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7 Reasons Why Newport State Park is the Best Park

Stary night sky viewed from Newport State Park in Door County, WI

We love this State Park and we know you will too!

Newport state park is a wilderness park, it’s a stargazer’s dream and a kayakers dream too!  What more could you want from one of the 5 gems of Door County’s State Parks.  Close to Ellison Bay, Newport State Park in Door County is Wisconsin’s formidable stargazing park. It isn’t your run of the mill Peninsula state park car camping routine, so it sheds the simple campers and focuses on the more rugged and prepared campers.  Want to try something new?  Grab a kayak and pack your gear in for a kayak and camp adventure.

Newport State Park is one of our favorite state parks in Door County!

1. Hiking

Bordering Lake Michigan With 30 miles of trails near the shoreline, hiking is a great way to adventure and see  Newport State Park.  The park is located just around the bend from the Mink River Estuary, which has a quick hike and a beautiful Estuary to paddle.  Bring some bug spray, but don’t worry about it too much, as the wind takes most bugs and brushes them away.

2. Kayaking

Bordering the Lake Michigan, Mink River Estuary, and the Europe Lake, this park is a great spot to kayak around.  With its multitude of waterfront locations, Newport State Park provides an immense amount of kayaking potential. Double check the weather and head around the bend into Death’s Door and checkout the Door Bluff Headlands Park and schooner Fleetwing shipwreck for you long distance paddlers.  If you’re interested in kayaking around Newport State Park kayaking, give us a call or find out more information to rent kayaks on our website here ->Door County Kayak Rentals.  We deliver!

3. Stargazing

One of 48 spots in the world labeled as a dark sky spot.  Take advantage of this stargazing spot via a camping trip(see #4) or a night drive.  The Newport State Park dark sky is a great spot to check out the Aurora borealis during august as well.

4. Camping via kayak

Rent a kayak or a paddle board, pack your smores and paddle from either the Rowleys Bay boat launch to a campsite on the lake michigan or via europe lake for a more protected campsite.  One of the cooler experiences you can do in Door County.  While most of the regular campsites in Newport state park are hike to, this is a great way to make it a little easier to get to them.

5. Silence

Silence is golden, being one of the less frequented state parks of the 5 gems, the chances of seeing someone else are greatly reduced.  The large amount of shoreline also afford you the opportunity to find some privacy.Which brings me to my 6th reason for a must visit.

6. Tan lines?

While not a designated nude beach, Newport state park has the best opportunity to find some privacy on the peninsula.  You didn’t hear it from me 😉 and there is always a park ranger around a corner.

6. Find a cool escape

During the dead heat of the summer, Newport state park offers a much needed cool spot to visit.  Being on the Lake Michigan, it stays a bit cooler than the west side of the peninsula.  So when it starts getting hot, head for the east side and head for Newport State Park.

More of the 5 Gems- Must visit Door County Parks

After your check out Newport State Park, don’t forget these other parks around the Peninsula.

Rock Island State Park

Rock Island State Park is the place we go when we want to adventure and have a team building trip or relax at the end of the season.  It is a super trek to get to, as you have to take not 1, but 2 ferries.  Use a kayak rental or paddle board rental and make an adventure out of it.

Peninsula State Park

Located in between Fish Creek and Ephraim, Peninsula State Park is the largest state park well over 3,776 acres. A park for all seasons, it gets crowded in the summer and super busy during those fall weekends.  Once you have a state park pass, the boat launch is FREE, and so is the parking, so get there early.  Check out the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, Horseshoe Bay and Eagle Bluff on our Peninsula State Park Tour.

Potawatomi State Park

Gorgeous views and a larger city around the corner.  Plenty of protected space for kayaking and paddleboarding, make this a great spot to check out.

Cave Point County Park

Not to missed, this park is our number 1 spot to visit via kayak and super picturesque on calm days with turquoise waters, as well as rough days with splashing waves.  Grab your surfboard or chill on a paddleboard.  This is a majestic park!

Whitefish Bay Dune State Park

One of the longest most beautiful beaches on the Peninsula.  Great hiking during the summer and amazing cross country skiing during the winter.

Related Posts:

  1. 7 Reasons why Cave Point is the best park in Door County
  2. 7 Reasons why Peninsula State Park is the best park in Door County… coming soon.
  3. 7 reasons Fish Creek is the best town to stay at in Door County