Day Trip to Canada's Southernmost Tip

About two years ago, when on the hunt for some local getaways, we came across Point Pelee National Park and it instantly became one of our favorite day trips.

Just a two hour drive from where we live in Detroit, Point Pelee National Park is situated on the southernmost point of the Canadian mainland.

Plan to spend a full day enjoying Point Pelee. Walk the Marsh Boardwalk, paddle a canoe in the marsh, take on some trails, ride the shuttle to and/or from the point, and enjoy a picnic and a swim at the beach. There’s truly something for everyone.

And the best part… the entire park is dog friendly!

So when this weekend gifted us with a beautiful fall day, we packed up the car and headed to Canada with Juneau!

Boardwalk

Two-thirds of the park is composed of freshwater marshes. Throughout those marshes are Point Pelee’s Boardwalk with observation tower. Here you can walk along the floating boardwalk and view the most diverse habitat in the park, where cattails, red-winged blackbirds and painted turtles are abundant.

Canoeing & Kayaking

Explore beyond the boundaries of the Marsh Boardwalk and into the peaceful coves by canoe or kayak. You can bring in your own or rent canoes from the visitor center near the Marsh Boardwalk. We haven’t done this yet because we have always gone with Juneau and she’s not very good in a kayak!

Hiking

There are SO MANY places to hike in Point Pelee. Each time we go, we choose a different trail. This last time did the Woodland Nature Trail, which is a 2.75 km loop that took the us and the dog about an hour.

Beach

Enjoy the beautiful shorelines on the west and east sides of the peninsula framed by 20km of sandy beach. Northwest Beach and West Beach are two of the most popular beach access areas, which offer washrooms, change rooms and picnic facilities. You can also walk or take the shuttle to the southern tip of Point Pelee to another beach. We always end our day trip at this beach, that way Juneau is good and tired for the shuttle ride back.

Point Pelee is the perfect day trip from Detroit. Anyone who is looking for a way to enjoy the day, whether it is with kids or dogs, Point Pelee is the place to be.