Whitefish Dunes State Park celebrated 50 years of offering Wisconsinites access to one of the state's most beautiful areas Friday.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources hosted the 50th Anniversary celebration at the park with music, food, artists and cake.
Whitefish Dunes State Park, near Sturgeon Bay, protects the fragile dune environment on the eastern Door County Peninsula. The park preserves the largest and most significant Great Lakes dunes in Wisconsin, according to the DNR.
For years, conservationists, the DNR and even the National Park Service suggested the area should be a state park. In 1961, the Wisconsin legislature started work to acquire and improve state recreational facilities.The area that is now Whitefish Dunes State Park was considered a high priority area because of the quality of beaches and sand dunes.
A dune known as "Old Baldy," is the tallest dune in the park and rises 93 feet above lake level.
After years of negotiations, the Door County Board approved establishing the park in June 1967. In 1982, 230 acres of the 867-acre park were designated as a state natural area.
Whitefish Dunes State Park has 14.5 miles of hiking trails, a picnic area and a reservable shelter. Swimming has long been popular at the park's sandy beaches, but currently high Lake Michigan water levels have reduced the available beach area at the park this summer.
The park's nature center features year-round programs, exhibits and displays on ecology, geology and human history.
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