Door County Wisconsin's Premier Vacation Guide
Seasons of Door County
Fall in Door County -
The Perfect Autumn
Fall for Door County!
Fall is here - the crisp, clean air is both invogorating and inspiriing . . . so make your plans right now, right here! Festivals, fall theater, live music, wagon rides, spectacular colors.
Want more things to do in Door County? Check out our Things to Do in Door County article!
Springtime in Door County! Hear its glorious song, here in Door County!! Early Spring is still a quiet time in Door County, as many restaurants and some hotels, motels and resorts are not yet opened for the busy season soon to come; yet there is still a nice feeling in Door County in early Spring, and the sweet sounds of warmth and rebirth in the air. Sure it can still be quite chilly - check our weather pages to make sure you pack right - but there is no denying that Door County is a Special place to watch and hear Spring reveal its magic! A sunny Spring day in Door County is hard to beat!
This is a perfect time to plan a romantic getaway, or take that needed trip with your friends you’ve wanted to take for so long – you’ll have time to truly talk and relax, rekindle old friendships, enhance new ones, and just enjoy the company of your friends and family.
Spring is a great time for hiking and biking the peninsula. You can rent your bikes from Nor Door Sport & Cyclery. And get in touch with nature: visit the Door County Gems like Cave Point (see the video), Ellison Bluff (see the video!) and others, spend time discovering Sturgeon Bay and all it has to offer, learn more about the towns on the Peninsula in our Town Series and visit some lighthouses like Eagle Bluff or Cana Island (you know that Door County has more lighthouses than any other County in the country!), just click the "Door County VIdeos tab at the top of any page, and explore more than 100 Door County Videos! or just chill out and relax in front of a fireplace with a nice bottle of wine, or take in a wine tasting.
Spring is a wonderful time to go horseback riding, and the best place is at Kurtz Corral - tell Jim we sent you!
Take this time to discover Door County - ride through the interior peninsula, soak up its beauty while it is still quiet, easy to get around, and full of nature’s magical song that the Peninsula has been blessed with. Get creative and create some art at Hands-On Art Studio in Fish Creek or Young at Heart in Egg Harbor.
Or look for that special piece of real estate you’ve been dreaming about – this is a great time to look! Maybe you are interested in owning a Door County business – another great time to check out what is available and start learning the nuances of running a business in Door County. Your real estate agencies can help you here. We are very familiar with some of them and would highly recommend the ones we have reviewed.
Door County is for everyone, so come on up and enjoy! It’s a great time of the year . . . . to be here!
And in the Springtime, the local business owners have more time to chat, and you might find them in the restaurants in the evenings or other local hang-outs. It's small town fun at its best!
Door County is a year-round destination now, so take advantage of the quiet seasons – they are special - and come back for more in the summer too! Click the link below for all the things you can do this Spring! So come on up now and hear Door County's special Spring cantata!
Be in the Know Before You go . . . And When you Get There! (tm)
Be sure to use our website to plan your entire trip to Door County - and please mention to the folks up here that you found them on DoorCountyNavigator.com - that help us keep the site going!
Also, be sure to Follow us on Twitter and also on Facebook! You can even get mobile alerts with cool info while you are In Door County! And enjoy our new DoorCountyNavigator.com interface (You Are Here)... More fun, more planning tools, even easier to use.
Door County is a unique Midwestern paradise! The season of magic is upon us here on the Door County Wisconsin Peninsula, from sparkling, shimmering coast to coast (see our Coastal Tour video!). See a sunrise on the quiet, lake side, and a glorious sunset on the bay side! Both over water! Where else, but Door County! Come to Door County over and over again – you will keep discovering new natural treasures every time you do!Shopaholic? Then be prepared! All the shops are stocked with spectacular items from all over the world – all awaiting your arrival! Great things for the garden, fabulous clothing and fashion accessories (see On Deck and Wilkins and Olander), things for the home like at Hide Side Corner Store, and things for the kids too. If dining out is a favorite, you will find every variety of dining from casual burgers to fine dining to fish boils - all the restaurants waiting to entice you with inns, B&Bs, resorts and cottages have been spruced-up and readied for the big summer season! Some of the finest resorts, inns and Bed & Breakfasts in the Midwest are right here waiting for your arrival!
And you enjoy camping? What better place than under the stars in Door County? And cottages and cabins are drawing increasing interest from our users, and we have found some delightful ones for you! Check out our special section in the site for Cottages, Homes, Cabins and Condos!
