Excursions
Here are some of the terrific adventures you might find yourself on as a part of a weekend Door County Bike Tour group. Each tour is tailored to the interests of our guests and the whims of Mother Nature.
Peninsula State Park spans over 3,700 acres and is a favorite destination for biking, with its woodland trails, sand beach, limestone cliffs and miles of shoreline. Home to the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse and American Folklore Theatre, the park is also a pleasant throughway from our base in Ephraim to other towns on our tour.
Paddle along Peninsula State Park’s rocky shorelines, under ancient bluffs, and past sea caves — perhaps all the way out to Horseshoe Island — on a guided sea kayak tour into Green Bay.
Hundreds of species of native wildflowers make their home in the oldest non-profit nature preserve in Wisconsin, The Ridges Sanctuary. Five miles of rustic bridges and trails wind their way through its 1,600 acres of pristine natural area. The historic Baileys Harbor Range Lights can be viewed from its trails.
This traditionally rigged and registered Tall Ship sails from the Sister Bay Marina into Green Bay, along cedar-covered shoreline, under limestone bluffs and past caves, coves and rocky shoals, while the captain recounts the history of the shipwreck Meridan and points out shoreline landmarks.
The former Potawatomi Island, once a route on the Grand Traverse, saw the area’s first European settlement. Now a 906-acre state park, Rock Island is a pleasant destination for biking, hiking, swimming, and viewing Wisconsin’s oldest lighthouse.
What began as an economical way to feed hungry hoards of lumberjacks and fishermen has become a can’t-miss Door County experience. At just the right moment, the boilmaster adds potatoes, onions, then whitefish steaks, fresh from Lake Michigan, to a kettle of salted water over a blazing fire. He tosses kerosene into the fire, causing the water to boil over, dramatically carrying away the fish oil and sealing in the flavor.
Its name means Birch Forest by the Water. Björklunden occupies 425 acres of meadows, woods, and unspoiled waterfront on Lake Michigan. One of its gems is little Boynton Chapel, built 75 years ago in the style of a 12th-century Norwegian stavkirke church and resplendent with handcrafted furniture, frescos, and dragons.
We might hop aboard the passenger ferry Karfi and head over to the land of limestone and sand dune beaches, maritime and nature museums, and a breathtaking view of the neighboring islands from atop the Mountain Park Lookout Tower.
The Door County Bike Tourists might have an appointment at the Savory Spoon Cooking School in Ellison Bay to expand our repertoire of international cooking techniques. The school is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals, and its kitchen is professionally and beautifully appointed. Learn more…
The lamp of the historic Eagle Bluff Lighthouse at the northwestern tip of Peninsula State Park has remained constant for 142 years. The last lighthouse keeper moved out in 1926, and the lighthouse now operates as a museum, telling the story of the keepers and their families who lived there for half a century.
Is nothing in Door County sacred? Not for the Door County Trolley’s knowledgeable drivers. They bring the county’s history to life with narrated tours interspersed with stories, humor, and banter and serve as our rainy day option if needed. The Door County Trolley is our entertaining Plan B, should the weather make cycling impractical.
