Kettle Moraine Ridges & Peninsula State Park Bluffs

Hike the southern segment of Wisconsin's Ice Age National Scenic Trail through classic glacial terrain — kettle ponds, eskers, kames, and the steep moraine ridges pushed up by the Laurentide ice sheet 10,000 years ago. The Emma Carlin trailhead puts you on 20 miles of interconnected loops through oak savanna and wetland corridors, with the Scuppernong River Habitat Area offering a quieter alternative for birding and wildlife.

Stop at this Mukwonago institution for homemade sandwiches, apple pie baked in a paper bag, and fresh-pressed cider — a beloved rural market en route between the moraine trails and the Door County drive north.

Climb the 45-foot wooden observation tower atop Lapham Peak — the highest point in Waukesha County at 1,233 feet — for a 360-degree view across the moraine ridgelines and farm patchwork that stretches to the lakefront on clear days. Short trails wind through the oak-hickory forest surrounding the tower before the evening drive north.

Arrive at this Fish Creek landmark for Door County's signature fish boil — a theatrical outdoor tradition where a Lake Michigan whitefish, potatoes, and onions are cooked in an outdoor cauldron over an open fire, then served with melted butter and cherry pie, a ritual performed here since 1896.

Sleep at this 1896 inn on the main street of Fish Creek — rooms with four-poster beds and fireplaces, walking distance to Eagle Harbor and the Peninsula State Park entrance.

Hike the Eagle Trail along 100-foot limestone bluffs above Green Bay — the most dramatic terrain in Wisconsin's most visited state park. The 2-mile trail skirts cliff edges above the water with views across Eagle Harbor to Horseshoe Island, ending at Eagle Tower where a reconstructed 75-foot wooden observation platform surveys the entire peninsula and the bay all the way to the Michigan shore.

Pick up cherry preserves, locally smoked whitefish, and Door County cherry wine at this roadside market before a picnic lunch on the Nicolet Bay beach — Door County's most popular swimming stretch inside Peninsula State Park.

Walk the limestone shoreline where Lake Michigan surges into sea caves carved beneath the bluff — a rare geological formation where wave action has hollowed chambers into the rock, sending plumes of spray skyward in any wind. A short clifftop trail connects multiple cave openings above the churning lake, with the afternoon light turning the water an improbable Caribbean turquoise.