Peninsula State Park
Wildlife Viewing

People are the visitors at this 3,776-acre site; animals live here year round. Many tolerate two-legged guests quite well, happy to oblige by posing for a photo or two. All park wildlife wants is a little respect. Thank you in advance for steering clear of nesting birds, fawns and other fragile critters. Most of all, thanks for picking up litter and keeping Peninsula beautiful.

Afraid? Don't be. Peninsula has no poisonous snakes, though visitors sometimes mistake the fox snake for a rattler. Keep a respectful distance from all wildlife. Teach your children to do the same. This is especially important in May and June, when birds are on the nest and fawns are just being born.

Birds Peninsula provides habitat for about 125 different bird species. Look for red-winged blackbirds and orioles near Weborg Point. Weborg also offers fabulous warbler sightings during migration in mid-May. A check list is available at Park Headquarters.

See how two young merlin falcons were rescued at Peninsula.

Campsite Wildlife A raccoon might look cute waddling across a trail in mid-day, but quite the opposite atop your campsite picnic table, eating everything inside a cooler. Secure coolers in cars, with windows up. Do not bring food inside a tent. After sunset, listen for the call of the barred owl, "Who cooks for you?" Barred owls usually nest near Tennison Campground. The next morning, peek around the shower buildings where robins and Eastern phoebes sometimes nest. Re-introduced to Door County in the early 1990s, turkeys are now a common sight, especially near Nicolet South Campground.

Watch bats fly from their daytime roost to hunt for mosquitoes near Welcker's Shelter. Best bat viewing is an hour after sunset.

Nature Center Deer browse near the nature center and in the field east of Tennison Bay campground along Shore Road. Drive Middle Road for good sightings, too. At dusk, the resident porcupine might waddle from the nearby woods to nibble on aspens that grow near the building. A bluebird nest box in the nature center meadow is active most summers.

Other animals you will find at Peninsula are fox, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, porcupines, opossum, grouse, chipmunks, squirrels and rabbits.

For more information, ask Kathleen Harris, (920) 854-5976.