RVing Door County Wisconsin with Kids
Door County is a 70 mile peninsula in Wisconsin that’s surrounded by Lake Michigan. A popular vacation destination for residents of Wisconsin and Illinois, it seems to be one of the state’s best kept secrets for an absolutely breath-taking destination!
We started at the end of the peninsula near Ellison Bay, explored as far north as you can get in Door County (Washington Island), then worked our way south all the way to Sturgeon Bay. We took two weeks RVing the peninsula to do as much as we could, and we want to share that experience with you!
As you know, we’re a family of four with two young children that live in our RV full time. That greatly influences the things we go and do.
Door County is the perfect romantic getaway to share with your partner.
We kept dreaming of the places we’d explore and stay if we didn’t have our kids in tow!
So here’s our RV guide to Door County with your kids (but know we definitely suggest you visit without them!).
Where and what is Door County?
As we mentioned, Door County is the 70 mile long peninsula of Wisconsin. Also known as Wisconsin’s thumb (because the state shape looks like a hand). The 45th parallel (the point that’s halfway between the equator and the North Pole) runs through the middle of Door County. It’s home to many lighthouses, ship wrecks, beautiful bluffs that tower hundreds of feet above Lake Michigan, cherry and apple orchards, ferries, hiking trails among the five state parks, and so much more.
It’s also one of the only places where you can catch the sun rise over the water on the east side of the peninsula, drive 10 minutes west and catch the sun set on the water that evening. If you love sunrises and sunsets, this is a MUST destination.
So let’s start at the tip of the peninsula and work our way south (what we recommend so that your drive home isn’t as long!).
Where to stay and what to do in your RV in Door County
Ellison Bay
We LOVED this RV park! It was an easy in, easy out park with full hookups and so many incredible things to do nearby. While the majority of “big rig” sites are out in the open, there are a few great sites in the trees that have large yard areas, and are what we got to enjoy.
This was just around the corner from the RV park and was a great little park and beach for seeing the lake, swimming, and playing at the playground. Great for kids!
Go here at sunset. Super short walk to a sitting area right on the bluff, and a lookout walkway that puts you out away from the bluff and a stunning scene of Lake Michigan.
As people that work remotely, we had to mention this cute little coffee shop with great wifi. It was quiet, comfortable, convenient, and perfect for a morning (or afternoon) work session. Grab their locally roasted beans, because the coffee is delicious!
You’ll quickly discover the epic cherry orchards in Door County due to the county’s unique climate and the lake effect it receives. This was a popular stop with lots of fresh-picked cherries, apples, and every product made from cherries that you could imagine. Catch lunch here, too, and even let the kids play in the cute playground spot!
This was quite the hike – and one we actually cannot recommend for kids, simply because we realized we were hiking along a bluff edge. John held our two year old, and our six-year-old held Melody’s hand the whole time (once we realized). There are no rails, and the trail is underdeveloped and a bit silty/slippery.
That said, if you can, do it. You’ll be among the incredible massive cedar trees, and your heart will race as you approach the bluff edge and take a peek at amazing Lake Michigan views from way up high.
Washington Island
This is the only way to make it to Washington Island, the (actually quite large) island off the tip of the Door County peninsula. We struggled finding any information about the island online ahead of time. But we can definitely say that it was worth it to take a day to visit!
When you purchase your ferry tickets, you’ll also get a map that details all of the restaurants and sites on the island. This is super helpful, and given cell reception on the island is spotty, you’ll want to keep the guide handy.
We thought the ferry tickets were expensive. We took our car, mostly because we didn’t know how else we’d get around (there’s a Cherry Train in the summer and on nice sunny days – we think that might be an island transportation option if you don’t bring your car).
These are the ferry’s rates:
Adult. $15.00
Child (6 thru 11) $8.00
Child (5 and under) FREE
Auto (occupants not included) $28.00
Motorcycle $18.00
Bicycle $6.00
Pets FREE
NOTE: If you plan to do Rock Island State Park, get the combination ferry tickets to save you a little money!
If you’re RVing Door County, you can camp on Washington Island. It’s an additional fee to get your rig on the ferry, and from what we could see, the RV sites are pretty limited in length. But it’s possible, and looks like a really neat place to stay.
Rock Island State Park is behind the boys in this photo.
We didn’t actually visit Rock Island State Park because it was raining really hard while we were there. But we did see it from a distance! And if you’re going to go all the way to Washington Island, take the additional passenger ferry and cross another state park off your list.
This is a cute little museum all about the fishing village of Jackson Harbor back when it was a busy fishing industry. It’s on the furthest side of the island near the Rock Island Ferry, and has a fantastic little soup and sandwich shop next door.
It won’t take you long to discover a little history and fill your stomachs in this cute little harbor.
This is one of five smooth limestone beaches in the world, and a MUST SEE. Bring your shoes because the rocks can hurt, but also take off your shoes and experience the smooth limestone rocks under your feet.
The water is crystal clear and bright turquoise due to the white rocks and clear Lake Michigan waters, perfect for swimming.
This is a good time to note the amount of shipwrecks around Door County as this falls along the Shipwreck Maritime Trail. While it’s mainly an attraction for scuba divers, there’s a Death’s Door Museum in Ellison Bay that will be interesting to anyone fascinated by shipwrecks.
As the rain poured, we struggled finding a place to eat–but accidentally chose one of the most popular burger joints in the area. It was delicious, and really hit the spot, even though we were wet and cold!
