Rock Island State Park

Wisconsin is definitely known for its state park system and the beauty that lies within, but one of this park systems gems is definitely Rock Island. Wisconsin has 66 state parks, and Rock Island comes in at 61st for most visited. So with only 5 state parks visited less than Rock Island, what gives? Blame geography and human time constraints. Rock Island is probably the most difficult to get to, so there’s that. In addition, this is probably the most plan-dependent state park there is, because if you don’t make an extremely time-accurate plan on how to get there and how to get back, you’re going to get stuck there, or halfway, or before even getting there. It’s definitely tricky, but it’s worth it. My state park posts will be separated into two: Post 1 – the experience. This will include what you need to know, why you need to go, and what to expect when you get there. Post 2 – the geography and history. I’m well aware most of you don’t care about that, but since I can’t NOT talk about that stuff when discussing things in this state, I’ll break the posts into two so they aren’t all 10 pages long.

Before we discuss the difficulties required to get here, I want to highlight why you need to cross this park off your bucket list. First and foremost, if you are a big fan of this state, I am a firm believer that you should have the goal of visiting every state park. There’s such a tremendous amount of variety you can’t really just rule any out. And to add to that, each one you visit that isn’t near you presents you with a nice Wisconsin vacation opportunity. Rock Island is certainly no different. Rock Island boasts a combination of great hiking, fantastic views, and a sense of remoteness that few other parks can offer.

Rock Island is located in Door County, and is also the furthest east (and northeast) you can go in the state. Door county isn’t typically thought of as ‘north’, but Rock Island is actually farther north latitude-wise than Crivitz, Merrill, and Chippewa Falls. You might not notice how far north this park actually is in the hot summer months but the climate will show itself to you in fall, winter, and spring. Rock Island is the furthest island in Lake Michigan you can visit that geographically and politically is located within our states boundary… a few more minutes north and you’re in stinky Michigan.

Let us address the reason why it is the 6th least visited state park in this state. Reason one: location location location. In order to get here, you need to go ALL the way to the very top of Door County, and then when you get there, keep going! Most people visiting the door peninsula tend to end their travels around the Sister Bay/Ellison Bay towns, assuming they’re even going that far north to begin with. Tack on another 20-30 minutes just to get you to the tip of the mainland, and you’re still not at the park. Which brings us to the second reason it’s so infrequently visited… it is not one but TWO ferry rides away. Do the math… you’re going to need a nearly full day in addition to staying somewhere in DoCo just to make this visit a reality. When you get to Northport, you’ll first take the Washington Island Ferry. Once on Washington Island you’ll need to get to the northeastern most point of the island, Jackson Harbor, and from there take the Rock Island Ferry to get to the park. Again, depending on where you are staying within Door County, getting to North Port can be a bit of a trek. Getting to Jackson Harbor takes another 15 minutes via car. The ferry rides take anywhere from 15 minutes (Rock Island ferry) to 30/45 minutes (Washington Island ferry). So when you decide to make this trip, you’re going to need to come with a game plan.

For my visit, I was staying in Dyckesville, which is about as far as you can get from this place without actually departing from Green Bay. This meant a 7:00 AM departure for us, and honestly if I were to do this again, I think I’d leave even earlier. We lucked out upon our arrival to Northport (and this is my reason for wanting to leave earlier). When we got to the Washington Island ferry there was already a line. We ended up JUST making the cut… last car in line for the next ferry. During summer hours, the ferry departs every 30 minutes. A 30 minute delay is not the end of the world, but remember, in addition to having to take another ferry once we get to Washington Island, you have to make the return trip too, unless you are planning on camping, which by the way, this is probably the best place to do so. The ferry ride to Washington Island was super cool, but most boat rides are when you get to enjoy the great views and not worry about anything else. 30 minutes later and we landed. We immediately headed for Jackson Harbor in order to catch the next ferry. WiFi/LTE/5G is next to non-existent on the island, so make sure you know how to get to the harbor before arriving on the island. Washington Island isn’t that big, so it’s not like you’ll get lost to the point of no return, but to speed up your trip, it’s nice to know where you’re going.

Once at the next harbor all we had to do was wait. No cars on this ferry; they pack you in like sardines and you’re almost there. The ferry’s for this part of the trip depart every hour instead of every 30 minutes, so the timing is crucial. Play it wrong and you might wait close to a full hour (or more if you play it terribly), but if you spend your time planning this trip right, the wait might be under 30 minutes. This ferry ride is much shorter, and arrival to the island is AWESOME. You’re greeted by a massive Viking-esque building. The boat house is one of the coolest structures in this state. The Rock Island State Park history and geography post will include more details about this structure, but if the zombie apocalypse happens, I’m coming here.

The features that best sum up Rock Island are inland forest, beaches and cliffs that make up the edges of the island, and the pristine views of Lake Michigan. Don’t let the northerly latitude fool you, the beaches and water on this island look like they’re straight out of a tourist pamphlet advertising the Caribbean. The interior of the island, which definitely will not be mistaken for a tropical paradise, is no less scenic. Hiking through large sections of cedar lead to sections of deciduous hardwoods. I’m a sucker for cedars so perhaps I’m biased, but this combination of the white soft beaches and shaded groves of cedars is truly breathtaking. The smell of fresh air through cedar trees is unmatched. There is also a lighthouse you can tour (although you might have to wait a bit on the busier days), and again, one of the absolutely coolest structures I’ve seen in this state, a Viking-modeled boathouse. I will not be able to accurately describe this for you, you need to see it in person. A true gem of a building.

A full loop around the island takes you through all of these differences in landscapes and past the two aforementioned structures, and at around 6 miles, it is nothing too strenuous. In fact 6 miles with varying terrain is in my opinion almost perfect. Not too short that it’s boring, not too long that it’s difficult, but just the right length to be worth a trip and not waste the whole day. I hiked it with my parents, both in their 60’s, and they were fine the entire time, I think… my dad could get his leg cut off and he’ll act like it doesn’t hurt, and my mom was 8 months away from a hip surgery but she doesn’t want to seem like she’s slowing anyone down so she’ll pretend she’s fine too. However, they both made the journey injury and complaint free. The park offers two trails that cut through the island for those unable to hike the entire perimeter, and for those looking for an extended stay, a campground as well. While I have not been so lucky as to have camped here, I can only imagine what the night sky must look like when it’s perfectly clear outside, given the distance from the mainland. I’m thinking I might need to add this to my Wisconsin bucket list just for the night sky alone.

TL;DR:
– Hiking Difficulty ~ 4/10 (couple steep spots but overall easy)
– Scenic Rating ~ 9/10 (great views of the lake, mix of ecosystems along the trail)
– Location ~ 1/10 (1 being bad here; if you want to go here, you have to plan it. No way can it be a spur of the moment trip)
– Extra Opportunities ~ 2/10 (1 being worst; your options are this state park and Washington Island)
– Worth it? ~ Yes. Duh.