Peninsula State Park: A Local Guide’s Complete Adventure Handbook

By Kayak Guide Justin, your local Door County sea kayak guide

If you’re planning a trip to Peninsula State Park in Door County, Wisconsin, first—great choice! You are heading to one of Wisconsin’s most iconic landscapes, blending limestone bluffs, gorgeous forests of cedars and white pines and hemlocks, a lighthouse from the 1800's, numerous nearby islands like the Strawberries, Chambers, Horseshoe, and sweeping water panoramas that are excellent from early morning to sunset.

Peninsula State Park offers an wide array of some of the best outdoor activities in Door County making it one unforgettable outdoor playground. Whether you are hiking, biking, paddling a kayak or camping, this park has you covered. Even the locals love this park, especially when the crowds go home after the summer season. Did you know that this park is Door County's most popular park with over 1.5 million visitors every year?!

Whether you're a first-time visitor or a returning park-lover, this guide will help you give you an overview the park’s unique history, geology, trail system, and the incredible paddling opportunities that make it must-see while visiting here.

Door County's Emerald Gem: A Brief History of Peninsula State Park

Peninsula State Park, established in 1909, is one of Wisconsin’s oldest and most beloved state parks. Early conservation leaders recognized the ecological and recreational value of the Niagara Escarpment cliffs, dense cedar and hemlock forests, and the sweeping shoreline of Green Bay.

Over the decades, the park grew into a centerpiece of Door County outdoor life—home to the historic Eagle Bluff Lighthouse (built in 1868), Civilian Conservation Corps improvements in the 1930s, and countless generations of families who have camped, hiked, biked, paddled, and picnicked along its iconic bluffs.

Today, Peninsula State Park is known as the “Crown Jewel of Wisconsin’s State Parks” thanks to its wide range of activities. Visitors can explore 38 miles of hiking trails, 20+ miles of bike routes, scenic overlooks like Eagle Tower, sandy beaches, golf, cross-country skiing, birdwatching, and some of the best sea kayaking in Door County—especially around Eagle Bluff and Horseshoe Island. With its mix of natural beauty, rich history, and year-round recreation, the park offers something unforgettable for every type of outdoor adventurer. Over the last century it has grown into what Travel Wisconsin calls "Wisconsin’s most complete park"

Source: TravelWisconsin.com, Peninsula State Park guide

The Earliest Inhabitants

The shoreline, islands, and bluffs of Peninsula State Park were once home to Potawatomi, Menominee, and earlier woodland peoples for thousands of years. Early humans first arrived to the Door County area around 14,000 years ago. Artifacts found in the park and documented by the Wisconsin Historical Society show that Native communities fished, hunted, traveled, and conducted ceremonies in the very places you’ll walk today.

Source: Wisconsin Historical Society – Door County Indigenous History

French Explorers

In 1634, Jean Nicolet, a French explorer, traveled through the Door Peninsula region while seeking a Northwest Passage. His journey—likely passing near present-day Peninsula State Park—opened the region to centuries of subsequent trade and cultural exchange. Today, Nicolet Bay is named in honor of his passage.

Source: Wisconsin DNR – Nicolet Bay history

A Park With Layers of Stories

Peninsula State Park isn’t just a beautiful place to hike or paddle—it’s a landscape shaped by generations of people whose stories still echo through the forests, trails, and shoreline.

The Iconic Eagle Bluff Lighthouse

Built in 1868, the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse guided sailors through treacherous waters known as Porte des Morts, or Death’s Door. Today, the restored lighthouse is open for tours and remains one of Door County’s most photographed landmarks【AI Source: Door County Maritime Museum – Eagle Bluff Lighthouse】.

Imagine living on Eagle Bluff in the late 1800s, long before tourism, paved roads, or even electricity reached this part of Door County. Lighthouse keepers like Henry Stanley and later the Duclon family spent decades tending the light through freezing winters, storms rolling off Green Bay, and long stretches of isolation. Their children rowed to school, the family kept meticulous weather logs, and every night the keeper climbed the tower to ensure the beacon continued to guide sailors through the dangerous passage of Porte des Morts.

Loggers & the Early Door County Frontier

Before Peninsula State Park was established in 1909, much of this land was heavily logged. Crews felled cedar, maple, and pine, floating timber across Green Bay or hauling it by horse-drawn sleds along primitive trails. Logging camps once stood where picnic areas and trailheads are today.

