The site sits on a small point of land near where the Ottawa River flows into the Saint- Lawrence. The Pointe's natural features make it an easy landing site. From prehistoric times to the 1960s, Pointe-du-Buisson was considered an ideal fishing spot. For 5,000 years, groups of people set up camp and portaged at Pointe-du-Buisson and left physical traces of all kinds. This vast archaeological complex is one of the rare sites in the northeast of the Americas to boast such a long uninterrupted occupancy and such a wealth of artifacts.

Through prehistory, the site was occupied by Amerindian. They stayed close to the shore, where they could land, beach their boats and fish. The ground of Pointe-du-Buisson contains an unparalleled amount of information about fishing during that period. Seasonal fishing camps were established at Pointe-du-Buisson and dozens of people lived in those camps for several months each year.

During the French Regime, explorers, merchants, soldiers and missionaries were always on the move. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Upper Saint-Lawrence was a major thoroughfare and Pointe-du-Buisson became a stopping point and overnight campsite for those heading up the Saint-Lawrence to Lake Ontario and the Iroquois country.

Vestiges of the English regime also abound on the site. Between 1830 and 1850, Pointe-du-Buisson was part of the seigneurial domain belonging to Lord Edward 'Bear' Ellice, fourth Lord of Beauharnois. Around 1837, he built a house where his daughter-in-law, Jane Ellice, lived for a while. She painted watercolours and kept a journal that survive to this day and are a rich source of historical information. The foundations of the Ellice residence were uncovered during archaeological digs.

Between 1910 and 1965, a large fishing lodge that had been built at Pointe-du-Buisson attracted a number of families during the summer months. Many others set up tents on the premises. During this period, the Pointe was used for commercial fishing and expert fisherman Hector Trudel earned the nickname "Le Roi du Buisson". The construction of an hydroelectric dam in 1965 put an end to the site's long history of providing sustenance to those who occupied its shores.

Since 1965, archaeologists and visitors to the Park occupy the territory of Pointe-du-Buisson.