newport State Park coastline where you'll see deer drinking water and eagles battling over half eaten salmon on shore.  For a longer day paddle continue all the way to Rowleys Bay and the Mink River Estuary.

• FOOD: Bring food + water 

• BONUS: Still got some pep leftover after tour?  Take a beautiful stroll through the cedar forests along the water, head north on the Hotz Trail and maybe you'll find a hidden inalnd lake. Also, camping is available at Newport State Park, hint, hint...

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There are a few route options to choose from at this launch: (1) the standard paddle out and around to Door Bluff for an easy paddle with beautiful views and keep going if you have endurance all the way to Ellison Bluff. Take a break at the base of Ellison Bluff as no one will bother you since you can only get there via boat. Ellison Bluff has some cool geology to check out on south face. (2) head east towrds Gils Rock, stop for smoked fish at Charlie's and then keep paddling east to the Northport ferry crossing and watch the big boats. Or follow the big boats across to Plum Island or Washington Island.

 

This is a killer spot to paddle...literally.  Rich in history and beauty, this narrow strait of water that connects Lake Michigan to Green Bay and runs between the mainland and Islands is called Porte des Mortes or 'Death's Door'. The name 'Doorway of Death' was given by the Ojibwe Tribes due to the treacherous conditions and battles fought and the water spirit Mishipeshu.  The French Explorers wrote that name down on their maps and so yes, this is the body of water that Door County got its name from. 

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FInd the pictographs on eastern/backside of Door Bluff, a fallen cedar, only one, points directly to it if you look above. Check out trilobite burrows in the 400 million bluff that was once a tropical sea floor and is now limestone created from the remnants of dead sea coral. Tie up your kayaks at the base of Door Bluff and hike up for a spectaclur view of the water and even see all the way across to upper peninsula Michigan!

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DIRECTIONS

• PARKING: $5 launch fee, free parking, park trailers on wood chips, NO parking on launch but loading in/out is ok, many folks use it, kayaks only

• LAUNCH: beat up, rocky launch, tough in waves, slippery rocks, algae

• CONDITIONS: Beginner to advanced. Lake Michigan is no joke and wind can shift rapidly at this northeastern Door County location, watch for things to pick up with wind and current after heading out of Garret bay, watch out for northerly wind gusts, if they get over 18mph strong waves will hit quickly, I've had to recue people here before.

• ROUTE: Choose bluff route, easy to see or head east to Northport. From Garret Bay launch start the tour by checking out a shipwreck called the Fleetwing.  To find, paddle out to the flagpole at the first house on east side of launch about 30 feet from shoreline in about 6 feet of water.  Charge those batteries and bring a camera, it's a beautiful tour. 

• FOOD: pack or bring food + water with you.  Stop at Pioneer Store in Ellison Bay before paddling and get your coffee fix at Brew Cafe.

• BONUS: Still got some pep leftover after tour?  Take a beautiful stroll to the top of Door Bluff to look at the water you just traversed from 200ft above for a grand perspective and on a clear day you can see all the coastline of upper peninsula Michigan in the distance.

I'll be honest, this is not really a kayak friendly spot but with some subtle work you can easily enjoy this spot known for tourists, kook surfers and overflows during peak season and hours to the point you won't find any parking. So my advice is to go during unpopular hours of the day.

 

Ok, so it's not much of an island since you can walk to it but it does have a lighthouse, mainly it's a tourist trap but definitely very scenic and rich in history.  But for water people, its a lot of fun because the odd shoreline offers a lot of breaking waves, especially with a strong SE or Easterly wind which means theres a good chance to kayak surf waves if you're lucky. 

 

If you're not local find one to go out there with or get a wind app to give you a clear idea of what to expect because conditions can get way dangerous out there with shallow rocky shoals and erratic breakers. Two kayakers died out here because they launched in 27mph winds so use good decision making when it comes to kayaking here. All around Cana Island is rocky coastline and turbulent water. But really beautiful and the lighthouse makes for great photos!

