Guided Hike
Hiking into History: Discovering the "Ghost Port" of Clay Banks
This event has ended
It took place on September 3, 2026. Below is what we shared.
Join us for a one-mile guided hike at Legacy Nature Preserve at Clay Banks to explore the rise and fall of a Door County “ghost port.” Learn how landforms, massive timber, and shoreline access shaped early settlement, industry, and survival on this rugged frontier. Discover why shipwrecks rest just offshore and experience the preserve as it looked more than 165 years ago.
Program Leader
Kris Smith

About This Preserve
Legacy Preserve at Clay Banks
This 91-acre preserve offers nearly 3,000 feet of undeveloped Lake Michigan shoreline, dramatic clay bluffs formed in the Ice Age, and a landscape rich with grassland birds, shorebirds, and rarely encountered wildflowers.
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What You'll See
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