The Islands of Door County

Door County is known primarily as a beautiful stretch of peninsula, but what many don’t know is that there is an array of islands accessible by boat that offer unique experiences and new adventures. There are a total of 34 islands that pepper the waters surrounding Door County, but only a few are readily accessible. Here are a few of our favorite islands you can see from land or by boat, with a few open to the public. 

Washington Island 

Open to the public.
The main island you have likely heard of or visited is Washington Island, located just beyond the tip of the Door County peninsula. It is by far the largest island and is the only year-round island community in Door County. Accessible by ferry across the Death’s Door Strait, Washington Island is where you will discover an enchanting land of art, history, folklore, forest, and recreation.

The Washington Island Ferry Line services the island daily, even in the winter when the ice begins to form and requires an icebreaker. Visitors can also ride the Island Clipper Memorial Day weekend through early October. Washington Island is home to these favorite attractions that convince visitors to cross “Death’s Door,” the waterway between the mainland and the island, again and again.

Schoolhouse Beach
Some have called Schoolhouse Beach the most beautiful bay in Door County. That title will always be contested, but the rocky shoreline of this beach on Washington Island is a special and unique place. The beach is made up of smooth stones created over centuries. Water has slowly transformed the bedrock bay into a place where families can play and swim, and there’s even a diving dock to tempt those second-guessing a dip.

Schoolhouse Beach has regulations against the removal of rocks and stacking or balancing rocks. Before you visit, review the Door County Leave No Trace 7 Principles to make sure you’re recreating responsibly. Follow principle #4 and Leave It As You Found It.

Stavkirke
The Washington Island Stavkirke will make you feel like you traveled through time and over oceans to the far shores of Norway. “Stavkirke” or “Stav Churches” are located throughout Europe, with the greatest concentration of them in the Scandinavian lands. The Washington Island building, built in 1999, was modeled after the Borgund Stavkirke, constructed in 1150 near Laerdal, Sogn. Sitting in a small forest grove, a winding prayer path leads the way to the structure and is used year-round for special worship services and as a place of quiet meditation

Lavender Farm
Washington Island is home to a gorgeous lavender farm that is open to visitors and provides a picture-perfect pit stop. Fragrant Isle Lavender Farm has over 20,000 lavender plants on site. Visitors can pick their own lavender bouquet, purchase lavender plants during spring to early summer and visit the Production Barn to see and learn how the pure lavender essential oil is distilled. 

Kayaking, Boat Tours, and More
The Island Adventure Company offers all you need to see the sights from land or water. Take a guided boat tour around the shallow harbors and bays, or paddle yourself over to Rock Island State Park via kayak. Or, stay on dry soil and explore the sights on a UTV, which is driveable on all roads on the island, which is about 7 miles across.

Rock Island 

Open to the public.
From Washington Island, you can reach another island — the 906-acre Rock Island — though it requires you to take the Karfi ferry from Jackson Harbor. The ferry is a passenger ferry only, meaning cars and bikes are not allowed. Rock Island State Park offers hiking trails, rustic camping, a picturesque beachfront for swimming and fishing, a historic lighthouse and an Icelandic-style boathouse.

Plum Island

Open to the public.
Part of the Grand Traverse Island chain, Plum Island is the site of the Coast Guard station and the Plum Island Lighthouse Range Lights. The island lies in the middle of the Death’s Door Strait that separates the Door County peninsula from Washington Island. While there is no ferry access to the island, in 2017, a dock was restored on Plum Island, opening it for public access. The effort was spearheaded by the non-profit organization The Friends of Plum and Pilot Island in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Boats can now use the dock during daytime hours on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Pilot Island

Private; not accessible to the public.
Located on the southeastern tip of Detroit Island, Pilot Island got its name from its importance to early navigators of the Death’s Door passage. The island is visible from Northport and the ferry to Washington Island, as well as on summer boat tours with the Island Clipper. Its lighthouse was built in 1858 and is part of the Door Peninsula Lighthouse Passport Days held throughout the year by the Door County Maritime Museum.

Detroit Island

Private; not accessible to the public.
This privately held island guards the entrance to Washington Island’s Detroit Harbor. Local lore states the island was a hideout for Indigenous tribes on Rock Island when they were under attack by marauding tribes. Your best chance to see Detroit Island is when you pass by on the ferry ride to Washington Island. The northeast portion of the island became known as Rabbit Point because, at one time, it was infested with rabbits. 

Hog Island

Open to the public.
Hog Island is a National Wildlife Refuge and a nesting ground for seagulls and terns. It can be found located off the eastern shores of Washington Island and is visible from Washington Island’s Percy Johnson Memorial County Park.

Spider and Gravel Islands

Private; not accessible to the public.
Located east of Newport State Park, these tiny islands provide nesting opportunities for shorebirds and a resting spot for migrating birds. Gravel Island is visible from the shores of Europe Bay, while Spider Island lies south of Newport Bay.

Sister Islands

Open to the public.
This pair of small, uninhabited islands is owned by the state of Wisconsin, which gave Sister Bay its name. The islands are located due north of the Sister Bay marina. 

Cana Island 

Open to the public.
Just north of Baileys Harbor is a secluded island that is, on many days, walkable! Cana Island and its famous lighthouse are reached by walking across a gravel causeway when water levels are low or by tractor when water levels are high. For a small fee, you can visit the lighthouse to see the keeper’s house and oil house as well as climb the spiral stairs for a beautiful view from the tower on tours offered from May through October. Or, join the Door Peninsula Lighthouse Passport Days held throughout the year by the Door County Maritime Museum to get a rare perspective of many of Door County’s lighthouses. 

Horseshoe Island

Open to the public.
Named for its distinctive shape, Horseshoe Island lies two miles offshore from Peninsula State Park. During spring and summer, this uninhabited island is a popular destination for kayakers and boaters and includes a hiking trail circling the island. 

Strawberry Islands

Private; not accessible to the public.
The observation tower at Peninsula State Park provides a great view of these four small islands clustered to the southwest of the Eagle Bluff Lighthouse and east of Chambers Island. These privately owned islands are named Adventure, Jack, Pirate and Little Strawberry.

Chambers Island

Open to the public.

This 3,200-acre island is the second largest in Door County, making it visible from the shores of Fish Creek even though it is located 7.5 miles northwest. The island is home to uninterrupted wilderness accessible on hiking and biking trails, beaches, a historic lighthouse, and its own 350-acre inland Lake Mackaysee (with two more islands). The captivating and historic Chambers Island Lighthouse can only be toured during Door County Lighthouse Passport Days, but the grounds are open to the public year-round.

Hat Island

Private; not accessible to the public.
Named for its shape, the privately owned Hat Island is located due west of Peninsula Players Road to the northwest of Juddville Bay, providing a scenic foreground for the sunsets enjoyed by patrons of Peninsula Players, America’s oldest summer theater.

Door County has even more islands you might see, including Basin (Snake) Island, Big Island, Big Susie, Island, Dunlop Reef, Fish Island, Fisherman Shoal, Kangaroo Islands, Light House Island North, Light House Island South, Little Susie Island, Mackaysee Lake Island, Rock Island, Sawyer Island, Small Island, Snake Island, Squaw Island North and Squaw Island South.