A snow-covered trail at Peninsula State Park. Photo by Rachel Lukas.
We’re not there yet – winter, cold weather, snow – but it pays to be prepared. That’s especially true if you plan to camp off-season after the majority of campers have packed away their gear.
Many Door County campgrounds, both private and state-run, cater to seasonals and close up long before the snow flies. But cold-weather camping options are available at Peninsula State Park, Potawatomi State Park and Newport State Park for those who want to make their way outside in the frostier months.
Peninsula State Park begins to close its seasonal campgrounds after Labor Day. Typically, by Nov. 1, only about 30 sites in the Tennison Bay campground are open until spring. At Potawatomi State Park, 27 sites in the South Daisy Field camp area remain open after Dec. 1. And in Newport State Park, which exclusively offers backpack camping, all 17 of its sites remain open year-round, with the exception of the nine-day deer hunting season, Nov. 23 – Dec. 1.
Camping out during the colder months also gives campers easy access to seasonal activities throughout the parks, according to Eric Hyde, Peninsula State Park superintendent. Snowmobiling, skiing and snowshoeing are all popular cold-weather activities with designated trails.
Potawatomi and Peninsula State Parks both feature extensive snowmobile paths that connect to the larger Door County snowmobile trail system. While there are no snowmobile trails in Newport State Park, the Top of the Thumb trail around Ellison Bay goes along the edge of the park.
All three parks also groom trails for varying difficulties of both classic and skate cross-country skiing.
Hikers and snowshoers, not allowed on ski and snowmobile trails, have their own trails. Peninsula State Park sets aside about 6 miles of ungroomed pathways and Newport State Park sets aside about 5 miles. Potawatomi State Park designates three trails for this purpose, including the full Ice Age Trail.
For the first time this winter, Peninsula State Park will also groom some of its trails for winter biking, or mountain biking on frozen paths, according to Hyde. The park is evolving its current trail system, a project that has been ongoing since 2018, Hyde said.
“We’ve had some very warm winters recently,” he said. “That’s one of the reasons we looked at doing mountain bike trails and winter biking because you don’t really need snow for that.”
Peninsula State Park is currently undergoing some construction, including the installation of new water-line laterals and a new winter-water building. The winter-water building, which provides campers with year-round access to a water source, is located at the Tennison Bay campground and is the reason for its designation as the park’s year-round campground (the Tennison Bay campground is closed during the construction but should be open, Hyde said, by the state’s nine-day gun deer hunting season, which is set to begin Nov. 23).
In addition to running water, the Tennison Bay campground during the winter is equipped with no-flush restrooms (flush toilets and showers are seasonal). About half the sites have electrical hookups.
At Potawatomi Park, all the South Daisy Field sites have access to electrical hookups, drinking water and no-flush toilets (flush toilets, showers and the fill and dump station are seasonal).
The Newport State Park office building remains open with access to water and flush toilets, while the campsites themselves have access to a vault toilet. The lot-three solar pump is turned off during winter months. Campers are responsible for carrying their gear from the parking area to their site, with distances varying from a half-mile to 3 miles. A small sled or toboggan can be useful for pulling gear through snow.
All parks plow roads to and around winter campsites. Peninsula State Park also clears out its year-round campsites and Newport State Park plows parking lots one and three. Potawatomi State Park plows the driveway for campsite numbers 24, 26 and 28, but no other sites. As a result, campers at Potawatomi may need to bring shovels to clear space for their vehicle or tent, according to Erin Brown Stender, Potawatomi State Park superintendent. Plowing the park can take a day or more following a snowstorm, she said.
Campers should also be prepared to face the winter weather, Hyde said. Those not in camper vans or RVs with furnaces should check the forecast and ensure their sleeping bags are rated for the nightly lows.
“If you are planning correctly and making sure you’re warm enough at night, it’s a great experience,” he said.
More information about Newport State Park’s winter activities is available at tinyurl.com/4973xk5b. Visit tinyurl.com/mrxwuk9y for information about Peninsula State Park’s winter activities and tinyurl.com/4xa8hade for information about Potawatomi’s.
Campsites at all parks can be booked at wisconsin.goingtocamp.com.
