What Is the Best Time to Travel to Door County?
Summer is the most popular time to visit Door County, but you can have great experiences all year long. Here’s how to plan your trip.
Written by Abbey Orzech
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Door County,
Wisconsin
is a favorite travel spot to many for its incredible year-round landscapes, Lake Michigan shorelines, and famous fish boils. This peninsula sees the most people in the summer months when the weather is warm, but the colder months hold their own magic too. Door County is one of those places that instantly grounds you and immerses you in the natural environment. Its 300 miles of shoreline and over 150,000 acres of forest make for serene relaxation, exciting angling, or something in between.
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The best times of year to travel to Door County
The best time for you to travel to Door County will depend on what you’d like to do. The summer is the most popular season, and you’ll find the most establishments open among the bustle of enthusiastic crowds.
Fall may be best for hiking, winter brings a true wonderland, and spring offers all the magic of the blooming season.
Peak season: June to August
The good: Most activities, restaurants open
The bad: More crowded, higher rates
The weather: Lows in 50s, highs in 80s
The summer months of June to August invite the largest crowds to Door County. There are tons of activities to do and places to explore during the warmest months.
The peninsula’s 300 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline means, of course, abundant opportunities for water activities.
Go kayaking,
paddle boarding
, or jet skiing. You can charter a sailboat
, fly high while parasailing
, or test your shot on one of the ten golf courses
in the county (including one mini-golf course). Relax on the beaches before heading to an open-air restaurant for dinner and drinks, or immerse yourself in the woods with a run, bike, hike, or a leisurely promenade through the many open trails in summer. You really can’t go wrong in Door County during the warmest months.
Off-season: November to March
The good: Peace and quiet, transformed landscape
The bad: Cold, many establishments are closed for the season
The weather: Lows in 10s, highs in 30s
If you want to find peaceful solitude and enjoy a slow-paced weekend, Door County’s off-season may be the perfect time for your visit. All the hustle and bustle of the busy season has worn off, and the area’s year-round residents are left to embrace the quiet. But this doesn’t mean you’ll just be hunkering down in a log cabin all day!
Warm up with a pint and a chat with the locals in one of the
pubs and bars
that offer live music and entertainment, snowshoe across Eagle Harbor, or cuddle up to a loved one in the Newport State Park’s International Dark Sky area
to view the glory of a starry night. And you can’t miss attending a famous Door County
fish boil
. A huge bonfire that boils locally caught whitefish, potatoes, and onions to serve with melted butter and cherry pie is sure to keep you warm in the intense cold of Midwest winters. Fish boils happen all year, but the best season for whitefish is between January and March.Pro Tip Call ahead for fish boil reservations! Even in the winter, fish boils are immensely popular.
Shoulder seasons: April to May, September to October
The good: Springtime blooms, fall colors, less crowds
The bad: Colder temperatures, wet trail conditions
The weather: Lows in 20s and highs in 60s in spring, lows in 40s and highs in 60s in fall
The shoulder seasons in Door County are during the spring and the fall when temperatures are not quite warm enough for water activities but aren’t cold enough to sustain full-on blizzards.
The crowds of summer have yet to arrive or have gone for the season and things are slower, but visitors can still enjoy abundant sports activities and natural experiences.
Springtime is an excellent time to watch the peninsula bloom. Experience the splendor of Mother Nature recalling the greenery by going
horseback riding
or walk through history in one of the eleven lighthouses of Door County
. In the fall, visit
Lautenbach's Orchard County
to stock up on seasonal wine and hard ciders before hitting the roads to marvel at the enchanting fall colors. Autumn is especially suitable for outdoor activities like hiking and biking because the temperatures aren’t as hot as in summer, but you’ll still benefit from the warming sunshine.
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The time of year that offers the lowest rates for accommodations in Door County will be the off-season months when there is not as much to draw tourists to the peninsula.
Between November and March, the majority of people you’ll find in Door County are residents, so you won’t be battling for hotel rooms and tourist accommodations.
However, if the thought of spending your trip among blankets of snow and ice isn’t thrilling to you, consider visiting in the spring or fall. The crowds are still smaller than in summer, so room rates won’t be as competitive and the weather will be easier to bear.
Find the best month for your visit to Door County
Door County is a beautiful destination to visit at any time of year, but the best time for your trip will depend on what you want to do during your stay.
Activity | Best month to visit | Why? |
|---|---|---|
Camping | September | More mild temperatures |
Hiking | October | Cooler temperatures and spectacular fall colors |
Sailing | July or August | Warmest weather and longest days |
Parasailing | July or August | Warmest weather and longest days |
Fish boils | January to March | Fish boils happen all year, but whitefish season is between January and March |
Lighthouse tours | April or May | Smaller crowds and cooler weather |
Photography | December or January | Snow and ice transform the landscape to something otherworldly |
Golfing | June | Warm (but not hot) weather without the high humidity |
MORE: 7 ways to save money on car rentals
How to find savings on car and rental insurance
Having a good car insurance policy behind you will help make your trip to Door County as stress-free as possible. Whether you’re road-tripping up in ole’ reliable or flying in and renting a car, you’ll want to make sure you’re covered in case of icy road conditions, summer storms, and collisions.
But how do you make sure you’re not overpaying for that coverage?
Jerry
can do all the hard work for you to find the best quotes for your coverage level. A licensed broker that offers end-to-end support, the Jerry app gathers affordable quotes, helps you switch plans, and can even help you cancel your old policy.
“Jerryblew my mind, honestly. From start to finish, using the app took me 10 minutes and I ended up with $100 of savings a month. Best of all, customer service answered all my questions about rental car reimbursement and roadside assistance.” —Savanna R.
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FAQs
What is the worst time to travel to Door County?
You can find something to charm you during every season in Door County, but if you’re looking for the cheapest rates and smallest crowds, take your trip in the winter. If you’re looking for the best weather, journey to Door County during the summer or fall.
What months are tornado season in Wisconsin?
Tornado season in Wisconsin is typically between April and September.
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