Some of the park’s long, straight forest paths follow former logging roads, and if you look closely on certain trails (especially near Weborg Point), you can sometimes spot remnants of early logging activity—sunken road beds, unusually straight tree corridors, or the occasional rotting timber fragment.

CCC Workers: The Park Builders of the 1930s

During the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) established camps throughout Wisconsin, and Peninsula State Park was one of their most productive work sites. From 1933–1942, young men lived in barracks-style camps inside the park and transformed the landscape with their hands:

• They built stone walls, stairways, and overlooks you still use today.

• They improved trails like Eagle Trail, cutting through escarpment rock and stabilizing the shoreline.

• They planted thousands of trees to help reforest the land after decades of logging.

• They constructed early versions of roads, picnic shelters, and recreational areas.

The CCC’s craftsmanship is part of what gives Peninsula State Park its iconic character—natural beauty framed by sturdy stone structures that blend perfectly into the escarpment.

Recreation Pioneers & the Rise of Wisconsin State Parks

By the mid-20th century, Peninsula State Park had become a model for what outdoor recreation could look like in Wisconsin. Families returned year after year to camp at Nicolet Bay, bike the Sunset Trail, sit through musicals at Northern Sky Theater (formerly the Park Amphitheater), and enjoy scenery once reserved for explorers and lighthouse keepers.

Geology: The Niagara Escarpment at Its Best

Peninsula State Park sits on the Niagara Escarpment, a 430-million-year-old limestone backbone that stretches from Wisconsin to New York (yes, the same formation that creates Niagara Falls). When you hike or kayak here, you’re moving along the exposed edge of an ancient tropical reef system.

Eagle Bluff

The most dramatic example is Eagle Bluff, a towering limestone cliff reaching nearly 150 feet above Green Bay. If you’ve seen pictures of sea kayakers paddling under white stone cliffs—this is it. Erosion, glaciation, and wave action have carved the escarpment into sheer walls, ledges, caves, and underwater shelves—features best seen from the water.

Forest: The Trees of Peninsula State Park

Door County is a transition zone between northern boreal forests and central hardwoods, so Peninsula State Park has:

• White cedar

• Eastern hemlock

• Sugar maple

• Oak

• Pine

• Birch

What you see in Peninsula State Park is a boreal forest, normally found further north in Canada, we are here at the bottom fringe in Door County. These trees thrive in cool escarpment microclimates and coastal forests due to the cooling effect of the water. One of the most striking things you'll see along your adventures are cedars cling dramatically to cliff edges, their roots gripping rock like ancient fingers, truly a lesson in fortitude for us humans. Birdwatchers will also love Peninsula—bald eagles, osprey, loons, warblers, and pelicans are regularly sighted along the shore and islands.

The Strawberry Islands: A Quiet Natural Haven

East of Peninsula State Park lies the small chain known as the Strawberry Islands. These four islands—Little Strawberry, Adventure, Jack, and Pirate—are ecologically sensitive and protected as a state natural area.

These islands were used historically by Native American communities for fishing camps and seasonal gatherings. Today, their forests, steep limestone edges, and quiet shorelines make them an important refuge for nesting birds and shoreline wildlife.

Pro Tip: While landing on the islands is restricted, kayaking around them is a peaceful, scenic highlight—best done with a trained local guide who knows wind patterns, shallow reefs, and wildlife zones.

Horseshoe Island: A Hike & Paddle Classic

About a mile offshore sits Horseshoe Island, shaped—fittingly—like a horseshoe when viewed from above. It’s home to:

• A 1.5-mile loop trail around the island

• Remnants of an old fishing camp

• Forests of cedar, ash, and maple

• Wildflowers and shoreline fossils

  
  

This is one of my favorite places to take guests that are new to Door County. Paddling to Horseshoe Island gives you an unmatched view of the Door Peninsula with many tall bluffs and villages, and the island hike offers solitude you won’t find on the mainland. Click here for more info about the Peninsula State Park Adventure Tour that offers kayaking & some hiking.

Sea Kayaking in Peninsula State Park

If you really want to experience the park—not just see it—sea kayaking is the way to do it.

Why Kayaking Here Is Special

From the water you can see:

• The full height of Eagle Bluff

• The Eagle Bluff Lighthouse from beneath

• The rugged Niagara Escarpment cliffs

• Hidden wave-carved ledges and shelves

• Wildlife like mergansers, otters, and eagles

• The distant curve of Horseshoe Island

On calm days, the water is so clear you can spot boulders, mossy ledges, and schools of fish drifting below your kayak.

