National park in Ontario has a floating boardwalk and sandy beaches
Point Pelee National Park in Ontario is a breathtaking destination featuring seemingly endless beaches, a floating boardwalk through marsh wetlands, a lush forest, and rare plants and wildlife.
The park is the southernmost point of the Canadian mainland, tapering to a sharp point as it extends into Lake Erie. Located around 3.5 hours from Toronto, you'll find Point Pelee near Windsor, just south of the small town of Leamington, the tomato capital of Canada.
It is also Canada's second smallest and most ecologically diverse national park; the area is known as "Carolinian Canada" due to the biodiversity of plants and wildlife. This is a result of its southern location and warmer climate created by the lake effect.
A nature-lover's paradise, Point Pelee attracts nearly 300,000 visitors annually who come to camp, hike, paddle, birdwatch, stargaze and swim.
Two-thirds of the park is made up of freshwater marshland, with an epic floating boardwalk taking you through it that has ample lookout points. Here, you can take in the view and try to spot wildlife.
Beyond the marshes, the landscape transforms and where the park comes to a point. With 20km of soft sandy shorelines, the area has the longest continuous natural beach in Essex County.
While it is not safe to swim at the point due to dangerous currents, you can take a dip at Northwest Beach and West Beach, which also have washrooms, change rooms, and picnic areas.
Admission fees to Point Pelee are $8.50 per person. If you'd like to stay overnight, oTENTik offers some pretty amazing glamping accommodations in the park. These rentals cost $128/night, which can be reserved in advance online.
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