The Long Way Back

There’s always a good reason to take one more walk down to the beach. At Whitefish Dunes, this is one of them. A sandy path slips between weathered fences and beach grass, opening onto Lake Michigan beneath a narrow band of pink and peach. A few small waves reach the shore. Beyond them, the lake stretches clear to the horizon.

This is the third beach access, a quieter approach tucked farther along the trails. Here, you’re closer to the Old Baldy overlook than to the busy parking lots. The walk is part of the appeal, with a little more time in the woods before the trees give way to beach grass, sand, and an open view of the water. If you’re willing to walk a little farther, this is a good place to end up.

Most people think of Door County sunsets from the Green Bay side, watching the sun drop toward the water. But I like what happens on the other side of the peninsula, too. With the setting sun behind you, the eastern sky can pick up soft color that’s easy to miss if you’re only looking west. Here, that color fades gradually into blue above the lake. It’s a good reason to turn around, or to choose a different shore altogether.

The path is as much a part of this photograph as the water. If you’ve spent time at Whitefish Dunes, you probably know that feeling of coming through the trees and getting your first look at the beach. The sand gets deeper underfoot, the view opens up, and whatever you were talking about tends to pause for a moment. These uneven wooden fences and the grasses growing through them make that approach immediately familiar.

There’s more to those dunes than you might guess from the beach. Whitefish Dunes protects a fragile landscape that includes the tallest dunes on Lake Michigan’s western shore. Old Baldy, the park’s tallest, rises 93 feet above the lake. Follow the trails inland and you’ll find forested dunes, where the trees make it easy to forget how much sand lies beneath your feet.

I’m drawn to places that give me a reason to keep walking, and this view does exactly that. Follow the path, head down the beach, see what’s around the next bend. On an evening like this, getting back to the car can take a little longer than planned.

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