Winter Activities by Snow Type

As the seasons change from fall to winter the chilly weather brings about a whole new set of outdoor activities to participate in. If you are one of the many that embrace the cold and snow, here’s a list of excellent ways to get outside no matter if the snow is fresh, falling, frozen or nowhere to be seen.

Snow Type: Fresh and Fluffy

When the snow has fallen - or is currently falling - it’s a great time to get outside and enjoy the smooth softness of the fresh white blanket of powder.

Go Sledding

Bring your sled to the park for a speedy ride down the sled hill! Favorite sledding areas include the Sledding Hill at Sister Bay Sports Complex, the hill at Hole 17 at Peninsula State Park Golf Course, or Big Hill Park and Incinerator Hill in Sturgeon Bay.

Go Snowshoeing

Take a walk in a winter wonderland with the help of snowshoes to keep your feet dry and above the piling snow. 

When there’s enough of the pillowy snow, some areas of the forest are easier to access than in summer since the underbrush and rocky roots are covered. Choose a trail at one of the five state parks or make your own at one of the many natural areas held by the Door Land Trust.

Need snowshoes or winter gear? Check with one of the several adventure outfitters.

Make a Snowman

If you have a wet snow, which happens in temperatures closer to the freezing point of 32 degrees, the snow is easily packable, making it perfect for snowballs, forts and creating snowmen. Indulge your inner child - or join your own kids - and make a snowman or snow woman! Don’t forget to bring the carrot nose.

Snow Type: Packed and Crunchy

Ride the Trails with a Fat Tire Bike

The tires of a fat tire bike are uniquely adept at gripping onto texture surfaces, and best when snow is packed and crunchy, but not icy. Ride the trails at Peninsula State Park or Newport State Park for a fast and fun way to get in the woods.

Go Cross Country Skiing

A favorite wintertime activity in Door County is hitting the trails of the cross country ski areas. There are plenty of places to explore with Newport, Whitefish Dunes, Potawatomi and Peninsula State Parks all having sections of groomed trails. Check their website for the special events of candlelight skiing!

Snowmobile Across the County

As long as  there has been enough snow coverage, you’ll find that a new form of transportation becomes favored over driving - snowmobiling! With 250 miles of trails, you’ll be able to explore the county and bay from a whole new perspective.

Snow Type: Light or No Snow

Go Ice Skating

The Sports Complex in Sister Bay has ice skating as a main winter attraction with two rinks for visitors. 

One is for recreational skating and figure skating and the other is an enclosed hockey rink where people play broomball and pick up hockey games. 

Concessions and hot cocoa are available to enjoy beside a nice bonfire to warm up at. 

There is an additional ice rink in Sturgeon Bay on Memorial Field which is located near the Sturgeon Bay High School.

Go Ice Fishing

Ice fishing in Door County was once a necessity, but now it’s a favorite winter pastime in a place considered one of the top ice fishing destinations in the country. Come winter, angler flock to Door County hunting for whitefish, trophy walleye, northern, and trout.

Go Horseback Riding

For 57 years the Kurtz family at Kurtz Corral has been introducing people to horseback riding in central Door County, and on a sunny winter day you can’t imagine a more beautiful way to see the snowy landscape. Open Friday through Sunday in winter, a visit will have you feeling like you stepped into an old-time postcard.

Snow Type: Blizzard!

When travel becomes treacherous and a winter storm brings in wind, ice, sleet and snow, it’s time to hunker down and do as the locals do - keep the candles and fire burning and bring out the deck of cards or board games for old-fashioned fun.