Whitefish Dunes History

The Whitefish Dunes area's history has been shaped by its geological prehistory, its location along the Lake Michigan shore, its people and its scenic natural resources. Click on the history links in the left column to learn more.

State Park History - A Story of Protection

Like a blanket protects us from cold, a cloak of low spreading plants with their netted roots shields the dunes from drying sunlight and wind. In this harsh environment, it may take more than a thousand years to stabilize the sand and grow a forest. Today this fragile system has protection of its own.

In the 1930s, conservationists like Jens Jensen called for the preservation of Whitefish Dunes. Rare plants and the best sand dunes on the western shore of Lake Michigan needed protection from development. Dream became reality in July 1967 when the state park was established. In 1982, 230 acres of the 867-acre park were designated as a state natural area.

The dunes were protected through the foresight of the people of Door County and the Wisconsin Conservation Commission (now Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources).

For more information, ask Kent.Harrison@wisconsin.gov, (920) 823-2400