And this is a great time to look for your dream home or property in Door County Wisconsin! We have worked with some of the best real estate agencies in the County! Check our Real Estate Homepage, read our reviews, and click-through to their websites! Look at the Coldwell Banker "The Real Estate Group" Slide Show on our Real Estate Homepage too!
Be sure to read our reviews of everything so you can “Be in the know before you go . . . and when you get there!” We keep adding new reviews, so check back often!- Biking (yes – there are several places to rent them)
- Swimming (on the beaches or in the pools).
- Golfing (some beautiful courses like, Alpine or Peninsula State Park and others).
- Horse-back riding at the great Kurtz Coral.
- Some great tours. Like Door County Trolley, winery tours, Go to The Farm and to Plum Loco.
- Sailing – check out Sail Door County! Cruises. SCUBA diving sunken ships. Check our Bay Shore Outdoor Store for kayaking, para-sailing, sailing boat rentals and more! Festivals. Drive around the peninsula down roads you have never been! Take a wonderful scenic cruise tour with Shoreline Scenic Cruises (Hey - save money when you mention us - read the review!).
- Fishing Charters! Try Andy’s Silver Strike in Baileys Harbor for a great fishing adventure. Or try Hitman Charters too! Or Hooked Up Sport Fishing Charters!
- Para-sail or head out on a catamaran in Ephraim at South Shore Pier, with Wisconsin Water Wings, or Stiletto Sailing Cruises! Rent Waverunners, paddle boats, sail boats at South Shore Pier in Ephraim - great fun!
- Nature walks. Super theater. The Performing Arts. Shopping. Mo-peding. B&Bing. Resorting. Music in the parks. Fine dining. Mini-golfing. Carriage rides. Romance! Wow!
- Art – make your own art at Hands-On Art Studio! Read our Review – we love this place!
- Also do it yourself at Young at Heart in Egg harbor - ceramics and more!
Register on our website and you can use your very own Trip Planner! In addition, we have added Search and Advanced Search to the site so you can find exactly what you are looking for more easily than anywhere else in the world!If you want the benefits of summer without some of the crowds, you can vacation up until about the third week in June. So, if you have to wait for the kids to be out of school, then you’ll probably meet up with some of the summer crowds; if you’re planning a getaway for two, take advantage of an early trip, and also come back later when the theaters are in full production as are the other fine arts performances. Also, you can plan to come from Sundays to Thursdays (miss some crowds). Sometimes our participating lodging establishments will offer a special through us! Check our BLOG!
Plan ahead – always make reservations as early as you can to assure you get the room and the place you want. There are lots of places to stay in Door County, but if you read one of our reviews and want that particular place, and then call as soon as you can! And don’t forget to mention you found them on DoorCountyNavigator.com! We cannot tell you how much that helps us keep this site alive!
NOTE: Some of the theater offerings do not start until about the third week in June also, like Peninsula Players, Birchcreek Music and others. So always check their websites first if you are making plans that might include some of these activities. And check our Calendar of Events for details.
July and August get very busy, so make your plans and reservations as far ahead as you can so that you can guarantee that you will get your first-choice accommodations. Plan your Dining and Shopping Now!
And do read ahead – check out our restaurant reviews to find which to definitely work in your schedule, and which you might want to skip. Most restaurants in Door County are reviewed so you can pick the best before you even go! Find exactly what you are looking for – we did the legwork, you find the best!
So once you decide on a town and a place to stay, check out the town activities, shops and restaurants.Restaurant tip: once you read a review on this site you like, and are set to work this restaurant into your itinerary, when you get to Door County, call the restaurant, and see if they take reservations; some do; some don’t. If they do not, then ask them what is the best time to come when it is least crowded – some, for example, open at 5:30, and getting there right then is ideal. You can avoid the waits, and have more time to have fun! If they do not take reservations, ask if they have a waiting list that they can put you on right while you are on the phone, then head out the door and go there.
Also check out our dining guide at www.DoorCountyDining.com where you will find sample menus posted for many of Door County’s best restaurants, and while in Door County.
Driving Tip: Pick up a real Door County map (full details) and look at all the interior peninsula roads. You can “navigate” your way from place to place on the interior roads and enjoy a double benefit: you avoid some of the traffic, and you see the wonderful interior of the peninsula where you see rolling hills, farms, barns, shacks and more. This is fun and a must!
September and October are glorious! Don’t forget your fall getaway, while the weather is still nice, the crowds a little lighter, and the peninsula still in full swing.
