How long is the Door County Circle Tour: Wisconsin's Peninsula Loop route?

This route takes 5 days taking in 7 stops.

Where does this route start and end?

The route runs from Sturgeon Bay to Sturgeon Bay in Door County, Wisconsin, United States.

When is the best time to travel this route?

The best time to travel this route is May to October.

How active is this route?

Activity level: Easy-going. Easy-going and accessible for most fitness levels.

What transport do I need for this route?

This route works best with a car or a campervan.

What budget do I need for this route?

Mid-range spending — expect comfortable accommodation and a mix of dining options.

What type of accommodation suits this route?

Mixed accommodation works well along this route.

What is the pace of this trip?

Relaxed — plenty of time to linger at each stop.

What type of trip is this?

This route is well-suited to: Scenic, Coastal, Nature, Classic road trip, Food & drink.

Door County Circle Tour: Wisconsin's Peninsula Loop

Loading…

The route · 7 stops

3 overnight bases · 1 day trip · 3 stops on the way

Sturgeon Bay

1 night

The peninsula's largest town and the gateway to the loop. A working shipbuilding port with the Door County Maritime Museum, a walkable downtown of galleries and supper clubs, and the canal lighthouses out at the point. Settle in for a night, stock up, then head north up the quieter bay side.The peninsula's largest town and the gateway to the loop. A working shipbuilding port with the Door County Maritime Museum, a walkable downtown of galleries and supper clubs, and the canal lighthouses out at the point. Settle in for a night, stock up, then head north up the quieter bay side.

Recommendations

On the way

Egg Harbor
Quick stop
Worth a stop on the drive: The first of the bayside resort villages, set above a sheltered harbour. Low-key and family friendly: a marina, a beach park, cherry orchards and roadside farm stands. An easy first hop north and a good spot to ease into Door County's relaxed pace before the busier villages further up the coast.Worth a stop on the drive: The first of the bayside resort villages, set above a sheltered harbour. Low-key and family friendly: a marina, a beach park, cherry orchards and roadside farm stands. An easy first hop north and a good spot to ease into Door County's relaxed pace before the busier villages further up the coast.
Recommendations

On to Fish Creek

Fish Creek

2 nights

The hub of the peninsula and the best two-night base. Adjoining Peninsula State Park has the 1868 Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, the Eagle Tower lookout, limestone bluffs and miles of cycling trails. The village itself has a busy marina, summer theatre and the classic White Gull Inn fish boil.The hub of the peninsula and the best two-night base. Adjoining Peninsula State Park has the 1868 Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, the Eagle Tower lookout, limestone bluffs and miles of cycling trails. The village itself has a busy marina, summer theatre and the classic White Gull Inn fish boil.

Recommendations

Day trip from Fish Creek

4
Sister Bay
A day trip from Fish Creek: The dining and sunset capital of the north. Watch goats graze the grass roof at Al Johnson's, walk the long public waterfront, and detour to neighbouring Ephraim for Wilson's ice cream and historic Anderson Dock. The best place on the route to catch the sun drop over Green Bay.A day trip from Fish Creek: The dining and sunset capital of the north. Watch goats graze the grass roof at Al Johnson's, walk the long public waterfront, and detour to neighbouring Ephraim for Wilson's ice cream and historic Anderson Dock. The best place on the route to catch the sun drop over Green Bay.

On to Washington Island

Washington Island

1 night

Reached by a 30-minute car ferry across the Death's Door strait. Quiet, flat and ideal to explore by bike: smooth-stone Schoolhouse Beach, a Midwest-leading lavender farm, the wooden Stavkirke chapel and deep Scandinavian roots. A peaceful overnight at the very top of the route.Reached by a 30-minute car ferry across the Death's Door strait. Quiet, flat and ideal to explore by bike: smooth-stone Schoolhouse Beach, a Midwest-leading lavender farm, the wooden Stavkirke chapel and deep Scandinavian roots. A peaceful overnight at the very top of the route.

Recommendations

On the way

Baileys Harbor
Quick stop
Worth a stop on the drive: The wild Lake Michigan side. Cave Point County Park's limestone sea caves draw sunrise photographers, The Ridges Sanctuary protects rare boreal wildflowers, and Cana Island Lighthouse sits offshore down a stone causeway. A nature-led finish before the short drive back to Sturgeon Bay.Worth a stop on the drive: The wild Lake Michigan side. Cave Point County Park's limestone sea caves draw sunrise photographers, The Ridges Sanctuary protects rare boreal wildflowers, and Cana Island Lighthouse sits offshore down a stone causeway. A nature-led finish before the short drive back to Sturgeon Bay.
Recommendations
Sturgeon Bay
Quick stop
Close the loop back where you started. The short drive south down WI-57 from the quiet side returns you to Sturgeon Bay for a last supper-club dinner or the road home.Close the loop back where you started. The short drive south down WI-57 from the quiet side returns you to Sturgeon Bay for a last supper-club dinner or the road home.
Recommendations

Door County Circle Tour: Wisconsin's Peninsula Loop