Despite its small size, Pelee Point is home to more than 70 types of trees, along with almost 30 species of reptiles and an estimated 20 kinds of amphibians.
Reptiles and amphibians living in Canada? It is possible for these warm-climate creatures to live in Point Pelee because the national park is located at the southern most part of Canada, which happens to have the same latitude as Northern California – just south of the 42nd parallel.
Another piece of trivia about Pelee Point National Park is that duck hunting was allowed within the park until 1989.
What helps these warm-climate animals survive so far north is the fact that Point Pelee National Park is surrounded by the Great Lakes. The water from the lakes help to insulate the park from extremely high or low temperatures.
Because of the warm winter temperatures, which are a result of the slow cooling off of the Great Lakes, this area of Southern Ontario is also often referred to as the Canadian Carolinian Zone.
Also living among the reptiles and trees are an abundance of racoons, weasels, minks, skunks, a coyote or two, and the grey squirrel who all share the national park with around 700 varieties of flowering and non-flowering plants as well as roughly 350 species of birds, with the songbird (over 50 varieties), in particular the Wood Warbler, being the most sought after by avid bird watchers.
Peak time for bird watchers to descend upon Point Pelee is throughout the month of May when the annual bird migration takes place. This is why the park has become such a popular destination for bird watchers from around the world. Point Pelee ranks among the top 10 destinations for bird watching within North America.
Pelee Point is also a hotbed for butterflies, in particular monarchs, who, between the months of August and October, gather at the national park prior to setting off on their migration south to Central Mexico. The butterflies gather here because the land juts out and creates the shortest distance for them to fly over Lake Erie.
Pelee Point is a great destination for nature lovers. The national park has 12 km of hiking trails that wind people through swamp and dry forest areas, as well as through a marshland that has gained a reputation for being very mysterious. Along the Boardwalk Trail, which takes hikers through an abundance of cattails, there are two observation towers, which provide visitors with a sweeping overview of the marsh. Visitors can canoe through the park’s marshland, which comprises about 2/3 of the park.
There are limited opportunities for overnight camping within the park in an effort to help protect Point Pelee’s natural habitat. If you are lucky enough to book a campsite, visitors are only able to sleep in tents, no motor homes or campers are allowed. The park also hosts numerous youth and educational group camping adventures.
As in most national parks, visitors are not allowed to feed any wild animals or collect natural items such as leaves, flowers and wood.