Sunsets are spectacular and a must to see. In fact, get up early and see the sunrise on the Lake side, and the sunset on the Bay side! Check out our “Treasures Discovered: Gems in Door County” section for a sunset tip. And check out our Door County Video Library too for more interesting videos, tours and information!
HINT: Get Valuable Info While You Are IN Door County! Follow us on Twitter too and on Facebook and don't forget up-to-date info on our hot BLOG!! When you take your mobile device with you to Door County, and you are following us on Twitter and Facebook, you may receive info while you in Door County that you might find helpful! Like special deals, tips and more!
Open the Video Gallery at the top of any page, and select "Seasons in Door County" from the menu at the top to see Door County winter videos
There is a good, insulated, soft, beautiful quiet in Door County in the winter. When it snows in Door County, it’s beauty that is difficult to find anywhere else. It’s Currier & Ives and Norman Rockwell all rolled into one beautiful experience, all around you! Door County's natural features, like the coastlines, hills, fields, trees and water, take on a special, unique beauty in winter. But it is oh so quiet! When snow blankets the peninsula, it acts like an insulating layer – a comforter – and all is soft and quiet.
Get away from all the turmoil, hub-bub, crowds and work routines. Enjoy a part of our wonderful winter in Door County!
Always call ahead! If you are here during the week, you will see that many of the restaurants are closed. Some are open Thursday - Sunday, others closed for the winter, and others open most of the time. This is truly the “quiet season.” So find a nice grocery store, like Main Street Market in Egg Harbor and stock up! We will navigate you through this, so sit back, enjoy a nice cup of coffee and browse our website – your relaxing begins right now! With 100's of reviews and videos, DoorCountyNavigator.com will lead you to your perfect wonderful winter trip!
The locals who live in Door County really enjoy the “quiet season.” Having worked very hard throughout the peak season, they look forward to the winter season to renew their friendships with each other, relax, enjoy one another’s company, plan for the next season and talk! So you will find the locals very relaxed, very calm, and very open to conversation. This is very pleasant for both visitor and local – so really take the time to enjoy this! It’s truly wonderful in a winter wonderland!
What can you do?
Check our calendar of events for Dec/Jan/Feb/March and you will see some of the things going on! Also click on the related article on the home page, “25 Things to Do in Door County This Winter”. There really is enough to do or there is nothing to do – the choice is all yours.
The towns are charming at Christmas time, the trolley rides a delight, Fish Creek Winter Festival in February has tons of activities for all ages – it makes winter fun! The cherry pit-spitting contest is open to all takers – maybe you will get to wear the special jacket!
Cross-Country ski trails are awesome in Peninsula State Park and Newport. Snowmobile and stop at the Coyote Roadhouse (just off one of the trials) for some BBQ ribs and a drink. You can rent equipment at Bay Shore Outdoor Store and at Nor Door Sport & Cyclery. Buy some fine wine and snuggle in front of your fireplace at one of the great inns, resorts, B&Bs or cabins. Read our reviews and find some great places to stay.
And make your own art at Hands On Art Studio in Fish Creek - we love this place, and is a great warm up activity on a cold winter's day! Tell Cy we sent you in!
Enjoy a specialty of Door County: sunsets; and winter sunsets in Door County are just as spectacular, with a whole new look. Make sure to take lots of pictures - you will have some suitable for framing.
Sound like fun? It is – come up to Door County this winter for a weekend or mid-week get-away! Check out “25 Things to Do in Door County This Winter” for more information and lots more detail, like where to rent equipment, which inns are the coziest, and more! Also check our Calendar of Events for details about activities month by month.
Be sure to read our in-person reviews that are posted throughout our site – we did the legwork for you so that you can “Be in the Know Before You Go!” to Door County! Have some snowy fun!
And when you find a place, please tell them you found them on DoorCountyNavigator.com – that helps us keep this site going for you! Thanks!
Winter Time in Door County!
Door County Wisconsin is beautiful in the winter time! When snow blankets the county, it truly is like a Currier & Ives painting! There are terrific places to stay in the winter, cozy B&Bs, beautiful resorts, gorgeous homes and cottages.
Enough restaurants are open too, especially on weekends, for your dining pleasure. From fine dining to casual dining, you will have choices! And there are things to do too - like sledding, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, ice fishing, shopping and lots more. Or just get a nice bottle of Door County wine and cozy up by a fire!
If you have not been to Door County in the winter, you have missed some of the splendor of this very special place - so plan a trip right now!
Our Winter Guide here will help you! We have listed all the open in winter businesses in the county for your planning pleasure! There are three main categories of "being open:"
- Open in Winter - generally means they are open all winter long. Note - there may be very few exceptions, but for the most part - they are open all winter!
