Tour Types - Your adventure selections
 

Upland Forests

The upland forests of Door County are raved as being some of the most beautiful you will ever see. The sugar maple and beech tree forest type provides a sweet backdrop for its wildflower show.  From May to late June the forest understory explodes with a dazzling display of ephemeral spring flowers.  The show opens with the hepatica and blood root emerging through last falls leaves followed by the may apple, trout lily, columbine, and long-spurred violet to name a few.
But what the upland hardwood forests might be most noted for is the multitude of trilliums.  The wildflower displays continue throughout summer and gather more attention as the yellow lady slipper comes into bloom.  These hikes are our favorites throughout all the seasons as the pallet transitions from the blooming understory into the fall color display of the canopy.  We love the smell of the forest’s leaves, the clean and crisp winter tones, the fresh spring rain and cooling summer shade.  This is often the most popular of the guides and appeals to all ages.
 

Wetland, Ridges and Bogs

Wetlands are often thought of as highly diverse and beneficial habitats as far as water quality protection and fish nurseries, but not very nice places to visit. Well don the mosquito spray and get ready to see the most interesting jewels and gems of Door County .  The glacial history that these places rest upon have molded their primary controlling factor; water movement. Glacial evolution has made these places what they are today and have formed the basis for these precious habitats.  State and federal endangered species, like the dwarf lake iris or ram’s head orchid, may be on the agenda for your tour.  Don’t forget about the cushion of floating bog mat that you walk upon or the carnivorous plants you may see.  As a huge attraction to professionals scientists as well as the common traveler, the wetlands, ridge-swale complexes and bogs are home to a wide variety of unique species of plants, birds and invertebrates.  
 

Scenic Overlooks

Wouldn’t you just love to visit a cuesta?  Wouldn’t you like to know what the heck a cuesta (KWES-ta) is? Door County is a perfect example of a cuesta, which is a unique landform with a high, steep side fading to a gently sloping side.  This formation describes nearly the entire county and is the backbone of the scenic bluffs and overlooks. The Door Peninsula contains the same rock series as Niagara Falls , but miniaturized and right here for you to enjoy.  Come with us to the bay side to look down over the soaring lake Michigan gulls from gallant bluffs where the rippling waves form dancing patterns of color on the water. Or travel with us to the lake side to get up close and personal with bluffs interspersed with towering sand dunes and crystal sand beaches.  Stand upon the exposed rocks of the bluffs and gaze over the water as the lake  comes crashing in underfoot. Get a geology crash course first hand in the most beautiful classroom you could image.
 

Pleasant Paddles

Taking to the water in a canoe (or kayak) is a great way to get up close with areas that could otherwise seem inaccessible. Scenic and calming, an effortless paddle on inland lakes and streams of the area will open your mind to waterfowl, aquatic vegetation, darting dragonflies and wildlife songs. In our opinion, the canoe tour is even better as an evening trip when the water calms to a mirror glass reflection and the trailing drips from the paddles echo into the distance.
 

Twilight Hikes 

Twilight Hikes are a popular choice for a tour, starting around 6-7 p.m. and wrapping up at dark (around 10 p.m.).  What a spectacular time to wind down and watch wildlife prepare for the evening. Provided there is a clear sky, the tour will end with a discussion on astronomy (or sometimes astrology) that will renew the child in you with stories from Greek and Roman mythology.
 

The “AllTourNative”

Door County Living Classrooms is happy to accommodate groups larger than the typical 2-8 people. Large group outings, school field trips or even buses are welcome with a two week advance notice. All of the above descriptions apply to large groups and can be modified to accommodate a certain theme, professional interest or graduate studies, age, ability or curriculum.
            

             Custom Seasonal Tours

These special tours often lead you to areas to view seasonal displays, like the ritual flights of the woodcock in spring, a rare plant that just started to bloom or perhaps something we just stumbled upon and can’t wait to share.
 

Didn’t find anything that interests you?  Please check out our photo gallery or click here to visit a DNR site that gives more information on some of the numerous natural areas that Door County has to offer.  Help us help you “Build your own adventure” by calling Door County Living Classrooms at (920) 746-0056.