Point Pelee National Park is a protected area in southern Ontario, Canada. It covers about 3,700 acres (1,500 hectares) of land on a peninsula that extends into Lake Erie and on Middle Island, in Lake Erie. Point Pelee, at the tip of the peninsula, is the southernmost place in mainland Canada. Point Pelee National Park is famous as a bird-watching location. Other park activities include canoeing, cycling, hiking, swimming, cross-country skiing, and ice skating.
Marshland makes up about two-thirds of Point Pelee National Park. The park also has beaches, leafy forests, and savannas—that is, grasslands with scattered trees. Due to its southern location, Point Pelee National Park has one of the warmest climates in Canada. Average temperatures range from about 25 °F (–4 °C) in the winter to 73 °F (23 °C) in the summer.
During the spring and fall, Point Pelee National Park is a stopping point for migrating birds. More than 380 kinds of birds have been sighted in the park. In the fall, migrating monarch butterflies also pass through the area. Animals that make their homes in the park include coyotes, eastern moles, minks, southern flying squirrels, and white-tailed deer.
The government of Canada established Point Pelee National Park in 1918. Middle Island, 18 miles (29 kilometers) south of Point Pelee, became part of the park in 2000.
