Information
Landmark: Door County Lighthouse TourCity: Door County
Country: USA Wisconsin
Continent: North America
Door County Lighthouse Tour, Door County, USA Wisconsin, North America
Overview
In Door County, Wisconsin, the Lighthouse Tour stands out as a must‑behold, blending rich history with striking views of weathered stone towers against the lake’s blue horizon, besides it’s not just one guided outing-it’s a blend of self-led adventures, trolley tours, and special-access weekends when visitors can wander through many of the region’s most striking lighthouses, including a few usually locked to the public, their brass fixtures gleaming in the sun.Actually, The tour takes you past 11 lighthouses scattered along Door County’s rugged Lake Michigan and Green Bay shores, where you’ll step into maritime history, admire bold architecture, and catch sweeping views of waves breaking against the rocks, not only that when you visit Door County’s lighthouses, you can explore them in three main ways-for example, picture stepping inside the cool, echoing tower of one on a guided tour.Visitors can wander through several lighthouses at their own pace, maybe pausing to feel the cool stone walls as they climb, along with most keep regular hours through the tourism season, running from late May to mid-October, though a few can only be reached by boat or on foot along a pine-scented trail.You can pick up maps and handy info at any local visitor center, right next to the rack of glossy brochures, after that number two.Curiously, The Guided Trolley Tour with Door County Trolley Co, simultaneously leaves from Egg Harbor for a lively 4.5-hour trip filled with stories, scenic rides, and lighthouse visits.You’ll often stop at Cana Island, the Baileys Harbor Range Lights, and Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, with time to climb the towers and wander the grounds, the wind carrying the scent of lake water, simultaneously a boxed lunch is included, and tickets run about $76 for adults and $70 for kids over five.The Door County Lighthouse Festivals, known as Passport Days, take site in June and October, hosted by the Door County Maritime Museum, at the same time they offer rare chances to step inside places usually off-limits, like Sherwood Point, Chambers Island, and Plum Island, roughly Just so you know, Expect guided walks, boat rides through crisp lake air, and private island visits, at the same time tickets go prompt, so book ahead, almost Believe it or not, Here are the main lighthouses on the tour, with notes on their history and details: 1, alternatively cana Island Lighthouse in Baileys Harbor, built in 1869, rises 89 feet-just 97 steps to the top, moderately You reach it by a natural causeway, or by haywagon when the water runs high, subsequently from May to October, daily 10 a.m. To 5 p.m, visitors pay about $12 for adults and $10 for kids to take in sweeping Lake Michigan views, explore the restored keeper’s quarters and oil house, and read the interpretive signs, and eagle Bluff Lighthouse in Peninsula State Park, built in 1868, rises 76 feet above the shore and offers sweeping views of Strawberry Channel; visitors can explore a period-furnished keeper’s house, join maritime history tours, or wander on their own, with admission around $6 for adults and free entry for veterans and Blue Star families-just don’t forget your park sticker at the gate.Built in 1869, the Baileys Harbor Range Lights guided ships safely into the harbor with a front and rear light system, simultaneously you’ll find them tucked inside the Ridges Sanctuary, where pine-scented trails wind past restored buildings and naturalists share stories of the coast.Open from spring through early fall-be sure to check for guided walks, while sherwood Point Lighthouse in Sturgeon Bay was built in 1883 and served as the last manned lighthouse on the Great Lakes until 1983.It sits on private Coast Guard grounds, closed to visitors except during the Lighthouse Festival, where its red brick tower, snug keeper’s house, and sweeping bay views draw a crowd, likewise the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Lighthouse and Pierhead Light stand on the east side of the canal, with the Pierhead built in 1882 and the canal light added in 1899.Interestingly, You can stroll the public pier to spot the Pierhead, while the canal light can only be viewed from outside, subsequently vivid red paint covers the lighthouse and its narrow catwalk, and waves from Lake Michigan slam against the shore with a deep, rhythmic crash.Built in 1868, Chambers Island Lighthouse sits on a quiet, undeveloped island you can reach only by boat-usually from Fish Creek, consequently it’s rarely open, mostly during the Lighthouse Festival, and getting there means a long hike through pine-scented trails to the tower.The Pottawatomie Lighthouse in Rock Island State Park is Wisconsin’s oldest, first lit in 1836 and rebuilt in 1858, meanwhile to get there, you’ll take a ferry to Washington Island, drive across, catch another ferry to Rock Island, then hike 1.25 miles through quiet woods, perhaps Open from Memorial Day to Columbus Day, it offers a fully restored keeper’s home, sweeping views of Lake Michigan, and a deep sense of peaceful isolation, in conjunction with built in 1896, the Plum Island Range Lights and nearby Pilot Island can only be visited on Passport Days or by private boat tour.You’ll find a quiet, windswept island with restored range light buildings and a U, at the same time s.Fish & Wildlife Service station close by, simultaneously plan your trip between late May and mid-October for most lighthouses, or aim for June and October festival weekends for special access.Stay in Baileys Harbor, Fish Creek, or Sturgeon Bay for easy reach to several sites-book early if you’re coming for a festival, subsequently wear sturdy shoes for tower climbs and unpaved trails, pack sunscreen, bug spray, and water, and bring a camera for those fiery Cana Island sunsets, relatively Weather shifts fleet along the lake, so layer up, likewise most lighthouses here are cared for by the Door County Maritime Museum, the U, for the most part S, meanwhile coast Guard, Wisconsin’s DNR, and local nonprofits, partially In a way, Money from tours and ticket sales often goes straight into keeping these beacons alive-repairing worn steps, restoring faded paint, and sharing their stories with visitors, moreover in Door County, the lighthouses stand as more than ancient stone towers-they’re steadfast guardians of a coast shaped by tempests, shipwrecks, the smell of fresh-caught fish, and the pull of navigation.Somehow, Walking through them, you feel the human stories in every creaking beam and marvel at the engineering that once made these shores both hazardous and a refuge, moreover you can wander the Door County Lighthouse Tour on foot, ride a trolley, drift by boat, or cruise in a car, and each way offers a vivid, cultural trip into the peninsula’s maritime heart, where waves slap against weathered stone and history feels close enough to touch.
Author: Tourist Landmarks
Date: 2025-10-07
