“We are the most diverse of all the national parks,” says Ms. Rupert, who has spent much of her life in the park and remembers identifying her first bird before she was three years old. “We have a diversity of species that you are not going to see elsewhere in our national park system. [And] we have such a diversity of habitats in this park that you do not see elsewhere.”
Park management has made it a point to balance the health of the ecosystems with the public’s desire to explore.
Fifteen kilometres of hiking and interpretive trails are maintained and there is a shuttle to within half a kilometre of the tip. The marsh can be viewed from an observation tower and is easily reached on foot by a boardwalk that winds through the cattails. The best bird-spotting can be had in the most remote corners of the marsh accessible by canoe and kayak, which are available for rental. Pristine beaches await eager swimmers at the widest parts of the park.
Here, the balance between man and nature seems to be an effective one. However, there is still one part of the park where nature is firmly in control. That is at the tip, where swimming – even wading – is prohibited because of the intersecting currents that can create dangerous whirlpools and life-threatening undertows.
This means that you can shed your shoes and stand proudly at the southern tip of mainland Canada. But unlike the migrating butterflies, you cannot use Point Pelee as a jumping-off place for a self-propelled trip south.
IF YOU GO
Where to stay: For a taste of Lake Erie’s northern shore in the late 19th century, book a room at the Mettawas End B&B in Kingsville, Ont. The 4,700-square-foot “cottage” was built in 1891 by Hiram Walker for his son Franklin. It is all that remains of a massive hotel and casino complex built by the whisky baron as a swank summer retreat for visitors. The hotel was never profitable and closed in 1904. In the cottage, you can no longer ring a bell for servants. But you can count on the proprietor, Roland, to take good care of you and to cook up some amazing breakfasts. The place is filled with period furnishings and many original fixtures. The rounded lead and stained-glass window in the study alone is worth a visit. Rooms from $110 a night, double occupancy. mettawas-end-bed-and-breakfast.com
Where to eat: Jack’s Gastropub (jacksdining.com; also in Kingsville) is housed in a fine 19th-century mansion, the grand porch of which has been transformed into a pleasing patio that is cooled by fans in the summer and heated late into the fall. Order one of the ultra-gourmet burgers and wash it down with locally brewed craft beer or wine from nearby Pelee Island. Finish it off with a particularly tasty key lime pie martini, complete with a graham cracker crust.
What to do: Check out the Festival of Hawks at the Holiday Beach Migration Observatory (hbmo.org) on Sept. 17 and 18 and Sept. 24 and 25. Volunteers will offer guided observation from the hawk tower and give bird-banding demonstrations. Learn how to best use binoculars and how to adopt a hawk.
For more information on Point Pelee National Park, visit pc.gc.ca/pointpelee.
