Beaches in Door County

Door County is gearing up for spring but we all know that the summer is the best time of year to come. It’s getting warmer and has gotten me thinking that we need to show you where the best beaches are. Although every town has a public beach, there are some that lie off the beaten path.

As a little girl in Door County, you can imagine my summers were spent at the beach.My family has property on Washington Island so we spent weekends up there. Schoolhouse beach became a haven for hot afternoons. The cool water is the perfect escape from the summer heat. The raft anchored off shore is an easy sunbathing spot. The smooth limestone pebbles that line this beautiful beach are only located on four other beaches in the world. They are protected so please don’t take any.

When not camping on Washington Island, we spent the daylight hours at the beaches around the county. Kayaking at Pebble Beach in Sister Bay quickly became a favorite. If you paddle out to the middle of the bay, you can look down in the crystal clear water and see tons of fish swimming around an old crib for a dock.

Sister Bay beach is fun for everyone. With a shallow swim area for the little ones and a dock for the older kids to jump off, you can relax. Come on Wednesdays to listen to concerts in the park all summer long. The beach is located in the heart of the town so you can walk to get lunch, shop, or run errands while your family enjoys the beach. The park offers a nice sized playground to occupy even the littlest kids.

Baileys Harbor Ridges Beach is close to my father’s house. We rode our bikes there often to play in the warm water. Baileys Harbor is shallow and this makes the water at the public beach warmer than most of the bay side beaches. Out of the wind and on the quiet side, this beach is generally busy in the summer and a family favorite.

No matter where you choose to stay, there is a beach for you and your family to enjoy. With 19 county and five state parks throughout the peninsula, there is no shortage of public water access.