Photo:
Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA / CC BY-SA 2.0
Point Pelee is a slender sandspit reaching into Lake Erie at the southernmost tip of mainland Canada, a tiny park with an outsized reputation. Its position on a major migratory flyway makes it one of the great birding destinations in North America, where each spring thousands of warblers and, in fall, clouds of monarch butterflies funnel through on their journeys.
The park is a narrow peninsula of sand tapering to a point, cloaked in rare Carolinian forest, a northern outpost of species usually found much farther south, and fringed by a vast cattail marsh and Lake Erie beaches. This concentration of habitat at a continental crossroads packs in extraordinary biodiversity, from turtles and rare plants to hundreds of bird species.
Spring, especially May, is the legendary season, when the “Festival of Birds” brings warblers and birders alike; fall draws the monarch migration and quieter birding. Summer offers warm beach days and marsh paddling. Winter is quiet and cold, with the marsh boardwalk and trails open to bundled-up walkers.
The park sits near Leamington off Highway 33, an easy drive from Windsor. A vehicle brings you to the visitor centre, from which a shuttle runs out to the tip during busy periods to manage the fragile point. Inside, you get around by foot, bike, boardwalk and canoe through the marsh.
Bird the trails and boardwalks in migration, walk out to the very tip of mainland Canada, and paddle the marsh boardwalk and channels by canoe or kayak. Watch monarchs staging in fall, cycle the level paths, swim the beaches in summer, and take in the interpretive programs on this globally important flyway stop.
The waters converging at the tip create dangerous currents, so swimming there is prohibited. Stick to designated beaches and heed the cold-water and current warnings. Storms can blow up over the lake, ticks are common in the warm months, and the sun on the open point is strong, so carry water and protection.
A Parks Canada pass is required, a shuttle serves the tip in busy periods, and some spring birding events need reservations. This page is a general overview, not a live conditions report; always confirm current conditions, shuttle and event details with Parks Canada before your trip.
Set this declination on your compass, then align it to the map's north lines; it is the angle between true north and magnetic north, refreshed each year.
