Friday, April 24, 2026

Door County Lighthouses: The Complete 2026 Guide

No single feature defines the visual identity of Door County more than its lighthouses. The peninsula is surrounded by more than 300 miles of shoreline, and rising from that shoreline at strategic intervals are 11 historic lighthouses and range light systems, the highest concentration of lighthouses of any county in the United States. They range from the iconic white tower of Cana Island Lighthouse, rising above Lake Michigan on its own private island and accessible by haywagon, to the oldest lighthouse in Wisconsin, perched on a rocky bluff at the far end of Rock Island and requiring two ferry rides and a mile-long hike to reach.

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, these beacons were not tourist attractions. They were lifesaving infrastructure, guiding thousands of commercial vessels around rocky shoals, through dangerous straits, and safely into harbor through fog, snow, and violent Great Lakes storms. The passage between the peninsula and the islands, known as Death’s Door or Porte des Morts, was one of the most feared stretches of water on the Great Lakes, responsible for hundreds of shipwrecks over the centuries. The lighthouses built to guard these waters tell that story, and visiting them today means stepping directly into it.

This guide covers all 11 of Door County’s historic lighthouses, organized from south to north to match a natural driving route up the peninsula and out to the islands.

Table of Contents

Why Door County Has So Many Lighthouses

Cana Island Lighthouse
Cana Island Lighthouse
Cana Island Lighthouse
Cana Island Lighthouse

The geography that makes Door County so beautiful also made it extraordinarily dangerous for 19th-century mariners. The peninsula juts 75 miles into Lake Michigan, creating two distinct bodies of water on either side: Green Bay to the west and Lake Michigan to the east. The northern tip of the peninsula is separated from Washington Island by the Death’s Door passage, a narrow and often violent strait that has claimed an estimated 200 to 300 ships since European exploration began in the region. Weather on the Great Lakes can shift with terrifying speed, and the rocky limestone shoals that fringe much of the peninsula’s shoreline offered no mercy to vessels that wandered off course.

As commercial traffic on the Great Lakes exploded in the mid-19th century, with lumber, grain, fish, and manufactured goods moving between the growing cities of the Midwest and the East Coast, the federal government invested heavily in lighthouse construction along the most dangerous stretches of coastline. Door County was one of the most urgent priorities. Between 1836 and 1895, 11 lighthouse stations were established across the peninsula and surrounding islands, each one positioned to mark a specific hazard, guide ships into a specific harbor, or illuminate a particularly treacherous stretch of water.

Today all 11 of those stations still stand, making Door County one of the most remarkable concentrations of historic lighthouse architecture in the country. Some are open to the public for tours and tower climbs. Others are active Coast Guard stations visible only from the water or from public piers. And a few require genuine expeditions to reach, involving ferry rides, hikes, and careful planning. All of them are worth knowing about.

Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Lighthouse and North Pierhead Light

The most accessible lighthouse cluster in Sturgeon Bay sits at the Lake Michigan entrance to the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal, where two distinct structures guard either side of the canal mouth. Both are active Coast Guard stations and neither is open for interior tours outside of special events, but both are excellent for photography and offer a satisfying close-up view from the public pier.

The Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Lighthouse, also known as the Canal Station Light Tower, stands on the northern bank of the canal entrance. Built in 1899 and automated in 1972, this white lighthouse rises impressively over the water and can be viewed from a designated public walkway along the canal. To reach both lights, visitors park near the station’s gate and follow the driveway from the front gate to the seawall, then walk the north breakwater pier for the closest possible view.

The Sturgeon Bay North Pierhead Light sits at the end of the north breakwater pier and is one of the most photographed structures in all of Door County. This bright red lighthouse, built in 1881, is an active aid to navigation and marks the canal entrance from the Lake Michigan side. The walk along the breakwater pier to the North Pierhead Light is a genuinely enjoyable experience, with great views of both lighthouse structures, boat traffic entering and leaving the canal, and the open lake beyond. It is also a popular fishing spot. No admission is required, and the pier is accessible year-round.

Several boat tour operators based in Sturgeon Bay offer water-level views of both lighthouses from mid-May through mid-October, which give you the same perspective the early ship captains had as they approached this canal from the lake. Learn more about Door County’s maritime heritage at the Door County Maritime Museum, just a short drive away on the Sturgeon Bay waterfront.

Sherwood Point Lighthouse

Sherwood Point Lighthouse holds a distinction that no other lighthouse in the country can claim: it was the last manned lighthouse on the entire Great Lakes system, keeping a keeper on duty until it was automated in 1983. Established in 1883 and located on the southern shore of Sturgeon Bay where the bay meets Green Bay, this lighthouse is steeped in maritime history and the kind of quiet, isolated atmosphere that defined lighthouse life for generations.

