Point Pelee Monarch Count
Point Pelee is the southernmost tip of mainland Canada. It's farther south than the northern edge of California and every September it turns into a monarch waiting room.
Thousands of them stack up at the Tip, resting before the flight across Lake Erie and all the way down to central Mexico. On the right evening, the trees near the point go orange.
This trip is built to catch that evening.
The idea
It runs like our usual Point Pelee day trip — same morning departure, same drive down — but instead of heading home mid-afternoon, we stay into the evening for the park's informal monarch count and a walk out to the Tip with Parks Canada. You get the full day in the park and the part most day-trippers miss: the monarchs settling in as the light drops.
How the day runs
Morning pickup in Toronto, a pit stop in London on the way down the 401, and you're at Point Pelee by early afternoon with hours of free time, the boardwalks, the Marsh, the beach, the point itself.
Then, around 6:00pm, everyone regroups:
Visitors will meet at the Visitor Centre shuttle loop (exact time confirmed closer to the date. Likely between 6:00pm and 6:30pm) and take the shuttle down to the Tip together for an informal monarch tour and count. When it wraps, everyone rides the shuttle back to the Visitor Centre.
It's informal, it's led alongside Parks Canada, and it's the reason to come. Count some butterflies, ask the ranger the questions you've always wondered about, watch the Tip do its thing. Then walk back to a bus that's already warmed up and pointed north.
Itinerary
- 9:00am — Pickup, 34 Asquith Ave (Toronto)
- Pit stop in London (on route, 401)
- Drop-off — Point Pelee National Park
- Afternoon free in the park
- ~6:00–6:30pm — Meet at the Visitor Centre shuttle loop; shuttle to the Tip for the monarch count and tour with Parks Canada; shuttle back
- 7:30pm — Pickup, Point Pelee National Park
- Pit stop in London (on route, 401)
- Drop-off — 34 Asquith Ave (Toronto)
The details
$115 per person. You bring the binoculars and the curiosity; we handle the driving, the 401, and the parking you don't have to think about.
Pickup Locations
How is this different from a regular Point Pelee day trip? Same morning departure, later return. A normal day trip brings you home in the afternoon. This one keeps you in the park through the evening so you can join the informal monarch count and the walk out to the Tip with Parks Canada — the best window for seeing the migration up close.
What actually happens at the count? Around 6:00pm, everyone meets at the Visitor Centre shuttle loop (we'll confirm the exact time closer to the date — likely 6:00 to 6:30pm) and takes the park shuttle down to the Tip together. From there it's an informal monarch tour and count led alongside Parks Canada, then the shuttle brings everyone back to the Visitor Centre in time for the bus.
Why is this trip a bit more than usual? The later return means we're running with a different bus company for the day, which bumps the price by about $15. That's the whole difference — you're paying for the extra hours in the park.
Is there free time before the count? Plenty. You'll be at Point Pelee by early afternoon with the whole park to yourself until the evening regroup — the Marsh boardwalk, the beaches, the woodland trails, the Tip. Do the count as the finale.
Do I have to join the count? It's the point of the trip, and we'd love you there — but it's informal. If you'd rather spend the evening your own way, that's fine. Just be back at the pickup point for the 7:30pm departure.
What time do I get home? The bus leaves Point Pelee at 7:30pm with a pit stop in London on the way back up the 401, returning to 34 Asquith Ave later that evening.
What should I bring? Layers for the evening (it cools off at the point), comfortable shoes, water, and something to snack on. Binoculars are a nice-to-have, not a must. If you've got a monarch-tagging streak going, this is your crowd.
