Peninsula State Park

State: Wisconsin. Type: state park in Door County, near Fish Creek, on a peninsula with eight miles of Green Bay shoreline. Size: 3,776 acres. Established 1909, formally recognized by the state legislature in 1910, making it Wisconsin's second state park. Home to the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse (built 1868), an 18-hole golf course (opened 1931), and roughly 468 family campsites. Attracted approximately 1,148,482 visitors in 2024.

Peninsula State Park occupies a scenic finger of land jutting into Green Bay near the village of Fish Creek in Door County, and is one of the most heavily visited parks in the Wisconsin state park system. Established in 1909 and formally recognized by the state legislature the following year, it was Wisconsin's second state park, created with an explicit goal of giving working-class visitors an affordable outdoor destination, with land acquired at an average of about $20 an acre. The park combines eight miles of Green Bay shoreline with dense forest, limestone bluffs and several hundred campsites spread across four campgrounds. Its best-known landmark, the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, was built in 1868 to guide ships through the bay's waters and was automated in 1926, with the former keeper's residence turned into a small museum in 1963. The park also hosts an 18-hole golf course dating to 1931, an open-air amphitheater used by the long-running Northern Sky Theater, and Eagle Tower, an observation point offering wide views over Green Bay.

The park is located at 9462 Shore Rd., Fish Creek, WI 54212, in Door County on the Door Peninsula, along the Green Bay side of the peninsula. It has two main entrances, one near Fish Harbor close to the village of Fish Creek, and another near the Peninsula Golf Course. The park spans 3,776 acres with eight miles of Green Bay shoreline.

Door County has a climate moderated somewhat by the surrounding waters of Green Bay and Lake Michigan compared to inland Wisconsin, with warm summers and cold, snowy winters. Lake-effect conditions can bring extra snowfall or delay spring warming near the shoreline compared to areas farther inland.

Summer is the park's busiest season, given its beaches, campgrounds and Northern Sky Theater performances, drawing over a million visitors in 2024. Fall offers a quieter visit with color-changing forests around the bluffs and Eagle Tower, while spring and winter see fewer crowds, with winter suited to cross-country skiing and other snow activities within the park.

Peninsula State Park was established in 1909 and formally recognized by the Wisconsin legislature in 1910, making it the second state park created in Wisconsin. Its founders aimed to secure an affordable outdoor recreation area for working-class visitors, acquiring land at an average cost of around $20 per acre. The Eagle Bluff Lighthouse, predating the park itself, was authorized in 1866 and built in 1868 for $12,000 to help guide shipping traffic in Green Bay; it was automated in 1926, and its former keeper's house became a museum in 1963. The park's golf course began as a plan for two nine-hole courses starting in 1913, eventually opening as a full 18-hole, roughly 5,000-yard course in 1931, with a six-hole short course added in 2014.

Popular activities include hiking and biking the park's trail network, including the 9.5-mile Sunset Bike Trail, swimming and picnicking along the Green Bay shoreline, golfing the 18-hole Peninsula Golf Course (plus its 2014 six-hole short course), and climbing Eagle Tower for views over the bay. The White Cedar Nature Center offers educational programs, and the Northern Sky Theater stages outdoor performances within the park during warmer months. Visitors can also tour the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse and its keeper's-house museum, and paddle or boat out to Horseshoe Island offshore.

Key sites include the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse and its museum, Eagle Tower observation point, the White Cedar Nature Center, the Peninsula Golf Course, the Northern Sky Theater amphitheater, and Horseshoe Island just offshore. The park's four campground areas, Nicolet Bay, Tennison Bay, Weborg Point and Welcker's Point, are themselves notable for their size and shoreline settings.

The park is reached by car via State Highway 42 into Fish Creek, then local roads to one of its two entrances (near Fish Harbor or near the golf course). There is no direct rail or air service to the park itself; the nearest regional airport is in Green Bay, roughly 45 minutes to an hour south by car, with visitors then driving up the Door Peninsula.

As of research, the park is open year-round from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Specific facilities within the park, such as the nature center, lighthouse museum and golf course, keep their own separate seasonal hours; confirm these individually before visiting.

A Wisconsin State Park System vehicle admission sticker is required to enter. As of recent pricing, an annual sticker costs $28 for Wisconsin-plated vehicles and $38 for out-of-state plates, while a daily sticker is priced around $10-$13 for Wisconsin plates and $13-$16 for out-of-state plates; camping, golf and lighthouse museum admission are charged separately. Confirm current fees on the Wisconsin DNR website, since pricing changes periodically.

A single day allows time for a hike, the lighthouse and Eagle Tower, but many visitors camp for a weekend or longer given the park's beaches, golf course and evening theater performances.

The park itself operates roughly 468 family campsites across four campgrounds (Nicolet Bay, Tennison Bay, Weborg Point and Welcker's Point) plus group camping areas. Just outside the park, the village of Fish Creek and the wider Door Peninsula offer a range of resorts, inns, cottages and bed-and-breakfasts typical of this well-established Wisconsin lake-and-bay tourism region.

Fish Creek, adjacent to the park's main entrance, has a concentration of Door County-style dining, including fish boils and casual lakeside restaurants, along with cafes near the park's Fish Harbor entrance. The wider Door Peninsula towns (Ephraim, Sister Bay, Egg Harbor) add further dining options within a short drive.

The village of Fish Creek sits directly at the park's edge, offering shops and restaurants. Neighboring Door Peninsula communities, including Ephraim, Egg Harbor and Sister Bay, are a short drive away and are popular add-ons for visitors touring the wider peninsula.

Green Bay's regional airport is the nearest airport with significant commercial service, roughly 45 minutes to an hour south by car. There is no rail service to the peninsula; a personal or rental car is necessary to reach and explore the park and surrounding Door County towns.

Green Bay's shoreline can have variable water conditions, so check for posted swimming advisories at park beaches. Eagle Tower and the bluff trails involve elevation changes, so sturdy footwear is recommended. As with any forested park, ticks and mosquitoes are present in warmer months.

A vehicle admission sticker (or be ready to purchase one at the gate), sturdy walking shoes for bluff trails and Eagle Tower, sunscreen and insect repellent for summer visits, and swimwear for the shoreline beaches.

Book campsites well in advance for summer weekends, since the park is one of the most visited in the Wisconsin system with over a million visitors in 2024. Check the Northern Sky Theater's performance schedule ahead of time if that's part of your plan, since it runs seasonally. Combining a park visit with a stop in Fish Creek or a drive up the Door Peninsula to Ephraim or Sister Bay is a common way to round out a trip.

Dial 911 for any emergency. For general Wisconsin DNR customer service, call 1-888-936-7463.

Wisconsin DNR - Peninsula State Park - https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/parks/peninsula

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.