On August 9, 2025, a catastrophic wind event impacted parts of northern Door county, including Newport State Park. The southern part of the park bore the brunt of the damage; we lost an untold number of trees, trails have been impassable, and some campsites have been offline since then.
Where do things stand six months later?
It was clear that to remove downed trees from affected trails and campsites it would be necessary to bring in large equipment. Park staff decided to wait until the ground was frozen, in an effort to minimize the impact of heavy machinery. That work was fully funded by the DNR. It started just after Christmas and is now complete. The equipment has been removed.
So, technically, the trails are open and the south end of the park is accessible for thru-hiking.
But…we want visitors to know that:
• you will find the landscape significantly altered. “It is jaw-dropping in some areas,” says Brian Grube, Park Manager. “The Rowley’s Bay Trail between campsite 12 and 13 is almost unrecognizable. There are areas where hardly any cedars remain; it is just open landscape.”
• because of extensive damage, a trail re-route was necessary along the former section of Rowley’s Bay trail that led to campsite 13.
• the ground is very uneven and a lot of debris remains in the area. In some places, you won’t feel like you are hiking a ‘trail’. Please use caution.
Campsites in the most heavily affected area (campsites 7 thru 11) still need to be surveyed. There are pit toilets that need to be replaced; privy-style toilets will be replaced with outhouses. Root-balls from tipped up trees have affected some campsite amenities. “It will be a different camping experience in most of these sites,” says Grube.
For educational outreach purposes, park staff plans to eventually install interpretive signage in the affected area. It will address what happened and what to expect in terms of forest succession from extreme weather events like this.
There will be weeks and weeks of volunteer work to be done, including clearing debris, leveling trails, “rehabbing” trailside debris piles, restoring campsites. If you are interested in being notified of NWS volunteer opportunities, sign up here.
