Bailey’s Harbor Lighthouses – Door County Wisconsin

Bailey’s Harbor is a small community on the shores of Lake Michigan in scenic Door County, Wisconsin. Door County is home to a bunch of lighthouses – and Bailey’s Harbor itself has three! This guide will tell you all about how to visit and see the three Bailey’s Harbor Lighthouses in Door County and what to expect. Let’s get started!

Where is Bailey’s Harbor?

Bailey’s Harbor is located on the eastern side of the Door County peninsula, at about the halfway point between the lower point at Sturgeon Bay and the upper point at Gill’s Rock. The town is very small, with only a handful of shops, restaurants and lodging options – but it’s a cute area that’s worth a stroll through if you have the time.

Bailey’s Harbor Front Range Lighthouse

These two lighthouses are very close to each other and you can access them from two ways – via Highway 57 and park at the Ridges Sanctuary, or take Ridges Road.

I took the Ridges Road way, as I also wanted to hit up the old Birdcage Lighthouse, which also follows this road (but we’ll get to that later). I parked at the Bailey’s Harbor Ridges Park lot and just walked the short distance along the road to this lighthouse.

The Bailey’s Harbor Front Range lighthouse is right off of Ridges Road – you’ll pass by it before parking in the lot. This is still a functioning lighthouse to this day.

There’s not a lot to see here at this lighthouse – there is no inside tour, and the lighthouse itself is really small and honestly, kind of unremarkable. The nearby Ridges Sanctuary offers the Bailey’s Harbor Range Lighthouse tours and this lighthouse (and the Rear/Lower range lighthouse) are both included on the tour, but you will not go inside this particular lighthouse; you’ll just learn about it from the guide.

Bailey’s Harbor Lower / Rear Range Lighthouse

After you see the Front Range Lighthouse, you’ll see the Rear Range lighthouse directly down the boardwalk path. It’s only a few yards

The Rear/Lower Range Lighthouse is still being restored and is currently not a functioning lighthouse. Tours are offered (there was one going on during my visit in October) for $5 from June – October and last 30 minutes – you will be able to go inside and view the lantern room on this tour.

Bailey’s Harbor Birdcage Lighthouse

The Bailey’s Harbor Birdcage lighthouse was built in 1852, however after it was built, it didn’t provide much help to ships seeking safe harbor, as the area is surrounded by shallow reefs and shoals. Due to its poor location, many ships ended up grounded here or even wrecked here. As a result, the Cana Island Lighthouse was built, completely replacing the birdcage lighthouse. The Old Bailey’s Harbor Bird Cage lighthouse was abandoned and at some point, the land and lighthouse were privately purchased. Today, this remains as a non-functioning lighthouse and the island itself is still privately owned.

The Bailey’s Harbor Birdcage lighthouse is located off-shore, on an island in Lake Michigan, but the lighthouse is supposedly viewable from a spot on shore.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find this lighthouse – and it wasn’t for a lack of trying! I followed instructions on where to drive / park to see this lighthouse from the shoreline and wasn’t able to view it. Here is the map to the lighthouse:

According to Lighthouse Friends (which never fails me on trying to locate lighthouses except for this occasion!), you can drive south along Ridges Road. You’ll come to a junction with Point Drive. At this point, Ridges Road turns to gravel for only a few yards and you can park right there, and make a short walk to the shoreline. I followed these exact instructions, saw the island but did not see the lighthouse on the island. So, you may need to be on a boat to see this lighthouse. The “birdcage” feature over the lens looks really cool in pictures, so I would love to be able to see it one day.

Final Thoughts – Bailey’s Harbor Lighthouses in Door County Wisconsin

The two Bailey’s Harbor Range lighthouses were nice to see and I’m glad I took the time to check them out – but I’m also a huge fan of lighthouses, so if this isn’t your thing, you could easily skip this on a Door County road trip. And don’t count on seeing the Birdcage Lighthouse unless you have a boat or are on a tour!