Sister Bay
We had no idea about Al Johnson’s until we were strolling down the sidewalk in Sister Bay, and we came across goats on a grass roof (you read that right)! We looked into it, and found out that Al Johnson’s is a popular Swedish restaurant that is known for its goats on the roof – apparently a birthday prank made by a friend of the restaurant owner many years ago. That allegedly started the tradition of goats on the roof.
Apart from the goats, the Swedish food here is traditional and very good! We enjoyed the hot chocolates with a massive stack of whip cream, the Swedish pancakes, and naturally, a side of meatballs and lingonberries.
GO EARLY. This place can have a massive wait time around brunch time (think hours). We arrived at 8:15 and still waited about 30 minutes for four people. The goats come out at 9 am weather permitting.
Related to Al Johnson’s Restaurant, this adorable little Swedish store is actually an extended shop location of the main one in the restaurant. I (Melody) personally loved this little shop, and liked all the goods they carried moreso than the restaurant shop. Bring your Christmas list, because this shop has the BEST gift ideas!
This was a fun little restaurant that we went to mainly for the atmosphere of being right across the street from the bay, and getting some fresh fish! They’re primarily known for their delicious lobster rolls and lobster mac n cheese.
Sister Bay Boat Rental (now Door County Boats)
Being in Door County, you’ll get the urge to be out on Lake Michigan! Renting a pontoon boat was a great option for our family of four with little kids. We were able to safely let them play and romp around the boat, then swim in the lake with us once we got to a good destination.
And Sister Bay Boat Rentals was GREAT! Their pontoon boat was in prestine condition. They did have to cancel our original rental due to bad weather, but they called right away that morning and got us rescheduled for a sunnier day.
Heads up, the lake is COLD!
Horseshoe Island
We have to mention this little stop in Lake Michigan because it was the perfect, beautiful, calm waters cove for an afternoon lunch while on the boat. Just look it up on Google Maps, and head southwest from Sister Bay. You can’t miss it (even though it’s a very small island)!
Peninsula State Park
This beautiful tower (recently redone) is an incredible scenic outlook on top of Eagle Bluff. The tower is 60 feet high with the top observation deck 253 feet above the water of Green Bay.
You can either climb the 100 steps to the top, or take the ramp through a beautiful canopy of trees (what we opted for since we were tired of carrying our toddler).
Horseshoe Island is to the right in this photo.
This is how we found Horseshoe island from afar. If you do anything in Peninsula Stat Park, do this! (And Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, but we ended up having to skip it since we were short on time.)
Newport State Park
This is a beautiful little beach area that’s perfect for swimming! Shallow waters, beautiful limestone, and a soft sandy beach area. We were so impressed by this state park.
This state park has 11 miles of shoreline, and 30 miles of trails, some that even have designated camping areas for hikers. At the north end of the park, it’s a designated Dark Sky Park which makes it perfect for star gazing!
We did a simple bike ride with the kids on the Europe Bay Trail. Biking in Wisconsin is really unique since it’s among such beautiful trees (most more common in Canada than Wisconsin, which is neat!), and the trails are shaded and jungle-like.
While these trails are beautifully cleared, there are quite a lot of roots to traverse. So keep in mind an often bumpy bike ride (but worth it)!
Baileys Harbor
This 150 year old lighthouse was a must-see for the Door County area. There are a lot of lighthouses in Door County because of its position on Lake Michigan, but this is one of the great ones where you can actually go up into the lighthouse AND tour the home that belonged to the lighthouse keeper and his family.
You must walk out to the island (the water is low enough to expose a rocky area you can cross by foot), OR ride the bumpy wagon across the rocks to the island.
There is a fee to access the lighthouse as it’s a part of the Sturgeon Bay Maritime Museum: $15 per adult, and $7 per child.
Sturgeon Bay
Another great lighthouse to explore in the southern part of Door County. This is a unique one to get to as you have to park at the entrance of the lighthouse and Coast Guard area, then walk on the correct public access side to get down to the pier walk.
Then there’s a walk along the seawall to actually get out to the lighthouse.
The waves would crash up against the jagged rocks of the seawall as boats would go roaring by, a really neat thing to experience! The color of the lighthouse is stunning, and it’s exciting being surrounded by so much choppy water and watch how the seawall works.
We love finding an informative museum wherever we go to really learn about the history of the area. This was a neat museum right on the busy waterfront of Sturgeon Bay. The museum has a ship on the water you can explore (pictured), along with the exhibits inside.
Potawatomi State Park
We camped in this state park after leaving Hy-land Court.
Was it a bit tight for our 42 foot fifth wheel? On the roads YES. But the spot we got was a perfect pull through with a beautiful “yard” tucked up against a hill edge with limestone, trees, and a large area for us to play and relax in nature.
So for you big rigs, we stayed in site #44E.
This is the only pull through in the park, and you are going to love the ease of getting in and out of this site.
This park is right up against Lake Michigan, and has the trailhead for the Ice Age Trail.
Apart from the campground and popular trail, there’s a small nature center, playground, and a pier for fishing. (The lookout tower is currently unaccessible.) We loved how quiet it was, and loved our stay here.
We give you a full tour of our time in Door County Wisconsin over on YouTube!
RVing in beautiful Door County Wisconsin comes highly recommended on our list for a fun filled family vacation! It is a gorgeous peninsula on Lake Michigan full of so many unique things to do with the family. From beautiful lakeshores, to hikes on bluffs, and relaxing boat rides on the lake… whatever it is you want to do, you can find it in Wisconsin’s best kept secret.