Safety Tip: Go with a Professional Guide

Green Bay is calmer than Lake Michigan, but conditions can still change quickly. Never take the wanted for granted, always be aware of conditions.vOffshore winds, water temp, boat traffic, and waves reflecting off cliffs require experience and judgment.

That’s exactly why so many visitors book a guided sea kayak tour with me at https://www.kayak-guide-justin.com

You’ll get:

• Professional safety instruction

• High-quality single person sea kayaks

• Local ecology and geology interpretation

• Stories about lighthouse keepers, shipwrecks, Native history & more

• Photos of your tour

• A calm, confidence-building introduction to big-water paddling

  
  

Best Hiking Trails in Peninsula State Park

Here’s a quick chart summarizing the park’s most popular trails:

Peninsula State Park Trail Maps here

Trail Name	Distance	Difficulty	Highlights
Eagle Trail	2 miles	Hard	Escarpment cliffs, caves, shoreline ledges
Nicolet Bay Trail	2.1 miles	Easy	Forest, beach access, birdwatching
Sunset Trail	9.6 miles	Easy/Moderate	Multi-use, views, forests, camp loops
Minnehaha Trail	1.5 miles	Easy	Wildflowers, hardwood forest
Trail to Eagle Tower	0.4 miles	Easy	Panoramic 360° views from tower

Eagle Tower

The rebuilt Eagle Tower offers one of the best views in Wisconsin—over 253 feet above Green Bay, accessible by a gently sloping ramp.

Mini-Map: Key Areas to Explore

Official Park Map

🗺️ https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/peninsula

Why Peninsula State Park Is Ideal for First-Time Visitors

• Easy access from Fish Creek

• Beaches, trails, and bike routes for every ability

• Iconic Door County views

• Family-friendly facilities

• Guided activities (kayaking, tours, lighthouse visits)

• Dramatic geography unlike anywhere else in Wisconsin

If you love nature, history, scenic overlooks, or water adventures—this is your park.

Plan Your Visit: Quick Tips

New to Door County? To ensure your first trip to Peninsula State Park is seamless, here are the essential details and insider tips:

Feature	Key Detail	Visitor Tip
Park Admission	A Wisconsin State Park vehicle sticker is required.	Out-of-State Plate: $16 Daily or $38 Annual (2025 rate). Buy an Annual if visiting other WI parks! [Source 3.4].
Location	Entrances near Fish Creek (South) and Ephraim (North).	Use Fish Creek as your home base for easy park access.
Getting Around	The scenic park road is 8 miles long.	Bike or Moped is the best way to explore and avoid summer parking hassles. Rentals are easily found [Source 3.1, 3.4].
Timing Your Visit	Open year-round, 6 AM to 11 PM.	Go early (before 10 AM) on weekdays to beat the summer crowds [Source 3.1]. Fall Colors (late Sept/early Oct) are legendary.
Camping	Over 460 reservable sites across five campgrounds.	Book 11 months in advance! It sells out fast, especially weekends [Source 3.5].
Views & Sunsets	Best spots: Eagle Tower, Sven’s Bluff, Welcker’s Point, and Tennison Boat Launch [Source 3.4].	Grab a picnic and watch the sunset over Green Bay—it’s unforgettable!

Remember Your Packing List:

• Bug Spray (especially in the evenings!)

• Sunscreen (the sun reflects off the water)

• Water bottles

• Good hiking shoes (especially for the Eagle Trail) [Source 3.6]Best Time to Visit:May–October offers the warmest water, calmest winds, and most trail accessibility.

Parking:Lots fill early in summer—arrive before 10 AM.

Kayaking:Book a local, safety-certified guide—conditions can change quickly near cliffs.

Camping:Reserve months ahead through the WI DNR; sites fill fast.

Weather:Always check the marine forecast or with a local guide or outfitters—Green Bay can develop swells and chop.

Final Thoughts: Explore the Park Like a Local

Peninsula State Park is one of the most diverse and rewarding places to explore in Wisconsin. Whether you're here to hike cliffs, bike forest loops, walk through centuries of history, or paddle the clear waters beneath Eagle Bluff, this park offers experiences you'll remember for years.

And if you want to see the park from its most spectacular angle—from the water—I’d be honored to guide you.

👉 Book a sea kayak tour with Kayak Guide Justin:https://www.kayak-guide-justin.com

Let’s go explore Peninsula State Park the way it was meant to be experienced—slow, meaningful, and powered by your own paddle...