Take This Scenic Route And Drive Through 5 Wisconsin State Parks In One Day
By Ben Jones|Published November 03, 2022
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Ben Jones
Author
Ben Jones is at heart an adventurer who delights in inspiring others. A former reporter and photojournalist, he explored towns large and small as a Wisconsin correspondent for USA Today. He later became a lead photographer and senior copywriter for an award-winning destination marketing agency, before founding Boldland Creative, a company that produces photography, video, and other content for travel destinations. Jones has completed photography and content projects in more than 15 states and when he’s not looking through a camera or at his Macbook you’ll find him exploring the world’s lakes and forests.
Door County is known for a lot of things – you’ll find cute shops, waterfront restaurants, ice cream cones, and more. There’s so much to see and do in the villages, it’s almost possible to forget what brought visitors to the peninsula in the first place – natural beauty. Fortunately, the wild side of Door County is a short drive away. There are five state parks and natural areas you can explore on a single drive, making Door County the best place to visit state parks. Here’s what’s waiting for you on the peninsula.
This trip includes about 90 minutes of driving and covers 54 miles, but it will easily take an entire day if you take time to get out of the car to see the parks. Here’s a Google Map you can edit.
The first stop on this tour takes us to a wild and remote park near the end of the Door County peninsula. Newport State Park has long, sweeping beaches, woodland trails, and a wild inland lake called Europe Lake. A road into the park will take you near the waterfront and trailheads.
As new condos and shops continue to spring up across the county, a huge swath of land between Ephraim and Fish Creek will stay wild forever. Pull off Highway 42 and take Peninsula State Park roads past dramatic lake and island views before exiting into the bustle of Fish Creek.
Across the peninsula on the Lake Michigan side, there’s a county park that's laced with gorgeous sea caves. Nearby, an undeveloped state wildlife area is less visited but well worth discovering. The Cave Point Clay Banks State Natural Area is a swath of forested wetlands that will give you a taste of what the county was like before European settlers arrived.
Just down the road is a simply incredible state park. Whitefish Dunes State Park is home to a beautiful beach that’s flanked by enormous sand dunes. Kick off your shoes and enjoy a stroll by the water, but use caution swimming – there are some dangerous currents here.
The final stop on this road trip again takes us to the water’s edge. Potawatomi State Park is a 1,200-acre state park that is home to forests and rugged limestone cliffs. It’s also the gateway to the Ice Age National National Scenic Trail. If you’re a hiker, this could be the start of another great adventure!
If still have some daylight left, there’s even more public land to be discovered to the south. This state rail trail belongs on your bucket list.
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