Looking for a little peace and quiet in Door County? Whitefish Dunes State Park is a wonderful place to kick back, relax, and enjoy the beauty of Lake Michigan! Pack a picnic lunch, beach towel, blanket, and swimsuit, and settle in for an afternoon of sunshine, sandy beaches, and waves gently rolling ashore. Ahhh, now that's my kind of afternoon! There's plenty of parking (be sure to pay the park admission fee!), restrooms, a small gift shop, vending machines, and picnic areas with grills. The dunes themselves are beautiful, although we've noticed they've gotten smaller over the years. And one little word of warning: Watch out for those seagulls! They're not the least bit shy and would happily help themselves to your peanut butter and jelly sandwich if given the chance. Please don't feed them! A beautiful, peaceful place to slow down, breathe in the fresh air, and simply enjoy everything that makes Door County so special. read more

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I'm adding in an update since my last review was 4 years ago, but please also see my previous reviews. This is a lovely park, and since my last visit they have rebuilt the access to the beach that is near the parking lot. They've also added a blue mat that makes it easy to walk along the beach between entrance 1 and 2. The beach is beautiful and a great place to look for fossils. After climbing back up to the trail at the second access point a park employee alerted us to the presence of orange slime mold on some stumps. Apparently it is a rare phenomenon and the bright orange goop is actually a collection of harmless amoebas. I learn something on every vacation! We hiked the loop and then continued on the new connection to Cave Point Country Park which made for a really nice half day hike! read more

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It's a must to see. Beautiful to walk & spend time with your love ones. You can bbq, swim, hike & see some beautiful view. Thank you for the unforgettable experienced. Highly recommended. Pic's is provided below. read more

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Looking for a work out? Hike the trail to Mt. Baldy....it's mostly sand and your legs will feel like jello by the time you get to it, from continually sinking into the sand with each step... We don't usually hang out on the beach when we visit, because it is usually crowded with families, and that's just not our vibe, but we will hike. It's a scenic park, and a nice place to take pictures of the lake and the shoreline. Not my favorite of the Door County State Parks, but definitely worth a visit. 25/2024 read more

Whitefish Dunes State Park is an absolutely amazing Wisconsin State Park! Hiking, biking (red trail), nature center and beaching. Parking is so close to it all- five stars, all the way! We hiked the Yellow Trail and loved the dunes, the pines, the different topography- just over 4 miles and add in the tallest dune, Old Baldy- so worth it. The Beach is outstanding, and was clean as a whistle. No biting flies, and the swimming was outstanding. This is a "State Park", meaning effectively that you need a State Park pass to enter - $8 daily (so affordable) or annual pass options are great and support the State Parks' system. read more

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We started in the adjacent Cave Point County park and hiked the shoreline path into the State Park next door. The trail is a bit of an obstacle course with lots of roots and rocks. We then hiked the red trail to the Old Baldy Dune. Old Baldy itself is a bit underwhelming though there is a nice view but the hike was interesting. The nature center was closed so I cannot comment on that. The beaches look very nice but it was not beach weather but in good weather this would be an awesome place to hang out. read more

Beautiful beach and cliffs! You would think you were on the ocean. Very nice hiking paths. Dog access is limited to the end of the beach though, a long walk for some. Great place to take kids for a beach day/picnic. No concessions available so bring everything you need. read more

There is a beach and multiple trails to experience. We hiked parts of the green and yellow trails! They are all fairly short trail distances which could fit to anyone's comfort level. They were some pretty spots throughout and a sand dune to check out. read more

Whitefish Dunes State Park - Parks Near Me - Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

Beautiful beach! Bring your wagon because the beach is quite long and the walk form the vehicle to the beach can be tiring if you try to carry everything yourself. The Porto-potties are horrible especially when it's August and very hot outside. They do have flush toilet however, and a changing room. The walk way through the beach has a "mat" for people to walk on. There's kayak tours you can book ahead of time as well. read more

This is a great park for hiking, biking, cross country skiing, or swimming. The trails are well maintatned and partially shaded. We hiked the Old Baldy loop. You can experience the fauna and flora of Door County in just 2.8 miles. read more

Stinky dead fish like the coast. Most disappointing of the local parks. Dunes are as expected. Would skip this one.

