Door County
A Wisconsin peninsula of cherry orchards and eleven lighthouses, named for a strait the French called the door of the dead.
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The peninsula separates Green Bay from Lake Michigan and takes its name from Porte des Morts, the strait at its northern tip, named by French voyageurs for the number of craft lost in it. Eleven lighthouses stand along the shores, more than any other county in the country. Cherry orchards cover a good deal of the interior - the lake moderates the spring frost the same way it does at Traverse City. The fish boil is the local performance: whitefish and potatoes cooked in a cauldron over wood, with kerosene thrown on the fire at the end to boil the pot over and carry off the oil, which produces a large flare and is the reason people watch. Washington Island lies across the strait by ferry.
What you actually see
- Eleven lighthouses - more than any other county.
- Cherry orchards - kept from late frost by the lake.
- The fish boil overboil - kerosene on the fire, a deliberate flare.
- Washington Island - across the Porte des Morts strait by ferry.
When to go
May to October; blossom in late May, colour in October. Several days.
Honest expectations
Summer and colour weekends fill the peninsula and the two roads through it. Winter closes most businesses. The ferry to Washington Island is weather-dependent. Accommodation books far ahead.
Nearby
Washington Island is north by ferry; Green Bay is south.
What to pack for Door County
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.