The best family-friendly hikes and walks around Chatham-Kent

Harrison Trail follows one of the oldest routes through the peninsula, originally used to access the historic Pointe aux Pins Lighthouse near the southern shoreline. The trail passes through a mix of Carolinian forest, oak savanna and wetland habitat, with long straight sections shaded by tall trees before opening closer to the marshes and shoreline near South Point. During spring and autumn migration, the trail is especially popular for birdwatching, with warblers, woodpeckers and raptors commonly spotted along the route.

Standing near the southern end of the peninsula, Pointe aux Pins lighthouse overlooks the shallow shoreline where Lake Erie meets the entrance to Rondeau Bay. The current skeletal steel tower dates to 1934, replacing earlier wooden lighthouses built to guide ships through the shifting sandbars and narrow channel nearby. Reached via the park’s trail network, the lighthouse adds a strong sense of history to the otherwise quiet marsh and coastal landscape.

The South Point Trail East Side follows a long sandy route through Carolinian forest, dunes and marsh habitat toward the southern shoreline of Lake Erie. Much of the trail feels remote and windswept, with sections passing through open savanna and coastal vegetation before reaching wide beaches and shallow wetlands popular with migratory birds. The eastern side of the trail is especially known for birdwatching during spring and autumn migrations, when large numbers of warblers, raptors and waterfowl move through the peninsula.

Clear Creek Provincial Park Trail consists of two short out-and-back paths through a largely untouched closed-canopy deciduous forest of American Beech, Sugar Maple, Black Cherry, Basswood, and several oak species. The south trail runs along the top of a bank overlooking the creek and floodplain, passing some impressively large trees and a forest floor that comes alive with wildflowers in spring. It's a lovely route for a quiet stroll with over 117 recorded bird species to keep an eye out for along the way.

Clear Creek Forest Provincial Park is a beautiful 402-hectare nature reserve in Chatham-Kent, established in 2014. The Nature Conservancy of Canada worked alongside Ontario Parks to secure and protect the area, which includes 24 rare vascular plant species and a 300-year-old American Beech tree, believed to be the oldest in Ontario. The park also contains an archaeological site with evidence of Indigenous occupation dating all the way back to 900–1500 AD, adding a deep layer of human history to an already ecologically remarkable place.

The trail through the wetlands in the St. Clair National Wildlife Area is a little over 2 kilometres with an easily accessible, packed surface. The main draw here is the wildlife, especially the birds. You can usually catch a glimpse of geese, herons and ducks along the route, and about midway through, there is an observation tower where you can get a higher vantage point of the wetlands.

This is the trailhead and parking area for St. Clair National Wildlife Area. The lot is located across the marsh from Towline Road. To access it, you need to turn onto Balmorial Line from Towline Road, and then take the first right, following the path north to the parking area. There you will find a trailhead with access to a short nature trail through the wetland area, a parking lot, and washrooms.

This is a rare, southern-style forest that you won't find in most of Canada, called a Carolinian forest. You will find yourself surrounded by towering Tulip Trees and Sassafras that look like they belong in the Carolinas, not Ontario. You might spot the Prothonotary Warbler, a tiny, bright yellow bird that is endangered in Canada but loves the swampy woodlands here.