Kangaroo Lake

About this Map

First, I’ll try to answer a common question: Why is it called Kangaroo Lake?

According to several sources, maps from the early 1800s show the name as “Cangaroo Lake,” which may have been an English interpretation or pronunciation of an earlier Native American name. However, many people, myself included, like to believe the name comes from the shape of the lake. With a little imagination, look at the map and you might be able to pick out a kangaroo’s head, arm, pouch, and feet.

Kangaroo Lake is located between Baileys Harbor and Jacksonport in beautiful Door County, Wisconsin. This map was a particularly fun project for me because I’ve spent quite a bit of time on the lake over the years. Mapping its shoreline and familiar places gave me a chance to reminisce a little while working on it.

One of those familiar landmarks is The Causeway on the north side of the lake, a popular fishing spot next to the Coyote Roadhouse, which is also a great place to grab something to eat and relax with a drink. Despite its large size, Kangaroo Lake is surprisingly shallow. The lake covers about 1,123 acres but averages only about six feet deep, with a maximum depth of approximately 12 feet.

I included many other landmarks around the lake, including Kangaroo Lake Resort and Sunset Shores Resort near the boat launch on the northeast shore, along with Maxwelton Braes Golf Course, East Shorewood Cottages, Kangaroo Lake East Shore Lodge, The Rushes, Catholic Youth Expeditions, and Kangaroo Lake Retreat. These places are part of the landscape and character of Kangaroo Lake, so it made sense to include them on a map intended to show more than simply the shoreline and depths.

There are also plenty of places around the lake to get your nature fix. Kangaroo Lake State Natural Area protects land along the north side, while Lyle-Harter-Matter Sanctuary lies along the southern shore and connects with the landscape around Meridian County Park.

As a geographer and cartographer, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that the name Meridian County Park has a geographic connection. The park is near the 45th parallel, 45 degrees north latitude, which places it halfway between the Equator and the North Pole. The 45th parallel crosses this part of Door County and adds another interesting geographic wrinkle to the area.

Topography and geology

There’s more going on around Kangaroo Lake than you might notice at first glance. A large sand dune at the southern end of the lake separates it from Lake Michigan, and I used shaded relief on the map to illustrate this dune and other topographic features. If you visit in person, it looks much like a steep, vegetation-covered hill. Underneath all that vegetation, however, is sand. The dune has simply been largely stabilized by the plant cover growing on it today.

Kangaroo Lake itself is part of a much older landscape story. What is now the lake was once connected to the larger waters of Lake Michigan. Beach deposits and old wave-washed ridges can still be found at several locations around the lake, including near The Rushes.

There is also a glacial moraine near The Rushes, visible in the east-west trending hills off Logerquist Road just south of O’Brien Road. Although much of the surrounding landscape is covered by glacial and former lake deposits, the underlying dolomite bedrock is quite close to the surface in this part of Door County.

Between its unusual shape, shallow water, wetlands, dunes, glacial landforms, natural areas, resorts, fishing spots, and the many memories people have made here, Kangaroo Lake has a lot more going on than its quiet setting might suggest. That combination of geography, geology, local landmarks, and personal familiarity is what made this such an enjoyable lake for me to map.

About Kangaroo Lake

First, there is an obvious question: Why is it called Kangaroo Lake?

Early maps reportedly show the name as “Cangaroo Lake,” which may have been an English interpretation of an earlier Native American name. There is also a much more visual explanation for the modern name. With a little imagination, the outline of the lake resembles a kangaroo, complete with a head, arm, pouch, and feet.

Kangaroo Lake is a large, shallow lake located between Baileys Harbor and Jacksonport in Door County, Wisconsin. Despite its size, the lake averages only about six feet deep, with a maximum depth of approximately 12 feet. Its surface area is roughly 1,123 acres.

Several familiar landmarks surround the lake. The Causeway crosses the northern end and is a popular fishing spot. Nearby is the Coyote Roadhouse. Other places around the lake include Kangaroo Lake Resort, Sunset Shores Resort, Maxwelton Braes Golf Course, East Shorewood Cottages, Kangaroo Lake East Shore Lodge, The Rushes, Catholic Youth Expeditions, and Kangaroo Lake Retreat.

The lake is also surrounded by some excellent natural areas. Kangaroo Lake State Natural Area protects land along the northern side of the lake. On the south side, the Lyle-Harter-Matter Sanctuary connects with Meridian County Park.

The name Meridian County Park reflects its location near the 45th parallel, at approximately 45 degrees north latitude, halfway between the Equator and the North Pole.

Landscape and Geology

One of the most interesting features of Kangaroo Lake is the landscape surrounding it. A large sand dune at the southern end separates the lake basin from Lake Michigan. Today the dune appears as a steep, vegetation-covered hill, but beneath that vegetation is predominantly sand. Plant growth has largely stabilized what was once a more active dune landscape.

Kangaroo Lake also has a close geological relationship with Lake Michigan. The area that is now Kangaroo Lake was once connected to the larger lake. Evidence of that history can still be found in beach deposits and wave-washed ridges at several locations around Kangaroo Lake, including areas near The Rushes.

A glacial moraine is also visible near The Rushes. It forms the east-west-trending hills near Logerquist Road, just south of O'Brien Road. Although much of the surrounding landscape is covered by glacial and former lake deposits, the underlying dolomite bedrock lies relatively close to the surface in this part of Door County.

Together, the shallow lake, old shoreline features, dunes, glacial deposits, and nearby bedrock make Kangaroo Lake an especially interesting place to explore both on a map and on the ground.