The Best Hiking Trails in Door County (From Someone Who Lives Here)
We’ve been guiding paddlers around Door County since 2002. Most of our guides also hike the trails on their off days. This is the list we tell guests when they ask, in the order we’d actually do them.
1. Cave Point Cliff Trail (Sturgeon Bay)
Half-mile loop along the dolomite cliffs at Cave Point County Park. Sea caves below, Lake Michigan to the east, no guardrails for most of the route.
Difficulty: easy on flat ground, but real exposure at the cliff edge.
Best paired with: a Cave Point Half-Day Kayak Tour ($145) the same morning. Hike in the afternoon when wind picks up and the cliff face is the activity.
2. Eagle Trail (Fish Creek)
The toughest hike in Peninsula State Park. 2 miles, 150-foot dolomite cliffs, real climb back up. We have a full guide to Eagle Trail.
Difficulty: difficult. The “Difficult” sign is accurate.
Best for: hikers who actually want a workout.
3. Toft Point (Baileys Harbor)
State Natural Area east of Baileys Harbor. Quiet, undeveloped, mostly cedar and pine. The trail follows the shoreline for about a mile and feels much more remote than other Door County trails.
Difficulty: easy.
Best for: people who want quiet without the climb.
4. The Ridges Sanctuary (Baileys Harbor)
Founded 1937, the first land trust in Wisconsin. Boardwalks weave through one of the state’s most botanically diverse stretches of shoreline. Lots of wildflowers, lots of birds.
Difficulty: easy. Some boardwalks are stroller-friendly, others aren’t.
Best season: late May through June for spring ephemerals.
5. Whitefish Dunes State Park (Sturgeon Bay)
The sand-dune-and-beach version of Door County. Three trails ranging from beach walks to deeper forest loops. The Brachiopod Trail is the most scenic.
Difficulty: easy to moderate.
Best paired with: a Cave Point day. They’re a mile apart.
6. Newport State Park (Ellison Bay)
The most remote part of the peninsula. Wisconsin’s only formally designated wilderness park. Long shoreline, deep forest, very few people compared to Peninsula State Park.
Difficulty: moderate. Trails are well-marked but can be long.
Best for: half-day or full-day hikes when you want isolation.
7. Cana Island Causeway (Baileys Harbor)
Not a trail exactly, but a walk worth doing. The causeway to Cana Island is rocky and depending on Lake Michigan water levels can be ankle-deep in cold water. Once you’re on the island, the lighthouse and the small shoreline trail are the experience.
Difficulty: easy on dry days, sloppy on wet ones.
Best for: 90-minute trip with a postcard reward.
What to bring
- Real hiking shoes or trail runners
- Water bottle (most trails don’t have water on route)
- Bug spray May through July
- Layers (the lake-side trails are colder than the bluffs)
- Wisconsin State Park sticker for park trails
Pairing with a kayak day
The peninsula is small enough that you can stack a paddle and a hike on the same day if the morning paddle is calm. Our recommended pairing:
- Morning: Cave Point Half-Day Kayak Tour ($145), 9am-1pm.
- Afternoon: Cave Point cliff trail OR Eagle Trail OR Toft Point, depending on energy left.
For trip planning by town, see the Fish Creek, Baileys Harbor, or Ephraim guides.
TL;DR
Eagle Trail if you want effort. Cave Point cliff trail if you want the iconic Door County hike. Toft Point if you want quiet. Newport State Park if you want isolation. Pair any of them with a Cave Point Half-Day Kayak Tour for the full peninsula day.