Point Pelee is a narrow point of sand, marsh and forest that reaches south into Lake Erie from Leamington, Ontario. Parks Canada calls it the southernmost point of the Canadian mainland, and the walk to the very end of it is one of the great small pilgrimages of Great Lakes travel.
It is also one of Canada's smallest national parks. Parks Canada describes it as the country's second smallest and most ecologically diverse, and its management plan puts it at about 420 hectares of dry land and 1,070 hectares of freshwater marsh. You can see the highlights in a day, but the birds, butterflies and night skies give reasons to come back in every season.
Getting there and getting oriented
The park is at 1118 Point Pelee Drive, Leamington, about 50 km southeast of Windsor. Parks Canada notes that access is being affected by the Seacliff Drive East reconstruction project, scheduled until the fall of 2026, so check the park's home page for current directions before you set out.
In season, a free shuttle leaves the Visitor Centre and travels 2 km (about seven minutes) to the outdoor exhibit and tower at the Tip.
The Tip
From the shuttle drop-off, you can walk to the southernmost tip of mainland Canada. Be precise about the claim: Parks Canada's management plan notes that Middle Island, out in the lake, is the southernmost point of the whole country. The Tip is the end of the mainland.
The Tip Trail is a 1 km loop that takes about 20 to 40 minutes.
Do not swim or wade at the Tip. Parks Canada warns that the water there can be very dangerous because of strong currents, and swimming or wading is prohibited at the Tip and at beaches south of the Tip exhibit area, with fines of up to $10,000.
When the shuttle runs
For 2026, Parks Canada lists the shuttle from April 3 through November 1, with longer hours during the May migration. From November 2, 2026 to March 31, 2027 the shuttle is closed for the season. Parks Canada's winter page notes limited parking at the Tip in winter; check before you go.
Trails and the Marsh Boardwalk
Most of the park's area is freshwater marsh, and the Marsh Boardwalk is the classic way into it: a 1 km loop that takes about 45 minutes. Other trails listed by Parks Canada include:
- DeLaurier Homestead & Trail, a 1.2 km loop
- Chinquapin Oak Trail, a 4 km loop
- Tilden Woods Trail, a 1 km loop
- Woodland Nature Trail, a 2.75 km loop
- Shuster Trail, 0.5 km
Parks Canada places the park in the Carolinian zone, and its management plan describes it as representative of the Carolinian ecozone.
Birds and butterflies
Point Pelee is a landmark on the migration map. Parks Canada says more than 390 bird species have been recorded in the Point Pelee Birding Area. Spring migration peaks in May, when the park hosts the Festival of Birds with the Friends of Point Pelee; in 2026 it ran from May 1 to May 18. Birds pass through again on fall migration. Our spring trip guide to Point Pelee and Lake Erie's north shore plans a migration weekend day by day.
The park is also known for monarch butterflies. From late August to mid-October, many monarchs migrate south through Ontario on a journey of about 3,000 km to the mountains of central Mexico. Parks Canada suggests looking for them at the Tip just before sunset or in the early morning.
Nearby, Hillman Marsh Conservation Area on Mersea Road 2 in Leamington has a birding trail beside 87 acres of shorebird habitat, and the Jack Miner Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Kingsville, established in 1904, is open from sunrise to sunset all year.
Dark skies
Point Pelee was designated a Dark Sky Preserve in 2006 by the Windsor Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, and its management plan notes it was the first national park to receive that designation. On scheduled Dark Sky Nights the park stays open until midnight. The last one of 2026 is December 12.
Visiting in late autumn and winter
Point Pelee does not close in winter. From September 8, 2026 to April 15, 2027 the park is open daily from 7 a.m. to dusk. Some things change:
- The shuttle to the Tip stops after November 1.
- Parks Canada's hours page lists the Visitor Centre as closed from November 2 to March 31, while its winter page mentions weekend openings, so check before you go.
- Trails are not maintained in winter; use them at your own risk.
- Northwest Beach is closed from November 1 to March 31.
The fees page currently lists lower daily admission from November to March (adult $7.75) than from April to October (adult $10.00), with youth admitted free. The page does not state a year, so confirm current fees with Parks Canada.
Year-round overnight stays are possible at Camp Henry, where Parks Canada lists 24 oTENTik sites available all year. There is no tent or RV camping inside the park.
Caldwell First Nation and the land
Point Pelee lies within the traditional territory of Caldwell First Nation and Walpole Island First Nation, and the park works with both Nations under a Memorandum of Cooperation. Caldwell First Nation describes Point Pelee and Pelee Island as "the heart of our ancestral territory."
Parks Canada acknowledges that in 1922, shortly after the park was established, members of Caldwell First Nation living within its boundaries were forcibly expelled from their homes. In 2011, Canada and Caldwell First Nation concluded a long-standing claim related to reserve land and other benefits promised in a 1790 treaty, including land at Point Pelee promised during the War of 1812.
In 2020, Caldwell First Nation and Parks Canada renamed the former Pioneer day-use area Madbin Jina, a name that invokes a traditional Anishinaabe expression for welcoming guests and invites visitors to sit a while. For wider context, read our introduction to the First Peoples of the Great Lakes.
Making a trip of it
The Lake Erie shore around Leamington and Kingsville makes an easy weekend base. The ferry to Pelee Island leaves from Leamington; the crossing takes about 90 minutes and typically runs from early March to mid-December.
If you visit in November or December, two events nearby are worth timing a trip around: the Harvest Festival at Pelee Island Winery in Kingsville on November 7 and 8, and Kingsville's Fantasy of Lights, which opens with a parade on November 21.
Places to stay listed in our directory include Seacliffe Inn in Leamington and The Grove Hotel in Kingsville. For more on picking a season, see when to visit the Great Lakes, and for the park's essentials at a glance, the Point Pelee destination page.
