A river city on the Detroit River, and, about an hour east, Point Pelee National Park: a marsh boardwalk, beaches, and a short walk to the southernmost point of mainland Canada.
14 things to do6 free1 ready-made trip
Photo: The Tip at Point Pelee National Park, the southernmost point of mainland Canada, Chris Woodrich, CC BY-SA 4.0
Windsor sits on the Detroit River, directly across from Detroit, in Essex County. Official city pages describe more than 200 parks, including the Ojibway Prairie Complex (tallgrass prairie, oak savanna, wetlands and forest a short drive from downtown) and Peche Island, in the river, open in summer. Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island is the official regional visitor site.
Point Pelee National Park, at 1118 Point Pelee Drive in Leamington, is about 65 kilometres from Windsor. Official Parks Canada pages call it Canada's second-smallest and most ecologically diverse national park, and the southernmost point of the Canadian mainland. A shuttle runs to the Tip in season. Plan a full day in the park: the Marsh Boardwalk, a trail, a swim, and the walk to the Tip.
Show
Free No charge to enter · Cheap A small entry, permit or parking fee · Paid Tickets, tours or rentals
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Free
Ojibway Prairie Complex
A collection of natural areas about ten minutes from downtown Windsor: tallgrass prairie, oak savanna, wetlands and forest, about 260 hectares administered with the Nature Centre, plus the nearby Ojibway Prairie Provincial Nature Reserve, the largest protected remnant of native prairie in Ontario. Official pages say the natural areas are open dawn to dusk, and the parking area at the Nature Centre gives free walking access to the trails. Two hard-surfaced trails and a pond boardwalk in Ojibway Park are suitable for strollers and wheelchairs. Free.
Season Official pages said the natural areas are open dawn to dusk (check before you go).
A LEED-certified visitor centre that introduces the prairie and oak savanna, with displays, a live exhibit area and trail maps. Official pages said there is no charge for admission, and the building is fully accessible. Check opening hours before you go. Free.
Season Official pages said there is no charge for admission. Check opening hours before you go.
An 86-acre island in the Detroit River, about 330 metres off the eastern Windsor shore, formerly a provincial park and now a city park. Official tourism pages said it is open for public use from June to October, with docking on the south side, and that Lakeview Park Marina is the closest mainland launch. You need a boat or a paddle to reach it. Free when it is open.
Season Official tourism pages said the island is open for public use from June to October (check before you go).
A one-kilometre loop to the southernmost point of mainland Canada, at the end of the Point Pelee sandspit, with the lake on both sides. A shuttle runs from the visitor centre in season (officially April to October); the shuttle is wheelchair and walker accessible, and the road is closed to private vehicles while it is running. A park entry fee applies. Check hours before you go.
Season A shuttle to the Tip was listed for 3 April–1 November 2026, with longer days in May and on summer weekends, then closed from 2 November 2026 to 31 March 2027. The road is closed to private vehicles while the shuttle is running (check before you go).
A one-kilometre boardwalk loop through the marsh at Point Pelee, with an observation tower and telescopes (the tower is not accessible). Official pages suggest about 45 minutes. A park entry fee applies.
Season Inside Point Pelee National Park. Official 2026–27 park hours ran from 5 a.m., 6 a.m. or 7 a.m. to dusk or 10 p.m., depending on the season (check the official hours page before you go).
Crushed-gravel trails and boardwalks, officially described as 1.5 metres wide and suitable for strollers and wheelchairs, including the DeLaurier Homestead trail, the Chinquapin Oak Trail, Tilden Woods and the Woodland Nature Trail. The Centennial Hike and Bike Trail runs about six kilometres from the entrance to the visitor centre. Some bike loops are closed to cycling in the spring birding season, mid-April through May. A park entry fee applies.
Season Inside Point Pelee National Park. Some bike loops were listed as closed to cycling mid-April through May for spring birding (check before you go).
Beaches along the Lake Erie shore in the national park, with swimming when conditions allow. Official safety pages warn about unsafe swimming conditions and ticks; check before you go. A park entry fee applies.
Season Inside Point Pelee National Park. Official safety pages warn about unsafe swimming conditions and ticks (check before you go).
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
Free
Windsor riverfront
Parks and paths along the Detroit River in the city, looking across to Detroit, a short way from downtown. Official city pages list more than 200 parks. Free to wander.
The park visitor centre, with exhibits and the shuttle stop for the Tip. Official 2026 hours included daily and weekend schedules from April through 1 November, then closed for the season from 2 November 2026 to 31 March 2027. A park entry fee applies. Check before you go.
Season Official 2026 hours ran from early April through 1 November, then closed for the season from 2 November 2026 to 31 March 2027 (check before you go).
A British fort on the Detroit River in Amherstburg, about 25 minutes west of downtown Windsor, with historic buildings and programs on the War of 1812 and the Rebellions of 1837–38. Official 2026 hours were 16 May–30 June, Wednesday–Sunday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; 1 July–6 September, daily 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; and 9 September–11 October, Wednesday–Friday 1 p.m.–5 p.m. and Saturday–Sunday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., with ticket sales ending at 4:15 p.m. The site was listed as closed for the season when the official page was read on 12 November 2026. Admission is required. Check before you go.
Season Official 2026 hours were 16 May–30 June, Wednesday–Sunday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; 1 July–6 September, daily 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; and 9 September–11 October, Wednesday–Friday 1 p.m.–5 p.m. and Saturday–Sunday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Ticket sales ended at 4:15 p.m. The site was listed as closed for the season when the official page was read on 12 November 2026 (check before you go).
Point Pelee: A park entry fee applies (daily rates change between April–October and November–March). Official pages said youth 17 and under are admitted free. Check the official fees page before you go.
Park hours: Official 2026–27 hours: 1 March–16 April 2026, 7 a.m. to dusk; 17–30 April, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.; 1–18 May, 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.; 19 May–7 September, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.; 8 September 2026–15 April 2027, 7 a.m. to dusk. The visitor centre and the shuttle were listed as closed for the season from 2 November 2026 to 31 March 2027. Check the official hours page before you go.
The Tip shuttle: Official 2026 shuttle hours ran from 3 April to 1 November, with longer days in May and on summer weekends; the shuttle is wheelchair and walker accessible. When the shuttle is running, the road to the Tip is closed to private vehicles; you can also walk or cycle. Check before you go.
Ojibway: Official pages said the natural areas are open dawn to dusk, the Nature Centre has no admission charge, and the parking area gives free walking access to trails in Ojibway Park, Tallgrass Prairie Heritage Park and the provincial nature reserve.
We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Photos on this page
Photo: The Tip at Point Pelee National Park, the southernmost point of mainland Canada, Chris Woodrich, CC BY-SA 4.0
