Washington Island Ferry
A year-round vehicle and passenger ferry across Death's Door. The crossing takes about thirty minutes. The drive from the island dock to Jackson Harbor, where the Rock Island ferry leaves, is about 8.4 miles.
THE ENJOY ROAD TRIPS EDITION — FIELD GUIDE
Region
Plan your Door County trip
Getting to Door County, getting around, when to come, ferries and the practical limits of a peninsula trip.
Getting there
Door County is reached by road from Green Bay, roughly an hour south of Sturgeon Bay. Highway 42 runs up the bay side through Egg Harbor, Fish Creek, Ephraim and Sister Bay; Highway 57 takes the Lake Michigan side through Jacksonport and Baileys Harbor before the two meet near the northern tip.
The nearest commercial airport is in Green Bay. Once on the peninsula, a car is close to essential: distances between communities are short in miles but the roads are two-lane and seasonal traffic is real.
When to come
- Late spring
- Quieter roads, parks open, some businesses still on reduced hours
- Summer
- Everything open; book lodging and ferry times well ahead
- Autumn
- Orchards, fall colour and festival weekends; still busy
- Winter
- Dark skies, groomed trails, reduced services and seasonal ferries
The two ferries
Karfi ferry
A passenger ferry to Rock Island State Park. It does not carry vehicles, and Rock Island has no services beyond the park. Check the seasonal schedule before building a day around it.
Practical notes
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1
Buy the park sticker
A Wisconsin State Park System vehicle admission sticker is required at Peninsula, Newport, Whitefish Dunes and Potawatomi. Rock Island requires ferry tickets instead.
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2
Book the island day first
Ferry capacity and park camping are the two constraints most likely to reshape a trip.
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3
Pack for two shores
Lake Michigan side is cooler and windier than the bay side. Layers work better than a single forecast.
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4
Respect the dark sky
Newport is designated for its night environment. Use red light and keep vehicle lights low after dark.
Verification
Sources & editorial record
Factual details on these pages were checked against the sources below on 2026-10-29 . Interpretive prose, itineraries and recommendations are editorial judgement, not sourced fact.
Park acreages, lighthouse dates, ferry crossing times and community descriptions are taken from Destination Door County, the Coastal Byway and the relevant land manager. Opening hours, prices and individual business details are deliberately not published here because they change seasonally.
- Destination Door County Official destination marketing organisation: communities, parks and lighthouses.
- Destination Door County — Parks State and county park acreages, shoreline and facilities.
- Destination Door County — Lighthouses Construction dates, automation dates and public access.
- Door County Coastal Byway 66-mile byway route, three state parks and ten county parks.
- Wisconsin DNR — State parks Land-manager information for Wisconsin state parks.
- Door County government County visitor information and official links.