Sherwood Point is not open to the public for regular tours. It operates today as a rest and recuperation facility for active-duty military service members and their families, administered by the U.S. Coast Guard. The grounds are off limits to the general public except during special lighthouse event weekends, most notably the Door County Lighthouse Passport Days. Boaters can catch a glimpse of the unique structure from the water, and it is visible from the road on the approach, but a close inspection of the grounds requires attending a Passport Days event.

For visitors who do gain access during Passport Days, Sherwood Point delivers. The Fresnel lens that once guided ships through this section of the bay is now on display at the Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay, where it can be seen year-round.

Eagle Bluff Lighthouse

Peninsula State Park
Peninsula State Park
Eagle Panorama
Eagle Panorama
Eagle Terrace
Eagle Terrace

Eagle Bluff Lighthouse is one of the most beautifully situated lighthouses in the Great Lakes region, tucked within the boundaries of Peninsula State Park in Fish Creek and perched on a bluff overlooking the waters of Green Bay. Built in 1868 and automated in 1926, the lighthouse served three keepers and their families during its manned years and has been welcoming visitors for tours ever since.

Eagle Bluff is operated by the Door County Historical Society and offers guided tours from mid-May through mid-October, running from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. The lighthouse is a yellow-brick structure with a square tower attached to the keeper’s dwelling, and the interior has been carefully restored to reflect its appearance during the keeper years. Tours take visitors through the dwelling rooms and up the tower, where the views across Green Bay are memorable on clear days.

Visiting Eagle Bluff Lighthouse requires a Wisconsin State Park vehicle sticker for entry into Peninsula State Park, $28 for Wisconsin plates and $38 for out-of-state. Once inside, the lighthouse is a short drive from the main park entrance. It pairs beautifully with a hike on the Eagle Trail along the bluffs above Green Bay, a ride up Eagle Tower for panoramic views, or a swim at Nicolet Bay Beach, all within the same park. See our full Peninsula State Park guide for everything the park has to offer.

Chambers Island Lighthouse

Chambers Island Lighthouse sits on the northwest corner of Chambers Island, located off the shore of Fish Creek in Green Bay. Built in 1868 and automated in 1961, this lighthouse is accessible only by private boat and is not served by any regular public ferry. The island itself has been a 40-acre day park since 1976, so visitors who arrive by private boat can access the grounds, but the lighthouse structure itself is closed to the public except during Lighthouse Passport Days.

Chambers Island Lighthouse is notable for its relatively rare octagonal Gothic Revival tower design, which sets it apart architecturally from the more common square or round towers found elsewhere on the peninsula. For those without access to a private boat, water-level views are available on several of the narrated boat tours that operate out of Fish Creek and Egg Harbor during the summer season.

Baileys Harbor Range Lights

The Baileys Harbor Range Lights are a fascinating and historically significant pair of lighthouses located within the grounds of the Ridges Sanctuary in Baileys Harbor. Built in 1869, these range lights operated for exactly 100 years, guiding ships safely into Baileys Harbor until 1969 using a navigation system as elegant as it was effective: when a ship’s captain aligned the upper and lower lights so that one appeared directly above the other, the vessel was in safe water and on the correct approach to the harbor.

The lower range light is a small white structure right at the water’s edge, while the upper range light stands farther inland on slightly elevated ground. Together they form one of the most photographed lighthouse pairs in Door County and one of the most architecturally distinctive lighthouse configurations on the Great Lakes.

Guided tours of the Baileys Harbor Range Lights are available Monday through Saturday from May through October. The lights are situated within the Ridges Sanctuary, a 1,600-acre nature preserve that is outstanding for wildflower viewing in May and June and for birding during spring warbler migration. A visit to the range lights pairs naturally with a walk on the sanctuary’s boardwalk trails and a stop at the nearby Cana Island Lighthouse, just four miles away. The Ridges Sanctuary is also home base for the annual Door County Festival of Nature each Memorial Day weekend.

Old Baileys Harbor Lighthouse (Birdcage)

Before the Baileys Harbor Range Lights were built in 1869, the original lighthouse guiding ships into Baileys Harbor was a peculiar circular stone structure built on a small island in the harbor in 1852. Known today as the Old Baileys Harbor Lighthouse or the Birdcage Lighthouse, named for its distinctive iron lantern room that resembles a birdcage, it is one of the most unusual lighthouse designs in the Great Lakes and one of the rarest lighthouse forms in the country.

The Birdcage Lighthouse was removed from active service in 1869 when the range lights proved to be more effective for navigating the harbor approach. The structure is now privately owned and can only be viewed from the water. It does not appear on public land and is not accessible by foot, making it a favorite subject for lighthouse boat tours that pass through the Baileys Harbor area. Its quirky silhouette and the story of its short and ultimately superseded career as a navigational aid make it one of the more memorable lighthouses on the peninsula, even if most visitors only ever see it from a distance.

