Visiting Point Pelee National Park
Most people who bird Point Pelee in May are not local. They drive in from Toronto, cross at Detroit, or come up from Ohio, and they have a day or two to make it count. This is what that trip actually looks like.
Getting there
| From | Distance | Drive | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto, ON | ~360 km | 3.5 – 4 hours | Highway 401 west the whole way. Leave before 6am to be birding at first light. |
| London, ON | ~180 km | 2 hours | The easiest day trip of the group. |
| Windsor, ON | ~55 km | 45 minutes | — |
| Detroit, MI | ~85 km | 1.25 hours + border | Tunnel or Ambassador Bridge. Bring a passport or enhanced licence, and expect a wait on May weekends. |
| Cleveland, OH | ~400 km | 4.5 hours | Via Toledo and the Detroit crossing. Worth an overnight rather than a day trip. |
| Columbus, OH | ~560 km | 5.5 – 6 hours | Usually combined with a stop at Magee Marsh on the way up. |
Distances and times are approximate, and assume you are not sitting in traffic.
Which day to pick
Weekdays in the first three weeks of May. Weekend mornings in mid-May are the single busiest time in the park all year, and the trails feel it. If you can only come on a weekend, be at the gate when it opens and work the quieter trails first.
Parking and entry
Park entry is per-vehicle, and the lots fill early on May weekends. The Visitor Centre lot usually goes first. A shuttle runs to the Tip during migration season, but check current times with Parks Canada before you build a morning around it.
A day that works
First light
The Tip
Take the first shuttle. Birds that arrived overnight pile up at the southern point and work their way back north through the morning. Being there early is the whole strategy.
Mid-morning
Tilden Woods
Wet woodland that holds warblers at eye level. The most productive stretch of trail in the park on a good day.
Late morning
Woodland Nature Trail
Thrushes, cuckoos and the quieter interior species once the Tip crowd has dispersed.
Early afternoon
Refuel in Leamington, and swing by us
We’re three minutes from the gate at 636 Point Pelee Dr. If your binoculars are fogging, the strap is cutting in, or you’ve spent all morning wishing you had more glass, this is the window to fix it.
Mid afternoon
DeLaurier Homestead
Open edges and hedgerow. Orioles, flycatchers, and raptors moving overhead.
Late afternoon
Hillman Marsh
Ten minutes north of the park. Shorebirds on the flats, and a completely different set of species to end the day on.
What is on site
- Visitor Centre with washrooms and drinking water
- Marsh Boardwalk, which is the one stop that still works in bad weather
- Tilden Woods, Woodland Nature Trail and DeLaurier Homestead trails
- Seasonal shuttle between the Visitor Centre and the Tip
- No fuel or groceries inside the park, so stock up in Leamington
What to bring
- Binoculars. 8x42 is what most people here end up carrying
- A harness, not just the neck strap that came in the box
- Rain shell. The best mornings follow overnight rain
- Boots that handle mud on the woodland trails
- Water and lunch, because there is no store inside the park
- Passport or enhanced licence if you’re crossing at Detroit
Forgot something?
Pelee Wings Nature Store is at 636 Point Pelee Dr. in Leamington, open 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM every day. Straps, harnesses, rain covers and field guides, plus the largest stock of binoculars in Canada to compare side by side.
Plan next spring migration at Point Pelee
We send arrival timings and trip-planning notes ahead of each season, so you can pick your dates before the good weekends fill up.
One email a week in season. Unsubscribe any time.
Official information
Fees, opening hours and shuttle times change from year to year. Check them at the source rather than taking our word for it.