10 of the Best Hiking Trails Near Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
With its patchwork of fields, forests, rolling hills, red sandstone capes and quiet sandy beaches, there is no better way to enjoy Prince Edward Island than on foot.
While less wild than many Canadian provinces, the Island’s unique beauty and charm make it a very good place for hiking and cycling. Here are 10 of the best:
Dromore Woodland Trail
Length: 2 – 14 km
Elevation gain: 52 m
Featuring four connected loops of varying lengths, the Dromore Woodland Trail is a favourite with many hikers and trail runners. Making its way through a variety of forest types including old hemlocks and yellow birch, Dromore is an excellent place for birdwatching, especially forest songbirds. Dromore Woodland Trail’s loops follow burbling streams and good bridges cross them in several places. Boardwalks make a few wet sections passable in all weather. Find it 30 minutes’ drive east of Charlottetown. The south trailhead is the best place to begin, at the junction of routes 214 and 216.
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Homestead Trail
Length: 6.7 – 8.8 km
Elevation gain: 22 m
The Homestead Trail makes its way along the shores of New London Bay and offers views of the Cavendish Sandspit dunes and beyond to Cape Tryon, in Prince Edward Island National Park. It leads through coastal forests and fields, with bridges over salt marshes and estuaries. Surfaces and footing are good, and elevation is minimal. Stacked loops offer lengths of 6.7 and 8.8 kilometres. Find it 40 minutes’ drive northwest of Charlottetown. Trailhead is in Prince Edward Island National Park, near Cavendish Campground.
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Bonshaw Trails
Length: 3 – 18 km
Elevation gain: Varies
Bonshaw Hills Provincial Park features a network of trails for hiking and mountain biking. In mixed forest, the trail network has frequent junctions, but they are easily negotiated thanks to good wayfinding signage. The trail design makes good use of the valley in which the trails are built—adding up to some pleasant climbing over the course of the network’s 18-kilometre length. It’s located 20 minutes’ drive west of Charlottetown on the Trans Canada Highway.
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Strathgartney Trail
Length: 7 km
Elevation gain: 82 m
Strathgartney Trail is located near the Bonshaw Trails and the two areas can be connected to experience them in one outing. Some highlights: Strathgartney features some steep climbs; a beautiful view through white pines where trail hugs the banks of the West River, and a large stand of mature Beech. A favourite of many. A 20-minute drive west of Charlottetown on the Trans Canada Highway.
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Greenwich Dunes Trail
Length: 5 km (or more)
Elevation gain: Minimal
The trail begins along a former dirt road, offering a view to the south of St. Peter’s Bay, in Prince Edward Island National Park. Turning north, it makes its way through a mixed forest before opening out onto a pond surrounded by sand dunes. A long floating boardwalk crosses the pond, offering good opportunities to view waterfowl. The trail then makes its way over the dunes and suddenly reveals the spectacular sands of Greenwich Beach. One can extend the hike by several kilometres on the beach before returning by the same route on the Greenwich Dunes Trail. Located at Greenwich, PEI National Park, a 50-minute drive east of Charlottetown on Route 2, near the village of St. Peter’s.
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Confederation Trail
Length: 435 km (total)
Elevation gain: Varies depending on leg
In 1989, trains ceased to run on Prince Edward Island, but with the subsequent creation of the Confederation Trail, the province seized the opportunity to create a tip-to-tip trail network. The rail-trail’s main line runs 273 kilometres from Tignish to Elmira. Several branch lines also extend to coastal communities like Georgetown, Borden, Wood Islands and Murray Harbour, giving the full network 435 kilometres of trail. In a few of the most populated areas, the trail can be busy with cyclists and walkers. Elsewhere it is often quite quiet. The tip-to-tip route is popular with touring cyclists. (From November 30th until March 31, the trail is reserved for snowmobiles.)
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Prince Edward Island Heritage Roads
Length: 5km – 20km
Elevation gain: Varies
Some of the most scenic of the Island’s unpaved backroads have been designated “Prince Edward Island Heritage Roads” and can be identified as such on provincial maps. While not listed hiking trails, they are little-travelled and are good places to hike and cycle. One of the best is “Old Princetown Road.” Its almost constant climbing and descending through hardwood forests and fields make it not only very scenic, but a good workout with some nice climbing. Park at the Millvale Road end of the Old Princetown. It also intersects the Warburton, another Heritage Road. The far end of Old Princetown—known as “Mill Road”—is now closed to vehicles but is a good hiking and mountain biking route. By combining sections of the Old Princetown and Warburton Heritage Roads, it is possible to tailor a desired length of hike from five to 20 kilometres. Find these routes 35 minutes’ drive west of Charlottetown on Route 2. It is recommended to park at the intersection of Route 231 (Millvale Road) and the Old Princetown Road.
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Cape Tryon Trail
Length: 8 km
Elevation gain: 100 m
This trail is in fact a farm path which follows the tops of some of Prince Edward Island’s tallest cliffs from Yankee Hill to Cape Tryon lighthouse. Your hike will have you walking between farm fields on your left and the Gulf of St. Lawrence on your right. The walk culminates at Cape Tryon Lighthouse, built in 1905. The cliffs adjacent the lighthouse are home to nesting colonies of double-crested cormorants and great cormorants. One should keep several metres back from the cliff tops, as the nature of the cliff edge cannot be determined by looking at the grasses or shrubs from above. The area and its character have been preserved from development by the LM Montgomery Land Trust. Find it one hour’s drive west of Charlottetown near the community of French River.
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Skinners Pond Beach Walk
Length: 6 km
Elevation gain: Minimal
The beaches and rocky shores of Prince Edward Island are wonderful places to hike. Among the nicest is Skinners Pond Beach. Park and depart from the small boardwalk at the sharp turn on the road to the wharf. Heading north, the wide sandy beach continues for about three kilometres until the headlands which separate it from Nail Pond beach, where tides may block the way. Located in the community of Skinner’s Pond—two hours’ drive west of Charlottetown.
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Gairloch Road Trail
Length: 7 km
Elevation gain: 155 m
Suitable for hikers and mountain bikers, the Gairloch Road Trail is of moderate difficulty, with a few steep but short climbs. It wends its way through pleasant mixed forest and is a good place for birdwatching—especially songbirds—and for snowshoeing in winter. Find it a 40-minute drive east of Charlottetown on the Gairloch Road.
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Read More:
25 of the Best Hiking Trails on Prince Edward Island
Land Versus Sea: Pick Your Adventure in Prince Edward Island