The Door County Land Trust is a local, non-profit organization dedicated to preserving Door County’s finest open spaces and wild places. The Land Trust maintains numerous preserves located throughout Door County that are open to the public at no charge. Most of these nature preserves are available for hiking, cross-country skiing, birding, photography, nature study, fishing, hunting and other low-impact recreational uses.
A 2012 participant in our Land Trust Excellence & Advancement Program (LEAP), the Door County Land Trust received one-on-one assistance from GWC to strengthen their operations to protect more of the special places in Wisconsin’s favorite vacation corner…and exploring those special places just got a little easier…
With the help of a new hiking map and 72-page guide book that features the thousands of acres that have been protected by the land trust, just about anyone can head out and find an adventure. Here’s a look at just a few of the properties available for public use:
Partnering with the Girl Scouts of Camp Cuesta, Door County Land Trust helped to protect 32 acres of historic land along the northwest side of Kangaroo Lake in Baileys Harbor. According to Terrie Cooper, the land program director of DCLT, the partnership is a “win-win” for both organizations; it helps to increase land protection in the area as well as provide income and educational experience for the girl scouts.Door County Land Trust has also purchased 483 acres of wilderness as part of the Shivering Sand State Natural Area.
This land acquisition will be the largest conservation project in Door County in over 45 years. The land will be available to the public to enjoy and will “be a place that brings the community together… where people who appreciate nature can share their common interests” as stated by one of the former owners of the property. Although such a large piece of land may be intimidating to think about, with the new hiking map it’s easier than ever to find your way around it!Door County’s iconic Grand View property in Ellison Bay has been purchased and transformed into a beautiful scenic overlook and park. Not long ago the land was slated for a large-scale condominium and residential development but with the help of Door County Land Trust and the town of Liberty Grove this land and breathtaking view will be protected forever.
The land trust is also celebrating the creation of a new nature preserve in Heins Creek, Jacksonport. The preserve was established with a 74 acre purchase and will open next spring. This preserve, among others, has been made more “user-friendly” with the release of the new hiking map and guide book. These two valuable tools can help plan out a trip that fits exactly what your needs are and even lets you know what you might expect to see on each trail!
With the weather warming up, you may want to go visit some of these beautiful locations! Find out more about these preserves and how you can visit by going to Door County Land Trust’s website.
