The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

What is an Estuary?

An estuary is an area in which river water mixes with water from a large lake or an ocean.

As a spawning habitat and source of organic material, productive estuaries are vital to the Lake Michigan ecosystem. But they are fragile. Most estuaries along the Great Lakes have been destroyed because they cannot easily share precious shoreline with commercial and residential development.

Why You Should Visit

Waters from the Mink River and Lake Michigan combine to form this freshwater estuary. The visitor will enjoy a habitat almost identical to that witnessed by the Potawotami Indians, who lived here more than 100 years ago.

A leisurely canoe trip from Rowley's Bay to the spring-fed headwaters of the Mink River provides a great opportunity for bird watching.

Location

North East Wisconsin at Northern end of the Door Peninsula, about 4 miles southeast of the Village of Ellison Bay

Hours

Open year round, dawn to dusk

Conditions

This is a great place to hike, canoe and cross-country ski.

The best way to see the wetlands is via canoe. Canoe and kayak rental is available at Door County Kayak Tours. Contact them at (920) 868-1400 or at their website.

The trail off of Newport Drive (Cnty Hwy NP) is unmarked but well-defined.

The trails off of Mink River Road are unmarked and can be confusing to follow.

In winter, watch for snowmobiles on the main trail.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site

Mink River Estuary is a Great Lakes estuary with regionally important natural values. As a Great Lakes coastal wetland and forest landscape, it provides habitat for a number of important plants and animals including Great Lakes fish, many species of migratory and breeding birds, and many mammals representative of a northern Wisconsin mixed conifer hardwood forest.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing

As of December 19, 2011, the Conservancy has protected 1,854 acres at Mink River Estuary.  This figure includes lands owned and managed by the Conservancy, conservation easements, government co-ops and assists.

Despite development and use, careful local conservation has helped protect the freshwater estuary in much the same condition as when it was inhabited by the Potawotami Indians more than a century ago.