Is Door County one of the best summer travel destinations in the U.S.? Voters will decide

In recognizing Door County as a nominee, the 10Best poll website cited the Peninsula’s 300 miles of shoreline; numerous art galleries; five Wisconsin State Parks; plentiful opportunities for hiking, biking, paddleboarding, kayaking, fishing or water skiing; and the solid craft beer and wine scene.

For Door County to win, or even make the top 10, it will have to beat some of the most famous summer vacation sites, as well as a few lesser-known locales, from one end of the country to the other. As of deadline, Door County was in 12th place.

The Peninsula’s competitors in this poll include:

• Mackinac Island, Michigan, with its horse-drawn carriages in place of cars;
• Bar Harbor, Maine, an art, shopping food and cruise ship destination at the entrance to Acadia National Park;
• Badlands National Park and the Black Hills area of South Dakota;
• The South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona;
• The waterside destinations of Catalina Island, California; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Ocean City, New Jersey; Ocean City, Maryland; San Juan Islands, Washington; and Gulf Shores and Ocean Beach, Alabama;
• Capitol Reef Country in Utah, with Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands and Arches national parks all in close proximity;
• Sevier County in Tennessee and Swain County in North Carolina, respectively on the north and south sides of Great Smoky Mountains National Park;
• The Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, home to numerous wineries and vineyards;
• Cody, Wyoming, the “Rodeo Capital of the World” and near the southeastern entrance to Yellowstone National Park;
• The outdoor activities within the Laurel Highlands area of southwestern Pennsylvania;
• The eclectic mix of outdoors, wildlife, city life and Indigenous history in Juneau, Alaska;
• Sandusky, Ohio, with its famed Cedar Point amusement park and downtown attractions;
• The Space Coast of Florida, where Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center are located on the Atlantic Ocean shore.