- Open in Limited Hours in Winter means that their hours may vary, then may be open limited days, like Thursday - Sunday, etc. Where they provided the hours, we have posted them in the listings.
- Open Winter Weekends - generally means they are only open weekends, but sometimes the weekend includes Fri-Sat-Sun only, or sometimes Thursday-Sunday, etc. Again, where they provided hours, we have too!
Always check with the business to be sure, but this Winter Guide will be a huge help for you!
If you are going through the listing sections, look for the 
and that will tell you they have winter hours, and are waiting for you!
Menu on left opens up items in the categories that are listed as open in winter.
Have fun in Door County's Winter Wonderland!
A fun fall itinerary in Door County
By Donna Marie Pocius
Special to DoorCountyNavigator.com
In this edition of From the Lake to the Bay™, we take a fall drive through Door County. Enjoy your ride through the Fall in Door County!
Springtime in Door County! Here in Door County the glorious song of Spring! Early Spring is still a quiet time in Door County, as many restaurants and some hotels, motels and resorts are not yet opened for the busy season soon to come; yet there is still a comfortable and soothing feeling in Door County in early Spring, and the sweet sounds of warmth and rebirth that permeates the air. Sure it can still be quite chilly (March still had lots of snow on the ground!) - check our weather pages to make sure you pack right - but there is no denying that Door County is a special place to watch and hear Spring reveal its magic! A sunny Spring day in Door County is hard to beat – it’s like you read about in books!
This is a perfect time to plan a romantic getaway, or take that needed trip with your friends you’ve wanted to take for so long – you’ll have time to truly talk and relax, rekindle old friendships, enhance new ones, and just enjoy the company of your friends and family.
Spring is a great time for hiking and biking the peninsula. You can rent your bikes from Nor Door Sport & Cyclery - great place with lots of activewear and gear too. And get in touch with nature: visit the Door County Gems like Cave Point (see the video), Ellison Bluff (see the video) and others, spend time discovering Sturgeon Bay and all it has to offer, learn more about the towns on the Peninsula in our Town Series (we even have an Egg Harbor Look-Around video (in the Video Gallery) and a Fish Creek Look-Around video too and visit some lighthouses like Eagle Bluff or Cana Island (see the video) (you know that Door County has more lighthouses than any other County in the country!), or just chill out and relax in front of a fireplace with a nice bottle of wine, or take in a wine tasting.
Spring is a wonderful time to go horseback riding, and the best place is at Kurtz Corral - tell Jim we sent you!
Take this time to discover Door County - ride through the interior peninsula, soak up its beauty while it is still quiet, easy to get around, and full of nature’s magical song that the Peninsula has been blessed with. Get creative and create some art at Hands-On Art Studio in Fish Creek or Young at Heart in Egg Harbor.
Or look for that special piece of real estate you’ve been dreaming about – this is a great time to look!
Maybe you are interested in owning a Door County business – another great time to check out what is available and start learning the nuances of running a business in Door County. Your real estate agencies can help you here. We are very familiar with some of them and would highly recommend the ones we have reviewed.
Door County is for everyone, so come on up and enjoy! It’s a great time of the year . . . . to be here!
And in the Springtime, the local business owners have more time to chat, and you might find them in the restaurants in the evenings or other local hang-outs. It's small town fun at its best!
Door County is a year-round destination now, so take advantage of the quiet seasons – they are special - and come back for more in the summer too! Click the link below for all the things you can do this Spring! So come on up now and hear Door County's special Spring cantata!
Be in the Know Before You go . . . And When you Get There!™
Be sure to use our website to plan your entire trip to Door County - and please mention to the folks up here that you found them on DoorCountyNavigator.com - that helps us keep the site going!
Also, be sure to Follow us on Twitter and also on Facebook! You can even get mobile alerts with cool info while you are IN Door County! Use our Find Me A Room™ program to help you with lodging, and watch for our mobile app debuting this Spring! More fun, more planning tools, even easier to use!
Five ways to see fall color in Door County
By Donna Marie Pocius
Special to DoorCountyNavigator.com
In this edition of From the Lake to the Bay,™ we see fall colors. Everywhere, but five ideas for vantage points in particular! Read on and enjoy Fall in Door County!
Colorful fall fests continue
By Donna Marie Pocius
Special to DoorCountyNavigator.com
Pumpkin Patch is just around the corner . . . have you made your hotel reservation yet? We reveal why it’s so popular and why the locals love Fall Fest in this edition of From the Lake to the Bay™
