We’ve visited Door County twice and both times we’ve camped at Peninsula State Park. There is so much to do inside this park: hiking, biking, swimming, kayaking. There’s even an outdoor theater and a golf course inside the park. It’s centrally located in Door County, which makes it a great base camp for other activities in the area. To read more about activities in this area, click here for quick access to the Door County post.
If you’re planning a trip to Door County and you would like to stay in Peninsula State Park, make reservations early (especially if your dates include a weekend day). This is a very popular location. Sites can be reserved 11 months in advance. The good news is that their reservation website has a great notification feature if your desired dates are booked. You can enter your site criteria and receive an email immediately when a matching site opens up. You’ll have to act quickly, but I have booked sites using this method, so it is possible. If camping isn’t your thing, there are plenty of places to stay in nearby towns.
Also note that you will need a state park pass to camp or visit a state park in Wisconsin. You can purchase this in advance or once you arrive at the park. There are daily admission passes and annual passes. Even though we don’t visit more than once a year, we found it made more sense to purchase the annual pass rather than purchasing an individual day pass for each day we were camping in the park. This will depend on your length of stay.
Hiking
Peninsula State Park has several shorter trails (approximately 3 miles or less). The great news is: they almost all connect! This gives you the opportunity to “build your own adventure” on the trails. One of our favorite loops is the Minnehaha Trail to Eagle Trail loop, returning on the Minnehaha Trail. Minnehaha starts in the South Nicolet Bay Campground. This was especially convenient for us when we camped in South Nicolet Bay campground. Click here for a complete list of trails within the park and click here for a trail map from the Wisconsin state parks website.
Minnehaha/Eagle Trail
- Quick Facts
- Length: Approx. 3.5 miles (both trails combined)
- Trailhead/Parking: Technically the Minnehaha Trail starts inside South Nicolet Bay campground. The trail access is located near site 844. If you study the map, you can find parking at other points along this loop also.
- Link to State Park website
The Minnehaha Trail follows the shore the entire way to the Eagle Trail. It is 0.7 miles long. I really enjoyed hiking along the shore and hearing the waves. It was peaceful and relaxing.
After the 0.7 mile stretch on the Minnehaha Trail, you will connect with the Eagle Trail. When we hiked this loop, we turned left on the Eagle Trail to continue following the shore. The trail becomes a little more uneven, but interesting rock formations/cliffs start to appear on the inland side of the trail. The trail eventually climbs up the bluff and passes by Eagle Panorama, which provides a great view of Green Bay. There is also a parking lot located at the panorama. Eventually, you’ll head back down the bluff and meet back up with Minnehaha Trail.
Biking
There are several reasons we like biking in Peninsula State Park so much. It’s a great way to get some exercise while seeing the park. Sometimes, during the Summer, parking can be tight- particularly at the Nicolet Beach area. Biking into this area is a way to avoid dealing with finding a parking spot. Finally, you can take the bike path out of the park and right around the corner to a delightful ice cream shop in Fish Creek!
Sunset Bike Route
- Quick Facts
- Length: 9.6 miles
- Trailhead/Parking: This bike trail can be accessed from all over the park. Here is a park map that includes the bike path.
- Link to State Park website
Biking on the Sunset Bike Route is one of our favorite things to do in Peninsula State Park. We try to time our ride to coincide with the sunset because there are some great views along the park’s Western shores. This trail does have some hills, so be prepared to exert some energy on this ride. As previously mentioned, we also enjoy taking this trail to the neighboring town of Fish Creek for ice cream. On both our visits to Peninsula State Park, we’ve made it a point to stop at Not Licked Yet for some frozen custard.
There are other off-road bike trails inside the park. We haven’t attempted any of these trails because I don’t know if our bikes could handle them. If you have a mountain bike, this may be a great activity for you.
Water Activities
Peninsula State Park offers many types of water activities: paddling, boating, swimming, and fishing. More details about water activities in the park can be found on the park’s website here.
Kayaking
We’ve seen kayakers in the bay all around Peninsula State Park. Both times we’ve visited, we’ve kayaked on the north side of the park. It’s about a mile from the mainland to Horseshoe Island, which is technically part of the park. Not surprisingly, this small island is shaped like a horseshoe, creating a sheltered bay in the middle. In addition to paddling out to the island, we’ve kayaked along the northern shore of the park, following the Minnehaha/Eagle Trails along the bluffs.
Swimming
You can swim at Nicolet Beach. The water is cold, but it can feel refreshing on a warm Summer day. Near the beach, there are kayak rentals available. Snacks are also available for purchase in the area. There is a picnic area near the beach and a pavilion that has free public WiFi. This is helpful because cell service is spotty throughout the park.
Camping
Both times we’ve visited Door County, we’ve camped at Peninsula State Park. We’ve tent camped and RV camped in the park. The park is so large, it has five campgrounds. We’ve camped in two of them: Welcker’s Point and South Nicolet Bay. We love camping here because of all the activities available within the park and because of its central location within Door County. To read more about our camping experience within the park, visit our Peninsula State Park campground page here.
