Hike the Eagle Trail
at Peninsula State Park

Do you like to hike? Eagle Trail offers a spectacular adventure.

This 2-mile, 1.5-hour loop trail is rated difficult. Do your ankles bother you? Are you in a hurry? Are you under 4 years of age? Are you wearing sandals? Then think twice before taking on this challenge. If you do hike Eagle Trail, wear sturdy shoes and pack water and a snack.

Old photo of couple on trail steps
Edith Doolittle and Clarence VanLoo pose at Eagle Terrace, 1926.

Begin at Eagle Bluff Overlook or Eagle Terrace. You can also connect to Eagle Trail from Minnehaha Trail, near Nicolet South Campground.

You’ll see:

  • Fresh springs (drinking is not recommended)
  • Foundations from old summer cottages
  • 2- to 6-inch rectangular holes made by pileated woodpeckers
  • Ephraim village, across Eagle Harbor
  • New foot bridges built in 2001, to help control erosion

You can't wait? Then take this virtual tour:

Photo of bluffs, trees, and ferns

Bluffs loom nearly 200 feet along part of Eagle Trail.
DNR Photo

A shallow ocean formed this rock of these bluffs more than 400 million years ago.

Photo of jack-in-the-pulpit blossom

Jack-in-the-pulpit blooms in June along shady, moist Eagle Trail.
DNR Photo

Roots wrapped around rocks

Cedar roots wrap around the rocks. Some cedars at Peninsula are more than 500 years old.
DNR Photo

Photo of fox snake

Don’t be afraid of the fox snake. Like all other Door County snakes, it is not poisonous.
DNR Photo


Watch your step!
DNR Photo

Please stay on the trail. When you stay on the trail, rare ferns and flowers grow strong.

Mass of flowering plants
Pink herb Robert, a wild geranium, blooms from June to September along the bay-cooled Eagle Trail.
DNR Photo

Cave in rocky cliff
Do you think people who lived here hundreds of years ago used Eagle Cave for special ceremonies?
DNR Photo

Girl Scouts pose near cave

The cave is a favorite landmark for hikers such as these Girl Scouts from Troop 290.
DNR Photo

Photo of mother and baby birds

Listen for the "teacher-teacher" call of the ovenbird, which builds a domed nest on the ground.
DNR Photo

Photo of cracked rock
Do you see all the cracks in this rock? A rock with so many cracks is not safe to climb on!
DNR Photo

Photo of ripening thimbleberries

Thimbleberries grow thickly along parts of Eagle Trail. The tart red fruits ripen in early August.
DNR Photo

Thanks for taking the Eagle Bluff Virtual tour. But remember, the best way to see Peninsula is in person!

Last Revised: Friday December 29 2006