The 1868 Eagle Bluff Lighthouse has been immaculately restored and preserved in Peninsula State Park.
Cana Island Lighthouse, overlooking Lake Michigan and built in 1869, is one of 11 lighthouses dotting the shore of Door County.
Not the easiest place to reach, the light is situated on a small 8.7-acre islet accessed by walking a narrow wave- lapped gravel causeway. It’s well worth getting your feet wet to see this handsome, old 1869 light, now maintained by the county and a local preservation society as a maritime museum. It’s open to the public, seven days a week (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) from April 30 to October 30. A modest entry fee includes access to the keeper’s house and the opportunity to climb Cana’s 102-step circular staircase for panoramic views over Lake Michigan. Continuing south to Cave Point County Park, it became apparent to us that lakeside is definitely the wild side of the Door Peninsula. Here, a short hike leads to a dramatic scene as waves crash against jagged limestone ledges, etched with caves and overhangs, rising 20-40 feet above Lake Michigan. It was mesmerizing to watch as big rollers pounded into the rock with a resonant boom and hiss. Whitefish Dunes State Park, our last stop before making the final leg of our journey back to Sturgeon Bay, joins Cave Point to the south. Most visitors come here to enjoy the park’s beckoning 1.5-mile stretch of sandy beach, but the preserve also is notable for its namesake
Whitefish Dunes State Park is home to nearly two miles of beautiful sand beach and some of the tallest sand dunes in the Midwest.
dunes—the largest in Wisconsin. We hiked a boardwalk to the top of Old Baldy, the park’s highest dune at 93 feet. It was a warm Indian summer afternoon and, reluctant to leave, we unlaced our booties and shuffled barefoot along the beach, lamenting that we hadn’t planned a longer stay. So, don’t make the same mistake. Give Door County at least a week. You’ll love every minute of it.
FOR MORE INFORMATION Door County Visitor Bureau: doorcounty.com • 800-527-3529
DOOR COUNTY
COAST TO COAST FALL MAGAZINE 2017
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