Cana Island Lighthouse

Cana Island Lighthouse is the most iconic, most photographed, and most visited lighthouse in Door County, and it more than earns that distinction. Located four miles northeast of Baileys Harbor at 8800 East Cana Island Road, this 89-foot white tower was built in 1869 and still operates as an active aid to navigation today, more than 150 years after its light was first lit.

The experience of visiting Cana Island begins before you even reach the lighthouse. You park on the mainland, then ride a complimentary tractor-pulled haywagon across the stone causeway that connects the island to the shore, or walk it yourself if water levels allow. The causeway can be partially submerged during periods of high lake levels, so the haywagon is a genuine practical amenity as well as a charming one. Once on the island, you are surrounded by Lake Michigan on three sides, with the white lighthouse rising above the trees ahead of you.

The highlight of any Cana Island visit is climbing the 97 spiral steps to the gallery deck at the top of the tower. The views from the top, sweeping across Lake Michigan in one direction and back toward the Door County peninsula in the other, are extraordinary on clear days. The grounds also include the original keeper’s dwelling, the oil house where fuel for the light was stored, and interpretive exhibits covering the history of the station and the keepers who lived and worked here.

Cana Island is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is operated as a museum by the Door County Maritime Museum. The 2026 season runs May 1 through October, open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The last haywagon runs until 3 p.m. and the last tower climb is at 4:30 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for youth ages 5 to 17 and seniors, and free for children four and under. Children must be at least five years old and 42 inches tall to climb the tower. Note that a storm in August 2025 destroyed approximately 30 percent of the island’s trees, though the lighthouse and all buildings survived intact. Check dcmm.org for any 2026 updates before your visit.

Cana Island is also a featured stop during the Door County Lighthouse Passport Days, when special evening events including a Whispering Lanterns experience allow visitors to watch the historic Fresnel lens illuminate at dusk.

Plum Island Range Lights

The Plum Island Range Lights stand at the entrance to Death’s Door passage, the treacherous strait between the northern tip of the Door Peninsula and Washington Island. Built in 1895 and automated in 1969, the front and rear range lights of Plum Island both remain active aids to navigation today, still performing the same function they were built for more than a century ago.

Plum Island itself is owned by the U.S. Coast Guard, and neither the island nor the lighthouses are open to the public for general access. The rear range light tower, the keeper’s dwelling, and the fog signal building are visible from the Washington Island Ferry as it passes through the Death’s Door strait, making the ferry crossing a worthwhile lighthouse viewing experience in its own right. The front range light is only visible from a boat approaching Death’s Door from the Lake Michigan side.

During Lighthouse Passport Days, narrated boat tours provide closer access to Plum Island and the range lights than is possible at any other time of year. These tours depart from Gills Rock and are among the most popular Passport Days experiences.

Pilot Island Lighthouse

Pilot Island Lighthouse stands on a small three-and-a-half-acre island in the Death’s Door passage between the mainland and Washington Island, built in 1858 of Cream City brick after ship captains complained that the original Plum Island light was positioned too far west to be effective. The lighthouse was automated in 1962 and the property is owned by the U.S. Coast Guard. No trespassing is permitted and there is no public access to the island.

Pilot Island is visible from shore at the Northport Ferry Dock at the northern end of Highway 42, where visitors waiting for the Washington Island Ferry can see the lighthouse across the water. Passengers aboard the ferry and the Island Clipper get a closer view during the crossing. For an up-close look, Shoreline Charters operates boat tours out of Gills Rock that pass the lighthouse from mid-May through mid-October. The island has a haunting, remote quality that comes through even from a distance, surrounded by water with the old brick tower rising above a treeline that tells the story of decades without regular human habitation.

Pottawatomie Lighthouse, Rock Island

The Pottawatomie Lighthouse on Rock Island State Park is Wisconsin’s oldest lighthouse, first established in 1836 before Wisconsin was even a state, and one of the most rewarding lighthouse experiences in the entire Great Lakes region. Reaching it requires commitment: you take the Washington Island Ferry from Northport to Washington Island, travel eight miles across Washington Island from Detroit Harbor on the south side to Jackson Harbor on the north side, then board the Karfi passenger ferry to Rock Island. From the Rock Island dock, a 1.25-mile hike through the island’s interior brings you to the lighthouse on the north bluff.

The effort is absolutely worth it. The current lighthouse structure was first lit in 1858 after the original 1836 structure was demolished due to poor construction, and it was restored to its circa-1909 appearance by the Friends of Rock Island State Park starting in 1994, with tours opening to the public in 2004. The restoration is meticulous, including a replica fourth-order Fresnel lens in the lantern room and period furnishings throughout the keeper’s quarters. Volunteer docents live in the lighthouse for week-long stints throughout the season, giving free guided tours that include a climb to the lantern room with panoramic views over Lake Michigan.

