The best camping near Point Pelee National Park

Point Pelee is one of Canada’s smallest national parks, but there’s still plenty to do. Head for “The Tip of Canada,” the country’s southernmost point, or swim at the sandy Lake Erie beaches. Canoe or kayak through the wetlands, stroll the Marsh Boardwalk, or look for monarch butterflies that migrate through the region. If you’re into bird watching, try spotting some of the nearly 400 species that have been identified nearby. While there’s no tent or RV camping within Point Pelee National Park, you can stay in one of 24 oTENTik platform tents.

• Best for families: Camp Henry oTENTiks

1. Set on wooden platforms, each of the oTENTiks at Point Pelee National Park can sleep up to six people. Located at Camp Henry north of the park visitor centre, the oTENTiks have two queen beds, one double bed, and an interior sitting area. Outside, there’s a gas BBQ, food storage locker, and picnic table with washrooms nearby.
2. Reserve your oTENTik on the Parks Canada reservations site, which opens for Point Pelee in mid-January. Book as soon as possible if you’re staying spring through fall. The park and oTENTiks are open year-round.

For birding, come to Point Pelee in spring, particularly in May when migrating birds stop over in the region and the park hosts an annual bird-watching festival. Spring is the park’s busiest season, so book accommodations in advance. To spot monarch butterflies, which travel through the area from late August into early October, visit in the fall. Because this Canadian park is close to the U.S. border, it’s particularly busy during both U.S. and Canadian holiday weekends.

• Allow about four hours to drive to the park from Toronto, or roughly an hour, plus time to cross the border, from Detroit. Windsor, Ontario, is the nearest “major” city.
• You can buy groceries and other supplies in Leamington or Kingsville, just outside the park. A small shop in the park’s Camp Henry Campground Office sells sunscreen, snacks, and other essentials.
• From spring through fall, you can’t drive to “the Tip,” the narrow spit of land that marks Canada’s southernmost point. Take the free shuttle from the Visitor Centre, walk, or bike instead.
• Like wine? The Essex County wineries are just outside the park.