Door County Lighthouse Tour | Door County

The Door County Lighthouse Tour is one of the most iconic and historically rich experiences available in Door County, Wisconsin. It is not a single guided event but rather a combination of self-guided explorations, trolley-led tours, and special access weekends during which visitors can explore many of the region’s most significant and scenic lighthouses-some of which are not normally open to the public. With 11 total lighthouses along Door County’s rugged Lake Michigan and Green Bay shorelines, the tour allows you to experience maritime history, dramatic views, and unique architecture.

STRUCTURE OF THE EXPERIENCE

There are three main formats for touring Door County’s lighthouses:

1. Self-Guided Lighthouse Tour

Visitors can explore several lighthouses on their own schedule. Most offer regular hours during the tourism season (late May through mid-October), with some accessible only by boat or hike. Maps and information are available at local visitor centers.

2. Guided Trolley Tour (Door County Trolley Co.)

Departs from Egg Harbor

Typically a 4.5-hour narrated tour that includes transportation, historical commentary, and lighthouse access

Stops often include Cana Island, Baileys Harbor Range Lights, and Eagle Bluff Lighthouse

Includes a boxed lunch and plenty of time to climb towers and walk grounds

Cost averages around $76 for adults, $70 for children over age 5

3. Door County Lighthouse Festivals (Passport Days)

Occur in June and October, organized by the Door County Maritime Museum

Provides rare access to lighthouses not typically open to the public, such as Sherwood Point, Chambers Island, and Plum Island

Includes guided walking tours, boat trips, and private island access

Events sell out quickly and require advance registration

MAJOR LIGHTHOUSES ON THE TOUR

Below are the main lighthouses featured on tours, along with their significance and logistics:

1. Cana Island Lighthouse (Baileys Harbor)

Built: 1869

Tower Height: 89 feet; 97 steps to the top

Access: Via a natural causeway (haywagon shuttle available during flooding)

Highlights: Breathtaking Lake Michigan views, restored keeper’s quarters, oil house, interpretive signage

Season: May to October, daily 10 AM – 5 PM

Admission: ~$12 adults, ~$10 children

2. Eagle Bluff Lighthouse (Peninsula State Park)

Built: 1868

Tower Height: 76 feet

Access: Inside Peninsula State Park (park sticker required)

Highlights: Period-furnished keeper’s house, maritime history tours, scenic overlook of Strawberry Channel

Admission: ~$6 for adults; free for veterans and Blue Star families

Tours: Self-guided or docent-led

3. Baileys Harbor Range Lights

Built: 1869

Function: Provided safe entrance alignment for harbor traffic using a front and rear light system

Access: Located inside the Ridges Sanctuary nature preserve

Highlights: Beautiful forested walking paths, restored buildings, naturalist-led talks available

Season: Spring to early fall; check for guided walk availability

4. Sherwood Point Lighthouse (Sturgeon Bay)

Built: 1883

Unique Fact: Last manned lighthouse on the Great Lakes (until 1983)

Access: Located on private Coast Guard property; only open to the public during Lighthouse Festival

Highlights: Picturesque red brick tower and keeper’s house, dramatic bay views

5. Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Lighthouse & Pierhead Light

Built: Pierhead in 1882; Canal light in 1899

Location: East side of Sturgeon Bay Canal

Access: Pierhead Light is visible via public pier walk; Canal Light visible but not open for climbing

Highlights: Red-painted lighthouse and catwalk; powerful Lake Michigan shoreline waves

6. Chambers Island Lighthouse

Built: 1868

Access: Only by boat (typically from Fish Creek)

Open: Rarely-mainly during Lighthouse Festival

Highlights: Long hike to the tower; isolated island experience with minimal development

7. Pottawatomie Lighthouse (Rock Island State Park)

Oldest lighthouse in Wisconsin, originally established in 1836

Rebuilt: 1858

Access: Requires ferry to Washington Island, drive across the island, then ferry to Rock Island and a 1.25-mile hike

Open: Memorial Day to Columbus Day

Highlights: Fully restored keeper’s home, panoramic Lake Michigan views, peaceful isolation

8. Plum Island Range Lights & Pilot Island

Built: 1896

Access: Only during Passport Days or private boat tours

Highlights: Remote island environment, restored range light buildings, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service station nearby

PLANNING YOUR TOUR

Ideal Travel Window:

Late May to mid-October for most lighthouses

Festival weekends in June and October for special access locations

Lodging Suggestions:

Baileys Harbor, Fish Creek, and Sturgeon Bay are ideal for access to multiple lighthouse sites

Book lodging early for festival weekends

Travel Tips:

Wear sturdy walking shoes for climbing towers and walking unpaved trails

Bring sunscreen, bug spray, and water-some lighthouses are remote with no facilities

Bring a camera-sunrise and sunset shots of Cana Island and Pierhead Light are especially dramatic

Prepare for variable weather along the lakefront; layered clothing is recommended

PRESERVATION AND HERITAGE

Most lighthouses are maintained by the Door County Maritime Museum, U.S. Coast Guard, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and various nonprofit groups. Tour and ticket proceeds often directly support the ongoing preservation, restoration, and historical interpretation of these beacons.

The lighthouses of Door County are more than historic structures-they are guardians of a region shaped by storms, shipwrecks, fishing, and navigation. Touring them offers a deep appreciation of the human stories and engineering marvels that once made these shores both perilous and life-saving.

Whether explored by foot, trolley, boat, or car, the Door County Lighthouse Tour is a scenic, cultural, and deeply memorable journey into the maritime soul of Wisconsin’s peninsula.