Peninsula State Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peninsula State Park
IUCN Category V (Protected Landscape/Seascape)
Park sign, at the golf course
Peninsula State Park Location in Wisconsin Show map of Wisconsin Peninsula State Park Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Door, Wisconsin, United States
Area	3,776 acres (15.28 km2)
Established	1909
Governing body	Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Website	Peninsula State Park

Peninsula State Park is a huge park in Door County, Wisconsin. It covers about 3,776 acres and has eight miles (13 km) of shoreline along Green Bay. It's the third largest state park in Wisconsin. About one million people visit Peninsula State Park every year!

Park History and Growth

Peninsula State Park was created in 1909. It officially became Wisconsin's second state park in 1910. In the early days, workers slowly built roads, scenic viewpoints, and campgrounds. They also started two golf courses. By 1919, about 20,000 people visited the park each year. It quickly became a popular outdoor spot in the Midwest.

During the Great Depression, a group called the Civilian Conservation Corps helped build many parts of the park. These young men worked on projects across the country. In the summer of 1945, during World War II, people from Germany helped with construction and picking cherries in the park.

Later, in 1982, the Sunset Bike Trail got a new surface. Computers also started being used for making reservations. The park celebrated its 100th birthday in 2009.

Fun Things to Do and See

Peninsula State Park is known as Wisconsin's most complete park. It has lots of things to do and see! You can find 468 campsites and three group camps here. The park also has a summer theater, an 18-hole golf course, and a sandy beach. There are many trails for biking, hiking, and skiing. You can also see tall 150-foot bluffs and a historic lighthouse. The park is open all year, but some areas might be closed in winter.

Eagle Bluff Lighthouse

The nature center

The Eagle Bluff Light is a historic lighthouse in the park. It was built in 1868 to help guide boats on Green Bay. The lighthouse became automatic in 1926, meaning it didn't need a keeper anymore. Today, the old lighthouse keeper's home is a museum. You can visit it to learn about its history.

White Cedar Nature Center

The White Cedar Nature Center is a great place to learn about nature. It has displays of local animals and old photos of the park. There's also a big model of the park to explore. The building was first built in 1939 as a warm-up spot for skiers. Now, the Nature Center offers fun programs all year. You can join hikes, campfire talks, and nature crafts.

Eagle Tower Views

Eagle Tower was a tall observation tower that stood on top of Eagle Bluff. The bluff itself is about 180 feet (55 m) high. The tower was 76 feet (23 m) tall and offered amazing views of the park. You could see nearby islands and even the Michigan shoreline! The last tower was built in 1932. It closed in 2015 because it needed repairs and was taken down in 2016. People are now raising money to rebuild this popular tower.

Northern Sky Theater

Northern Sky Theater is a special outdoor theater inside the park. They perform original musical comedies during the summer. These shows are very popular, with over 50,000 people attending each year!

Horseshoe Island Adventures

Horseshoe Island is the only nearby island owned by Wisconsin. It's located in Green Bay. You can only get to the island by private boat. There are no buildings there, just a hiking trail and some old foundations. A famous French explorer named Jean Nicolet is said to have landed on the island a long time ago.

Sunset Bike Trail

Sunset Bike Route

The Sunset Bike Trail is a 5.1-mile (8.2 km) path for bikes and hikers. It goes through forests and marshy areas in the park. The whole route is about 9.5 miles (15.3 km) long. It takes about an hour to bike and three hours to hike. This trail is a safe and pretty way to explore the park. You don't need a special pass to use it.

Peninsula Golf Course

One of the fairways

The park has an 18-hole golf course that is very scenic. It's run by a non-profit group called Peninsula Golf Associates. The golf course started with just six holes in 1921. Over the years, it grew to 18 holes by 1931. It was later made longer and redesigned in the 1960s.

Camping in the Park

Peninsula State Park has 468 campsites for families and three group campsites. All the campgrounds have modern restrooms with flush toilets and showers. In 1977, scientists counted 47 different kinds of birds living in the park's forests and campgrounds.

Nicolet Bay Campground

Nicolet Bay is a large camping area with 188 campsites. Thirty-three of these sites have electricity. You'll find shower and toilet buildings throughout the campground. The park's sandy swimming beach is at Nicolet Bay. It's very popular on warm summer days. You can also find a camp store, boat and bike rentals, and a snack bar here.

Tennison Bay Campground

Tennison Bay is the biggest campground in the park. It has 188 campsites, and 56 of them have electricity. There are two shower buildings and three toilet buildings. You can also find a playground and a kayak launch here. Tennison Bay is the only campground that stays open all year round.

Weborg Point Campground

Weborg is the smallest campground in Peninsula State Park. It has 12 electric sites and one shower building. These sites are popular for RVs and trailers. Weborg is close to the park's Fish Creek entrance. It offers nice views of downtown Fish Creek. There's also a concrete pier where people enjoy fishing.

Welcker's Point Campground

Welcker's Point has 81 campsites that do not have electricity. It's located on the northern part of the park. This area is popular for tent campers because it's very wooded. Many hiking and biking trails start here. There's also a shelter nearby where visitors can watch bats fly around after sunset in the summer.

Views from or near the campgrounds

Park Climate

Gallery

Images for kids

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  Memorial plaque about Doolittle

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  The six-hole short course