Shore Road Trail

The Shore Road Trail runs along the Green Bay shoreline of Peninsula State Park's western edge, traversing a stretch of undeveloped Door County coastline that includes some of the most botanically rich forest in Wisconsin. The path begins near the Nicolet Bay campground and follows close to the bay shore through a remarkable old-growth northern white cedar forest, the trees gnarled and multi-stemmed from centuries of ice pressure and deer browse, their roots gripping the limestone cobble beach. In June this section of trail is renowned among wildflower enthusiasts for its orchid diversity: yellow lady's slippers grow in the forest duff, showy lady's slippers bloom in the wetter cedar swale sections, and calypso orchids appear in particularly mossy spots under the densest cedar cover. The trail also passes through several stands of old-growth northern hardwood including sugar maple, yellow birch, and basswood that were protected from logging because of the park's early establishment in 1909. Interpretive signs identify the Niagara Escarpment dolomite outcrops along the shore, explaining how this same geological formation creates Niagara Falls far to the east. Green Bay's protected waters support kayaking, and paddlers are often visible offshore. The turnaround point at the park's northern boundary provides a view across the water to the uninhabited bluffs of the Door Peninsula's outer edge.