The Ridges Sanctuary

I come from hot weather country down south and it was such a pleasure to be able to have a beautiful hike in the middle of August and not die from the Heat. There are so many interesting features about this place. You must read all of the signs and literature and you will find it quite unique. I just loved the experience. It only costs $5 to enter. What a wonderful half-day experience.

I loved this place! Trails are maintained very well and there are a lot of lookout points to enjoy scenery. Found many beautiful and interesting plants

I love coming here to hike or run! There is a massive board walk that is wheelchair/ stroller accessible, and then there are super great trails behind the boardwalk that are great for meandering! This place is truly a sliver of peace!

This is a fantastic nature preserve, with a variety of trails and ecosystems. You can easily see wild turkey, deer, foxes, and a ton of wildlife all in one outing! The field house is incredible, with helpful staff and a ton of resources (and classes) available. If you are a fan of Door County state parks, then you'll fall in love with the Ridges. The trails are open dusk until dawn, and a 5 dollar donation is asked. Well worth the money!

It wasn't open when I went there. I walked the trails & beach area. Very relaxing & beautiful.

I've only ever gone to the Ridges for classes and events, so I've paid in advance online. 2 of my kids have done the Tiny Trekkers class multiple times. And we've been there for season celebrations and whatnot. They have multiple locations with lots of beautiful nature to explore at each spot. The boardwalk at their main location (where the Nature Center is located) is a wonderful and beautiful nature walk. Other locations have trails, trees, sand, beaches, etc. All gorgeous! The Ridges has a lot of different educational options from classes to guided hikes to events to a Forest School. They are definitely an amazing resource for anyone who is into the outdoors.

This was a nice activity to do but wasn't really worth the hype. It costs $5 per person to do the trails. We did the most common one which is 1.3 miles and takes you through each of the trails. I think it would have been better if there wasn't a small drought happening during the time we went.

Bill did a fabulous job teaching us about the geology of the area and the natural habitat within the sanctuary as we walked. They are doing great work and programs here!

There is a $5 entrance fee. They have beautiful gardens around the office. We hiked the ridges & swales and out to the range lights. It was well worth the $5 per person entrance fee. They have a very nice trail system! Bring bug spray though!

Just a quick 2021 update! Please also see my previous review. On our most recent visit in September of 2021, all of Door County was more crowded than usual for mid-September and so we weren't surprised to find the parking lot by the new visitor center completely full. We went around the corner to the old, now unmarked, parking area and found the signs to the trails were still there! Yay! We assumed it was still OK to park here, and the signs provided some reassurance. The park is as peaceful as ever, and they have now finished the restoration of one of the lighthouses and are letting visitors in. The late fall wildflowers were lovely. Don't miss this peaceful place for a woodsy walk in Door County.

This is a wonderful boreal forest. It's beautiful & has so many different & some rare species of plants, flowers, insects. All because of glacial movement a very long time ago. I took a guided hike. My guide, Bill, is freaking awesome!! He's a retired school teacher & gave us so much information, had so much enthusiasm over all of it. My kids tell me I've apparently been inspired by Bill with the animation I was talking about my hike. Lol. I would recommend anyone go do your own hike or take a guided one with Bill if you want the history. It's worth it!

This is a truly wonderful place! Every season is special in some way. I'm worried about the low water levels...

Such a beautiful place for a walk! The history and sights are well worth the $5 to use the trails!

5++ for me! This place is exquisite! I've been here twice now and it is great. The new visitor center is STUNNING! Great interpretive displays, visually appealing building, gift shop has lots of cool things, and sustainable initiatives (LEED certification, permeable pavement for parking lot, etc.) The real draw to the place of course is the nature trails and wildlife. It is home to a huge array of wild and endangered native orchids which, when in bloom, are stunning! It's also home to lots of other wildflowers (carnivorous Pitcher Plants!), songbirds, frogs, deer, etc and is a very unique ecosystem in the state. The trail map is easy to follow and the well-kept boardwalk areas are easy for anyone to walk (including wheelchairs for a nice stretch) while the more rustic trails are also easily walkable. The lighthouse is small but very picturesque. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable. As a person with a degree in Environmental Education/Interpretation, I have of course visited many nature centers, state parks, wildlife preserves, sanctuaries, etc and I would rank this in my Top 10 best natural places...and I've done eco-tourism all over Wisconsin, throughout the US and in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Costa Rica, so that is saying something!

What a pleasant surprise! I am so glad my husband and I came out to the Ridges Sanctuary for this peaceful, romantic luminaria-lit walk. We weren't 100% sure what to expect - but this holiday event is definitely worth a visit. Because of the current landscape, the socially-distanced outdoor stroll with snow lazily falling and owls softly hooting was a magical way to get out in nature. My favorite part was the light house - we would definitely love to come back and check out some of their other events too!

This is a beautiful and relaxing place to visit. The trail options are very flexible so you're never locked into one that's too long/difficult. The trails are very easy to navigate except for the occasional boardwalk spot that's a bit slippery after rains. The geography of the area is unique and interesting. One thing to note that is quite confusing for a first visit is that the "trail map" you are given at the visitor center doesn't include the "boardwalk" area between the guest center and the lighthouses. It only has the trails beyond that. You will be fine and navigate easily if you realize the boardwalk area isn't on the map and don't try to look for it on there. I usually hate gift shops, but I LOVE the Ridges one! No junk here. A multitude of guides for identifying birds, flowers, trees, etc. including regional flora and fauna. I look forward to returning to the Ridges in the spring to see the beautiful ephemeral wildflowers, including many orchids!

Came out of town for a weekend and saw the guided winter hike on a list of things to do. My boyfriend and I were the only ones on the tour (plus our AWESOME guide Jane.) and we absolutely loved it (16 degrees and all!) Highly recommended for a small $8.00. Everyone at the center is extremely knowledgeable and passionate about the area.