       

       DIRECTIONS

• PARKING: Free parking, no space for trailers, usually crowded with tourists, long distance boat carry to water

• LAUNCH: wheelies recomended, long boat carry past lots of people, head to water, left side of island for surf or right side of island for tour.

• CONDITIONS: Intermediate to Advanced level.  Lake Michigan, eastside of Door County peninsula so watch for common Southeasterly winds can create breaking waves along various points.  Also, expect turbulent water all around island, looks calm from shore but gets wild quickly depending on wind direction.  Helmet reccomended, rocky shoals.

• ROUTE:  For tour, definitely start by taking some views of the Cana Island Lighthouse!  After that head west across Spikehorn bay to Bues Point and then Mud Lake wetlands.  You'll have to portage kayaks across hwy Q, thanks modern world, but its quiet and peaceful shallow stroll with some great birdwatching opportunities throughout the year.  Or take a long paddle to Anclam Beach in Baileys Harbor.  Park your boat and head to the gas station for awesome pizza and hot snacks, no joke.

• FOOD: Park your boat on Anclam beach and head north a block down to the gas station for awesome pizza (my favorite) and hot snacks, no joke. Or continue on into downtown Baileys for a great outdoor coffee and food stop at Bearded Heart Cafe or a cold beer at Door County Brewery.

• BONUS: Still got some pep leftover after tour?  Take a beautiful stroll around Cana Island for some great views and yes, apples along the shoreline in the fall (our little secret)!

Amazing geology! With one cave you can paddle into a few more that are wide and open, this place is a must-see. There's even a spot in the county park that you can take a small cliff jump. During the tourism season this place is gonna be packed to the gills during the day with a ton of recreational kayak tours, keep that in mind for the sea kayaker looking for a peaceful ride.  The number of people coming to Door County has exploded in the last decade and so large, factory style, sit-on-top kayak tour companies are now the norm.

 

I recommend getting there early morning for amazing sunrise, no crowds or tour groups or sunset. But come anytime during off-season spring and fall and it's such a pleasant and fun route to explore. Admire the wave-carved limestone bluffs, small sea caves and cedar forest as you paddle Door County's most Instagrammable spot. The cave formations are exceptionally beautiful during the winter ice season.

       

       DIRECTIONS

• PARKING:  Admission required For Wisconsin State Parks, self pay at kiosk when driving in. Plentiful parking, space for trailers, usually crowded with tourists during peak, long carry to water.

• LAUNCH: Whitefish dunes beach, away from riptide corner.

• CONDITIONS: Beginner to Advanced level.  I recommend calm water only for beginners, once you are at the point there are no exits to shore until further north towards Shauer launch.  Seriously, many people have perished here because they underestimated the dynamic waters. Even though it 'looks doable' the Great Lakes are very powerful and shift quickly in this spot. Whitefish beach has rip currents so that also must be identified by the paddler before launch.  

• ROUTE: Launch from Whitefish Dunes beach and head north along coastline, that show starts right away, cool rock formations so bring a camera because there will be many awesome photography opportunities along the dramatic shoreline. This spot is truly some of Door County's finest geology display of 400 million year old rock formations.

• FOOD: Grub down at Island Fever Restaurant, fun place, great atmoshpere, and they let stinky kayakers like me in, get the double tacos.

• BONUS: Still got some pep leftover after tour?  Research a GPS reading for location of Australasia shipwreck and have a fun little hunt!

Easily one of the most beautiful places you'll paddle while here in Door County. This tour offers an easy and generally safe route for kayakers of all levels. Horseshoe Island is within short reachand probably the best reason to paddle here. Pack food, maybe a hammock and soak up some rays... take a long break on the island an enjoy the swimming along the dock or practice your kayak rolling.

 

Eagle Bluff awaits you as you head towards the mainland that is Peninsula State Park. Amazing park with lots to explore. Best hike is along the base of Eagle bluff and sunset trail.  Tie up the boat anywhere and stroll through the small caves at the base of the bluff.

