If you’re not careful, it’s easy to miss the open beauty of Door County. But if you wait until sundown and head past the crowds of Fish Creek, Ephraim, and Sister Bay, you’ll encounter something extraordinary. Just look up. Door County is home to a place where you can enjoy a sight that’s become all too rare: the dark sky, filled with gleaming stars. You’ll find this starry magic in Newport State Park, Wisconsin's only dark sky reserve.
There’s one thing that really ruins a good look at the night sky: pollution. Smoke and light pollution (called skyglow) can quickly put the lights out on a sky that should be filled with glowing stars.
But that’s not the case in Newport State Park. Perched on the end of the Door County peninsula, Newport State Park is far from any big development.
When you stand on the shore and look out, all you see is a flat horizon – the Michigan shoreline is too far away to peek above the curvature of the Earth.
The sunrises are spectacular in the park, but it’s worth getting up even earlier. The park was named on the International Dark Sky Association’s list of 48 fantastic dark skies around the world.
It’s the first park in Wisconsin to receive the honor – other places to make the list include Big Bend, Glacier, and Grand Canyon National Parks.
The park is a quiet and serene place to take in the spectacle of the sky. Newport State Park is the state’s only designated wilderness park and covers 2,373 acres. Because the park is mostly forested, the best spots to stargaze are the beaches. Enjoy the show!
A state park vehicle sticker is required to park in Newport State Park, although parking is available outside the park at Europe Bay Beach. Learn more about Newport State Park on the park’s website. Once you’ve taken in the majesty of the night sky, here’s where to take in a million-dollar sunrise.
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