Hotels, restaurants, parks, and beaches welcome dog-friendly travelers to Door County.
With so many parks, beaches, outdoor cafes, and boutique hotels run by friendly people, it’s no wonder that Door County, Wisconsin, is as welcoming to dogs as it is to humans. Dog-friendly spots are in abundance, allowing you to hang with your furry friend as you explore this coastal area. If you want to bring the dog with you, here’s where to play, stay, and eat.
Naturally, the number of options increases dramatically during the spring, summer, and fall months, due to warmer outdoor temperatures. All five state parks are open to dogs, and those with camping sites (Newport State Park, Peninsula State Park, Potawatomi State Park, and Rock Island State Park). Similarly, all Door County Land Trust parks and trails welcome dogs as long as they’re leashed, and Door County-owned parks are also pet-friendly. If ever in doubt about whether dogs are accommodated, look for signage at a restaurant, park, or business. When booking a hotel or short-term rental, be sure to read the fine print about bringing a dog, including any deposits or additional fees. And, always, always, clean up after your dog and keep them on a leash so they are not too “friendly” with other dogs and vacationers.
Play
Whitefish Dunes State Park
Because dog-friendly beaches are not within every park, whether it’s a county or state park, this 230-acre park in Sturgeon Bay is a great place to let your dog swim in Lake Michigan or run through the sand. That’s because there’s a designated dog beach at this park, according to this map.
Expect a .75-mile walk from the parking area to the beach, along the Red Trail. Dogs must remain on a leash longer than eight feet at all times. Note that this is a day-use park only, meaning overnight camping is not permitted.
Sister Bay Dog Park & Dog Beach
Near Sister Bay Marina on the Green Bay shoreline, this fenced-in grassy area is a place that’s popular with dog owners. Dogs can play while their owners relax at picnic tables, perhaps enjoying grab-and-go sandwiches from Door County Creamery or coffee from happy coffee, Door County’s only year-round coffee shop. Both are a block from the park.
Dog-waste bags (dubbed “mutt mitts”) are available for easy clean-up, and drinking water just for dogs is also available here to make the visit more accommodating to pet owners. There is also access to Green Bay from the dog park, should your dog enjoy swimming.
Harbor Hounds Dog Park
Tucked behind the library in the village of Egg Harbor, this 2-acre fenced dog park features a large dog area and a separate space for small dogs.
If you’re looking for a book to read in this park but aren’t a local, pop into the library and peruse gently used titles for sale. You can find the park just east of Highway 42.
Stay
Spruce and Shore Motel
Since opening in downtown Fish Creek during the spring of 2025, this 24-room renovated motel has pledged to welcome dog owners with their canine buddies. New this summer is an outdoor patio with twinkly lights strung overhead, along with Adirondack chairs encircling a fire pit.
This motel is situated along the town’s harbor, ideal for strolls and offering convenient access to green space. While not all of the rooms are pet-friendly, six are set aside just for dogs and their owners.
Julie’s Park Café & Motel
This 22-room motel is the closest hotel, motel, or inn to the 3,776-acre Peninsula State Park—in fact, you can walk from the motel to one of the park’s hiking trails within five minutes.
Not all rooms are designed to house pets, but many are, and due to the courtyard accessible from nearly all of the rooms, taking your dog out is a breeze. Or, you can hop in the car and go further into Door County’s largest state park. Connected to the motel is a seasonal café serving all-day breakfast, including on the outdoor dog-friendly patio.
Beachfront Inn
If you’re a fan of what locals refer to as “the quieter side” of Door County, when compared to the bustling towns and villages along Green Bay, consider the Lake Michigan hamlet of Baileys Harbor. This 20-room inn is perched above the waterfront and boasts its own beach, which is open for dogs to enjoy off-leash. Dogs should be leashed in all other areas of the inn, however.
The Feathered Star Bed & Breakfast
If the kind of hotel stay you prefer is a bed-and-breakfast, but you’re traveling with a dog, then the owners of this six-room property in Egg Harbor would love to have you.
All rooms at the farmhouse include a continental breakfast, and the property spans three acres, with plenty of room to explore with your dog. Each room is dog-friendly and features an antique fireplace and custom-made quilts. There’s even a room called Doggy Haven.
Eat and drink
Peach Barn Farmhouse and Brewery
Not only are dogs welcomed in the spacious 1.5-acre yard at this Sister Bay brewery that opened in 2021, but you can also bring them indoors, where a stage hosts live music and beers are poured from taps. No matter the weather, the yard’s pergolas and fire pit keep the outdoor area comfortable.
This brewery’s beers shift with the seasons and also partner with local businesses, giving you several new reasons to visit all year-long, from Blu Tang Clang (a blueberry sour) to Lutefisk Swedish lager (in partnership with Stabbur Beer Garden in Sister Bay), as well as classics such as a Pilsner with lime.
Osteria Tre Tassi
This Italian fine-dining restaurant in Ellison Bay is an ideal date-night spot—especially when it’s warm enough to dine on the outdoor patio.
With chef-owner Robin Brown at the helm, who hails from Italy, many of the menu’s ingredients are sourced from the restaurant’s garden. Housemade fresh pasta is the base for many dishes, though there are also several surf-and-turf options, such as a wild-caught fish of the week or beef cheeks.
Kettle Black Restaurant
Door County’s most famous cuisine is a fish boil, brought to the region by Scandinavian settlers, and its theatrical preparation conducted by a master boiler is always hosted outside. Locally caught whitefish is boiled in salt with red potatoes, and joining the meal are coleslaw and a slice of cherry pie.
This Fish Creek restaurant has an outdoor patio that’s dog-friendly and also overlooks the harbor.
Door County Brewing Company
Located in Baileys Harbor, this craft brewery’s patio is spacious and welcomes dogs, offering a cozy vibe with fire pits, tables, and chairs that encourage conversation among customers.
Like Peach Barn Farmhouse and Brewery, beer selections often rotate. Some of their most popular beers are Polka King (Porter), Dark Skies (Lager) and Motel Citreon (Norwegian farmhouse-style ale). If you’re hungry, look no further than the on-site DCBC Eats, serving BBQ.
Door 44 Winery
There are a lot of wineries in Sturgeon Bay, but not all of them have a sweet outdoor area like this Sturgeon Bay winery’s tasting room. Located at the top of a hill, you can kick back in one of the Adirondack chairs, with your dog at your side.
Attached to the tasting room is an outdoor patio with a pergola, and there’s also a six-acre vineyard on the property. Wines can be sampled by the glass or as a flight.
