The Communities of Southern Door
Southern Door County’s geographical location covers 196 square miles from the Kewaunee County Line just north of Dyckesville to the Duluth Avenue border in Sturgeon Bay. With Green Bay waters to the west and Lake Michigan to the east there are miles of picturesque shoreline. There are seven townships and a village, with small-town communities in each.
Brussels and Forestville townships are located inland however the Forestville Dam and the Ahnapee State Trail provides many opportunities for kayaking, hiking, horseback and bicycle riding in the summer and snowmobiling, cross country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter. The township of Forestville comprises the communities of Carnot, Maplewood and the Village of Forestville.
The town of Brussels is rich in both Belgian and German ancestry with the communities of Brussels north of Hwy 57 and Kolberg south of the highway that brings tourists through the southern 1/3 of Door County. Each year the Saturday and Sunday after the 4th of July, thousands flock to Brussels for the Brussels Lions Club Belgian Days Festival where Belgian food is served at the Brussels Town Park with numerous activities and baseball tournaments. Camping at Quietwoods campground, geocaching, barn quilt seeking,
Also in Brussels, the Southern Door School District houses grades 4k – 12 and is the central hub of the community. There is a fieldhouse gym, football and track, a community auditorium for the arts, Eagle Trail that circles the school property, and the Waniger one-room schoolhouse that is open to the public every Saturday. Chaudoirs Dock
Along the bay, the south west shore of the peninsula bordering Kewaunee County is the township of Union and includes the community of Namur where you will find the Peninsula Belgian American Club, and the Belgian Heritage Center, both on the historical register. Historic Chapels and distinctive red-brick houses and farms dot the rural landscapes of this area. Dock or launch your boat at Chaudoir’s Dock County Park and enjoy a beautiful sunset in the township of Namur.
The township of Gardner includes Sugar Creek County Park, the Gardner Swamp and the Little Sturgeon Bay area. Launching available at Robert M. Carmody Park. The year-round fishing is superb and the area is host to numerous fishing tournaments winter, spring, and summer.
The northern section of Southern Door County is the town of Nasewaupee and the area known as Idlewild where legend has it as a hiding place for Al Capone. The Potawatomi State Park overlooks Green Bay, Sawyer Harbor and the Sturgeon Bay bodies of water. Climb the park tower for a beautiful vista that overlooks the city of Sturgeon Bay to the north or better yet, book a flight in a Piper at Grizzly Air tours at the Cherryland Airport to see the area by air.
The town of Sturgeon Bay is partially located in Southern Door. Duluth Avenue is the dividing line with numerous businesses ushering you in to the city limits.
The town of Clay Banks located south of the shipping canal and boasts beautiful shorelines and beaches.