Door County Land Trust
Bay Shore Blufflands
Nature Preserve
Hugging the shores of Green Bay between Egg Harbor and Sturgeon Bay, the Bay Shore Blufflands Nature Preserve is a grand landscape filled with scenery straight out of a picture postcard. Wind-swept fields, towering pine forests, ephemeral wetlands and springs, cobbled lakeshore and stretches of rural open space along Bay Shore Drive all contribute to the beauty of this special place. But the “must-see” feature of the preserve is the spectacular view from the Blufflands’ most significant natural feature—the rugged rock bluff of the Niagara Escarpment. The escarpment runs like a spine down the entire length of the preserve and provides not only breathtaking scenery, but also a highly specialized habitat for many plants and animals.
Coordinated efforts are now underway to restore the Blufflands’ ecological health. Portions of the preserve that were once cleared for timber, farms, resorts, and even a golf course are being restored to productive wildlife habitat. With its outstanding scenery, diverse landscapes, and assortment of plant and animal species, the Bay Shore Blufflands Preserve has emerged as one of the Midwest’s noteworthy nature preserves.
Help us continue to protect Door County’s special places. Door County Land Trust nature preserves were established to protect fragile ecological resources and provide habitat for plants and wildlife. You can help maintain the health of the forest, meadows, and wetlands by respecting the nature preserves in the following ways:
Stay on the trails. Hiking off-trail disturbs vegetation and wildlife, and increases your chances of encountering poison-ivy, other natural hazards, or trespassing outside of preserve boundaries.
Clean your boots or shoes. You can reduce the spread of invasive plants by brushing your boots or shoes where a boot brush station is provided.
Pets are welcome. Please keep your pets on a leash at all times and pick up after your pets.
Collecting is not allowed. Collecting of any vegetation, wildlife, or other material is not allowed.
Leave no trace. Please carry out everything that you carry in, including garbage.
Some activities are not allowed. Horseback riding, ATVs, bicycles, snowmobiles and other motorized recreational equipment is not allowed on the preserves.
Camping in parking lots or on Land Trust protected properties is not allowed. Use of the nature preserves is allowed from dawn until dusk.
Fires are not allowed on Land Trust protected properties.
Wear brightly colored clothing during hunting seasons. Hunting, trapping, and fishing may be allowed at some Door County Land Trust nature preserves. For more detailed information about hunting on Door County Land Trust preserves, please visit our Hunting Program page.
- 273 protected acres
- 2.5 mile hiking trail over level and elevated terrain on bluff slopes
- Magnificent views of surrounding landscape and of the Green Bay waters below
- Niagara Escarpment; Green Bay shoreline; old fields; wetlands and springs; northern hardwoods and boreal forest communities; eight species of orchids including state threatened ram’s head lady’s slipper; federally endangered land snails
