Quote: There is something tranquil about walking on a beach. Maybe it is the pristine sand oozing through your toes; or maybe it is running up and down the sand dunes that have been growing for centuries along the shoreline. Perhaps it is the wind blowing off the water or maybe it is the sound of the waves lapping onto the shore.

Truly it is all of the above and for a first time visitor, you might think your were on the coast peering across thousands of miles of a vast ocean. But no, you are standing on the shore of Door County Wisconsin, peering into Lake Michigan.

Whitefish Dunes State Park, one of five state parks in Door County, is home to a long line of tall wooded dunes that hug three miles of shoreline. The 863 acres park also includes an extensive array of trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter and for hiking anytime of the year. The summer brings swimming, kayaking, beach volleyball and sandcastle building. A boardwalk connects the sandy beach to the Nature Center.

The Nature Center has interactive activities for the children and wonderful exhibits of the park’s first inhabitants, along with the plants and animals that live there. Other points of interest include Old Baldy, the tallest sand dune in Wisconsin. At the top of Old Baldly is an observation platform with spectacular views of Lake Michigan.

Within the park are the remains of eight prehistoric Native American villages and have been designated as Historical Places and listed on the National Register.

To reach the park from Sturgeon Bay, drive northeast on Highway 57 about 10 miles. Take a right turn on Clark Lake Road (County Road WD) for another 3.8 miles to the park entrance. Whitefish Dunes State Park is open year round for day use only. You can purchase a day pass for $10.00 per vehicle. This pass is also good for any of the Wisconsin State Parks for that day.

Just a short distance from Whitefish is the Cave Point County Park offering views of a picturesque rocky shoreline and is well worth the short drive.

From journals Door County, WI - The Door is Open