Wisconsin Door County

Tour Itinerary

Day 1: We will meet at the “door” to Door County – in the town of Sturgeon Bay – at 3:00pm for a rental bike fitting, 5:30pm for an orientation and 6:30pm for dinner. Our hotel is a block from the water and a block off of the main street if you arrive early and have time to explore on your own. 0 miles.

Day 2: We’ll start cycling directly from our hotel after breakfast along the western edge of the peninsula. We’ll pass driveways that cut through the white cedar and red oak forest and are the only sign that this quiet area is inhabited. After we reach the small hamlet of Egg Harbor, we’ll stop for lunch at the Edgewood Orchard Galleries. Feel free to roam among the stunning sculptures in the garden and the paintings in the barn while our guides prepare your picnic.

After lunch, we’ll leave the road and cycle a long, winding bike path through Peninsula State Park, stopping at the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse for a view out over Green Bay. After resting up at our hotel in the town of Ephraim, we’ll head to a “fish boil” for dinner. No visit to Door County is complete without experiencing this traditional Scandinavian meal cooked over a raging outdoor fire. 37 miles. ±1020'.

Day 3: After a delicious breakfast at our inn, we’ll head to the tip of Door County’s peninsula on our bicycles and then board a ferry to Washington Island. We’ll cross the “Porte des Morts,” translated to “Death’s Door,” a narrow strait said to be named for a battle between two Native American tribes. It lived up to its name in the 1800s when it also became the site of multiple shipwrecks. Today, the calm channel is considered the origin for the name of Door County.

After lunch on the beach, you can stop at  the stunning Stavkirke, a stave church built in the medieval wooden tradition found in Norway and Sweden. It will remind us that many of the earliest immigrants to this area came from Iceland and Scandinavia. You can also stop at a lavender farm and climb a fire tower for a bird’s eye view of the island before heading back to our return ferry. If you still have the energy, we will stop for a tasting of local handcrafted hard cider on the way back to our inn. 8 or 33 miles, ±757' or ±1150'.

Day 4: Today’s ride takes us across the county to the wilder side of the peninsula that faces huge Lake Michigan. Along the way, you’ll cycle past apple and cherry orchards for which this area is famous. We’ll cross Kangaroo Lake and then stop for an optional climb up the winding staircase of Cana Island Lighthouse. The bird’s eye view from the top is worth it. We’ll finish the day at a lakeside resort with a private beach. 36 miles, ±816'.

Day 5: You can choose to cycle or shuttle the short distance to our kayaking trip today. We will paddle in the gentle lake waters along a line of fascinating limestone caves. Keep your eyes peeled for loons, cormorants and bald eagles. Back at our resort, we’ll have a picnic lunch and then set out for a hike in Whitefish Dunes State Park. If you’d rather relax on the beach at our resort though, our guides will understand! 10 miles cycling, 2 hours kayaking and 2 hours hiking.

Day 6: We’ll end our week with one last quiet bike ride back to Sturgeon Bay. You’ll be able to count on one hand the cars you’ll see along the way. After a picnic lunch back at our starting hotel, we’ll say our good-byes to Door County and shuttle back to the Green Bay airport, arriving by 1:30pm. 16 miles, ±211'.