The Pottawatomie Lighthouse is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day. Tours are free, with donations appreciated. The lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Rock Island State Park is Wisconsin’s most remote state park, with no vehicles, no electricity, and primitive walk-in camping only. The setting, a heavily forested island at the far end of the Door County archipelago, is unlike anything else on the peninsula.

The Karfi ferry connecting Washington Island to Rock Island begins its 2026 season on May 26, running four times daily from Jackson Harbor. Plan a full day for the round trip, and check weather forecasts carefully before going, as the Karfi does not run in rough conditions.

Door County Lighthouse Passport Days

The single best opportunity to access Door County’s most remote and otherwise closed lighthouses is the Door County Lighthouse Passport Days, organized by the Door County Maritime Museum. This multi-weekend event opens all 11 lighthouses to the public, including Sherwood Point, Chambers Island, and Plum Island, which are completely inaccessible during the rest of the year.

The 2026 Passport Days dates include Memorial Day weekend, May 22-24, with additional weekends typically scheduled in June, August, and October. Check dcmm.org for the confirmed 2026 schedule as dates are announced. Tours are available at every level, from self-guided ground tours and trolley excursions to narrated boat tours departing from Fish Creek, Sister Bay, Gills Rock, Baileys Harbor, and Sturgeon Bay.

Special Passport Days experiences have included Sherwood Point Fireside Chats, the Whispering Lanterns evening event at Cana Island where visitors watch the historic Fresnel lens illuminate at dusk, Beacon Hikes combining Cana Island and the Ridges Sanctuary, and aerial lighthouse tours departing from Cherryland Airport in Sturgeon Bay. A portion of every ticket sold supports the preservation organizations working to maintain these historic structures. Popular tours and events sell out well in advance, so booking early is essential.

Lighthouse Boat Tours

Several lighthouses in Door County, including the Birdcage Lighthouse, Pilot Island, Plum Island, and the Sturgeon Bay canal lights, are only truly accessible by water. Even for lighthouses that can be reached by land, seeing them from the water gives you the exact perspective that mariners had for more than a century, which is an entirely different and often more powerful experience.

Shoreline Charters operates narrated boat tours out of Gills Rock and Baileys Harbor that pass several of the northern peninsula lighthouses, including Pilot Island and Plum Island, from mid-May through mid-October. The Door County Trolley offers lighthouse-focused land tours during the season and coordinates with boat operators for combined experiences during Passport Days. The Washington Island Ferry crossing from Northport provides a natural water-level view of Plum Island and Pilot Island on every run through Death’s Door.

For visitors interested in a broader on-the-water experience, our Door County kayaking guide covers guided paddling tours that explore the bay-side shoreline and offer views of several lighthouse structures from water level.

Planning Your Lighthouse Visit in 2026

The best time to visit Door County’s lighthouses depends on which ones are on your list. The lighthouse season runs generally from May 1 through October, with Cana Island Lighthouse and Eagle Bluff Lighthouse both operating from mid-May. The Pottawatomie Lighthouse on Rock Island opens Memorial Day weekend. The Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay, which houses the restored Sherwood Point Fresnel lens and serves as the hub for Passport Days planning, is open year-round.

For families with children, the most manageable combination is Cana Island Lighthouse paired with the Door County Maritime Museum in Sturgeon Bay and Eagle Bluff Lighthouse inside Peninsula State Park. All three involve climbing opportunities, interactive exhibits, and enough variety to hold the interest of visitors of different ages. Build in time at Peninsula State Park around the Eagle Bluff visit, as the park itself is worth several hours of exploration on its own.

For the most ambitious lighthouse itinerary, the Pottawatomie Lighthouse on Rock Island stands alone. Plan a full day, bring everything you need including food and water since there are no vendors on the island, and check the ferry schedules and weather forecast carefully before committing. The Karfi ferry runs four times daily beginning May 26, 2026, and does not operate in rough conditions.

If photography is your primary motivation, Cana Island at sunrise is the classic Door County lighthouse shot, with the causeway and tower facing east over Lake Michigan. The North Pierhead Light in Sturgeon Bay in afternoon light is excellent. Eagle Bluff at golden hour, with the Green Bay bluffs as a backdrop, produces some of the finest light of any time of day.

For lodging close to the lighthouse corridor, Baileys Harbor puts you within four miles of Cana Island, walking distance of the Range Lights, and an easy drive to Fish Creek and Eagle Bluff. The Blacksmith Inn on the Shore in Baileys Harbor is one of the finest small inns on the peninsula. Browse all options in our complete Door County lodging guide or compare rates at Booking.com or Expedia. The Best of Door County earns a small commission if you book through Booking.com or Expedia, but rest assured, it does not affect your rate. 

Loading

You May Have Missed

© The Best of Door County |