One of the Top 20 beaches in the country. You don't need to know much more. But still.... It's a State Park, so you'll have to pay an entrance fee; don't let it discourage you: the place is really beautiful. And you can use the sticker all day long: kill two birds in one stone (um, that's just a figure of speech - leave these seagulls alone please) and get into Peninsula State Park afterwards. Long, pristine sand beach with a swimming area. Open (partially) to dogs. Hiking trails. read more

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Wisconsin has some of the most beautiful state parks I have ever visited, and Whitefish Dunes ranks high on the list. The beach has soft sand, the aquarmarine water is cold and refreshing. The isolation of the Door peninsula means that even on a Sunday in July, there were not a lot of people there. My girlfriend brought an inflatable raft with an anchor and spent hours in the water. Even mid-summer, the polar vortex is still having an effect: I did not want to submerge my junk in the ice cold lake and I so I happily read and napped on shore. I love Wisconsin: a yearlong pass to the WI state parks has been a great investment. read more

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Such a nice place, very peaceful and beautiful, the water is cold!! Highly Recommend! Nice vacation before it starts getting cold read more

Whitefish Dunes State Park - Beach - Parks Near Me - Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

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I paid the $38 for all Wisconsin State Parks annually. I wasn't able to walk on the Whitefish Dunes, because water levels are very high. I took pictures from the Nature Center's deck that oversees the dunes. I took some photos of the anchor. Lake Michigan is beautiful. Cave Point County Park is a better park, because I wasn't able to walk on the dunes this time! This park also has a dog park, but you have to walk 1.5 miles to see it. read more

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It's just OK. The dunes are pretty much gone. Yes there is some beach but not worth the 8 dollar fee to enter. Go to the bathroom before you go there. The pit toilets are disgusting beyond belief. I grew up using pit toilets and never smelled anything like this. Think of a full kitty litter box used by 8 cats that has not been cleaned in six months sitting in 90 degree weather. I nearly vomited. Go in the woods. I dont advocate that normally in a natural area but this is not a third world country. For what they charge get porra potties and get them pumped. There are lots of free beaches near by. Nothing really that special here. The dunes have long been washed away by high lake levels, used to be cool, not anymore. There is no excuse for the bathrooms and I'm no priss and have no problem with a pit toilet but these will burn you eyes out. Time to use some of these fees for new restrooms here and leave the one ton of poo decompose. Ever smell a dead animal after 4 days.. yeah it smells better than the bathrooms. read more

This is one of the best beach experiences we have ever had and we lived in Hawaii for 4 years. The waves were large enough to break (good for goofing around or boogie boarding). It's a gentle slope with perfect sand. We had a strong breeze coming off the lake on the hottest day of the year in Door County so we luxuriated in the sun without being too hot! If you want to bring a pet you'll have to walk around a mile on a well packed trail before making it to the "dog beach." read more

White fish dunes is a nice short, beginner hike. It's a beautiful visit. It might be somewhat unimpressive, as far as Dines go. But it is a dune at Whitefish state park, so it is as advertised. read more

I'm giving this beach a 3 star for now. The water level of the lake is very high. The beach is currently under water as of today 5-23-19. But the nice trails along the shoreline was breathtaking. I loved the nice hike and it was pretty sunny today. If the water level wasnt high, I would give it 5 stars. I hope the water level drops soon. I would love to go back there and walk the shoreline. I'll keep all of you posted. We are going back there in a few days. read more

This was my favorite of the State parks I visited near Sturgeon Bay. Spent the most time here on a heated early spring day - lots of sights and varied biomes to visit! It was exciting to see some new animals such as black squirrels(not sure on their name) and a large ground hog. The walking along the lake on the sand was very memorable. read more

Whitefish Dunes State Park - Along the lake - Parks Near Me - Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

Probably super cool but the county park down the road is free. The state park was also closed to people who did not want to pay for an annual pass- something with Covid. read more

This park used to be a gem, but 2 or 3 years ago management cut down a large number of trees along County WD and left them there. It looks terrible. A mess. The interior of the park is quite nice. Lake Mighigan water levels are up, so the beach is a much thinner strand than it once was. Unfortunately, cladaphora has taken over what was once a pristine swimming beach. There is a fee to enter the park. Although I own property in Door County and pay a great deal in property taxes, I am considered a non-resident. That sucks. Effectively taxation without representation. read more

Thanksgiving is an interesting time to be in Door County. The national parks are lovely especially the one where you're guaranteed to be safe from buckshot. I came to Whitefish Dunes State Park on Thanksgiving for a hike before dinner. Since hunting isn't allowed here, the trails were free to roam and explore. I hiked on the yellow trail which went up and around one of the biggest dunes. The trails are nicely groomed and well maintained. The trail markers are extremely clear as well. Also, there are plenty of restrooms along the trails too. I really enjoyed my hike through here and love this park in general. read more

great place to hike and the beach is very nice

Lake levels are up do the beach is tiny! Beautiful summer day and a wonderful place to park yourself for sun and fun!

Beautiful long beach set in a cove. Seems like you are on a exotic island. The sand is perfect (soft) and the water clear. Great place for the kids as well. read more

Great Beach. If you want a nice beach, this is it. Calm water most of the time. Great area. It would be nice to have more shade on the beach, but it was a great place to swim. read more