 

I highly reccomend this spot for sunset as you'll be looking west across Green Bay much of the paddle. If you have some energy paddle north to FIsh Creek or head west out Chambers Island. All those islands out there like Jack and Strawberry are private property and not much to look at as humans decided it was better to have vacation homes instead of wildlife habitat.

 

DIRECTIONS

• PARKING: Free parking, no space for trailers, usually crowded with tourists so do not go during peak season or hours, paddle either super early morning or sunset during busy season. Easy boat carry to water.

• LAUNCH: Ehpraim beach, sandy, easy launch in shallow water.

• CONDITIONS: Beginner level. The launch spot in Eagle Harbor is safe,, shallow no dangerous currents, in a relatively protected bayside of Door County.  It can take some time depending on route choice but you'll always have clear landmarks to find your way back.

• ROUTE:  You can take a short paddle along a picturesque village up to the Hardy gallery, plenty of great views and some marinas so watch carefully for motorboats, they get bad peak summer. But the route I like is launch from Ephraim beach and head to Eagle Bluff, gawk at awesome bluff, then head to Horseshoe Island. That short island crossing was my first almost 20 years ago and pretty much how I fell in love with kayaking! Hangout on the island, I recommend packing lots of food and drinks and hanging out with lunch on the beach, sitting on any island just feels revitalizing!

• FOOD: Pack your own, plan ahead so you have your list at the grocery store, I like Clif bars and PBJ's and apples, my standard lunch on the water that never fails but also like to make easy stuff like grilled cheesers or tacos after tour.  Grab coffee and snacks at Isley Coffee Lab in Ephraim, seriously amazing coffee roasted in-house. Or check out local favorite Good Eggs for a breakfast burrito, short walk from beach, order on app, sit outside, perfect for stinky kayakers.

• BONUS: Relax on the beach after tour with beers and a grill, kick back and high five eachother for an awesome day of paddling and adventures!

This kayak tour spot is a great one to get away from the crowds at the end of the day. During the day is crowded so use the tennis court parking lot and launch from the other side of beach away from people.

 

This is a really peaceful route that isn't too long but offers some really stunning panorama of Chambers, Jack, Strawberry Islands to the south and Door Bluff and Washington Island to the north.

 

Ellison Bluff is definitely one of the most beautiful and underrated bluffs in Door County and has safe landings along the base to hang out and picnic.  I recommend taking a nice long sit and gaze at the base of the bluff away from all the crowds and noise. This spot is close to my home, like 2 minutes away, so I come here often, preferably around sunset for spectacular colors and beauty..

      

       DIRECTIONS

• PARKING: Free parking, space for trailers, usually crowded with tourists during nice days during peak season so early morning or late day is best to arrive

• LAUNCH: Anywhere on the beach, on the right side of pier if empty, if crowds are swimming launch from left side of pier, wheelies reccomended for medium-long distance boat carry.

• CONDITIONS: Beginner to Intermediate.  Green Bay is the body of water, this spot is generally very safe unless northerly or westerly push hard.  I've never seen any danger zones worth mentioning although watch for clapotis wave bounce off of bluff on windy days.

• ROUTE:  For tour, head south to Ellison Bluff and from there to Porcupine or Sister Bay. Hangout along base of Ellison Bluff, relax.  Head to Porcupine beach to get picked up or set out for a long distance paddle to Sister Bay, about 2 hrs for a strong paddler. Another option, head north to Door Bluff, about an 1.5 hours to get to Garrett Bay if necessary. Whatever the case, this is best as a slow ride.

• FOOD: Pack food, plan ahead! Have fun with it, bring a camp stove for a snack on the water or save it for the cookout at the park you are already parked at.  Leave the boats on shore and crack a beer. Get awesome coffee at Brew Cafe or grub at Blue Bear for breakfast & lunch.

• BONUS: Beautiful park to have a cookout after kayaking!  Stop at Ellison Bay Pioneer Store for all your grilling needs and have some fun, you are in Door County!