Explore Door County's Wild Places
Our nature preserves are free and open to the public, dawn to dusk, every day of the year.
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- nature preserves
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- miles of trails
- Free
- always
- Dawn–Dus
- every day
Featured Preserves
A few favorites to get you started
Three Springs Nature Preserve
555 acres · 1.9 mi trails · Town of Sevastopol
At 555 acres, the Harold C. Wilson Three Springs Nature Preserve is one of DCLT's largest holdings and a pivotal link in a 17,000-acre wildlife corridor stretching from Sister Bay to the Ridges Sanctuary. Home to the Hine's emerald dragonfly, showy lady's slipper, and some of the premier natural landscape of the western Great Lakes.
Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Nature Preserve
445 acres · 2.5 mi trails · Town of Sturgeon Bay
At 445 acres within Sturgeon Bay's city limits, this preserve protects a remarkable ridge-swale landscape, rare dune plants, and one of the region's most critical neo-tropical migratory bird stopovers — land that once narrowly escaped becoming a coal plant.
Oak Road Nature Preserve
155 acres · 1.75 mi trails · Town of Sturgeon Bay
This 155-acre preserve in a picturesque Carlsville valley protects an extensive vernal wetland so alive with spring peepers that neighbors can't sleep — plus an ongoing restoration of 100+ acres of former farmland to oak woodland and native prairie.
Events & Programs
Guided hikes, birding walks, volunteer workdays, and educational programs throughout the year.
See upcoming eventsSeasonal Highlights
What to see and do on the preserves, season by season. Wildflowers, fall color, winter quiet, and more.
Explore by seasonBefore You Go
Hours
Dawn to dusk, every day. Free admission, always.
Parking
Free parking at most preserves. Look for DCLT signs.
Trails
Stay on marked trails. Difficulty varies by preserve.
No Cell Service
Coverage is spotty. Download maps before you go.
Leave No Trace
Pack out what you pack in. No picking plants.
Dogs
Leashed dogs welcome at most preserves. Check individual listings.
