Eric and I recently spent a week on Prince Edward Island and two things brought us here: the famous redhead named Anne and a new camino called The Island Walk. I’ll skip past the redhead (you can read my personal thoughts at PEI Notes from an Anne of Green Gables Fangirl). Let’s jump right in and talk about this new Canadian camino and what Prince Edward Island has to offer for walking enthusiasts.
I was delighted when I first heard about The Island Walk and then became a bit skeptical once I began researching the details. I wondered how it could compare with the long distance walks and caminos of Europe. Which is why I wanted to visit PEI personally, to see if this island is a good walking holiday destination.
Walking PEI in off-season
If your goal is to hike in order to gain epic photos that will go viral, Prince Edward Island may not be the best choice for you. I struggled the first day here, battling my disappointment because I couldn’t find anything to take beautiful photos of. We came in May before anything was in bloom, so the landscape was very muted and we saw few people walking the trails. Take it from someone who has learned the hard way — visit PEI in the summer and put away your camera. This place has much beauty but the best of it won’t be found through the tiny aperture of a camera lens.
Should I consider The Island Walk?
Regardless of the season, the way to enjoy PEI is to embrace its simple beauty, and walking a camino is the perfect way to train your mind to do that. What I love about The Island Walk is how well it connects important waypoints, towns and local inns – exactly what a good camino should do.
I’ll be honest, caminos do not appeal to me personally. I love the concept but not the reality and this camino is a good example of one I would recommend but probably never do myself. Much of the route follows roadways and it misses some of the prettiest hiking trails on the island, so keep this in mind if you’re planning your entire trip to only cover The Island Walk.
Are there options besides the Island Walk?
Absolutely! Prince Edward Island has other long-distance trail options, as well as a National Park with several day hikes and an extensive coastline full of beach walking opportunities. You may also wish to consider biking instead of walking. Normally we wouldn’t mention biking on our site because we are ONLY interested in walking, but I’m going to make a rare exception for Prince Edward Island. Having spent a week observing the trail systems, I have to conclude that cycling would be my preferred method for exploring the trails here and it seemed the preferred method by locals as well.
Walking Trails of Prince Edward Island
Choosing which trails to walk on Prince Edward Island is the first step in planning your trip and it may be more difficult than you think. Thanks to many years of dedicated volunteers and the Island Trails association, all of PEI is interconnected with oodles of pathways but some are currently closed or damaged due to Hurricane Fiona in 2022. The walks you will see here are open (personally verified by us during our visit in May 2023) and still very pretty. We’ll begin with the long-distance routes, work our way towards the shorter day hikes and end with some nice city park walks. We’re highlighting our favorites but you can find all of them at the Island Trails site.
Confederation Trail
170 mi (273 km) with offshoots totaling 279 mi (449 km)
The Confederation Trail was created from old railway paths abandoned in the 1980s. I love the Canadians, they give you an Achievement Certificate if you walk any distance of this trail but you will have to work for the Tip-to-Tip Certificate from Tignish to Elmira. This is a popular trail with locals who you will often see riding bikes or running. The trail is wide, in excellent condition and is a dirt or crushed gravel path that’s easy on the feet. Sections go directly through urban areas, small towns, open farmland and small wooded areas. Parking is easy to find along the trail so you can hop on whatever sections you prefer.
Confederation Trail is a great choice for:
- Cyclists interested in completing a long-distance trail that’s not on a road
- Trail runners
- Anyone wanting long daily walks on footpaths that are easy on the feet
The Island Walk
435 mi (700 km)
This is the new kid on the block, launched in 2020 The Island Walk was conceived by Bryson Guptil and his partner who longed to create a camino-style walk. The trail utilizes the Confederation Trail and existing roads to circumnavigate the island. The good thing about this route is that it allows you to walk from inn to inn and the PEI inns are famous for their hospitality and excellent food. It’s the inns that steal the show here, not the path itself. It’s important to note that the non-Confederation sections are on hard pavement which can be painful for some people. I have rheumatoid arthritis and after just five miles of walking on pavement my joints were screaming at me. If this is a concern, I suggest using a tour operator and discussing with them ways to minimize your walking distances along roadways.
The Island Walk is a great choice for
- Those who want to walk a camino in North America
- Walkers or cyclists who want inn to inn hiking or biking
- Those who want to test themselves before committing to a camino or inn to inn hike in Europe
Read our PEI Island Walk review for more details and resources.
International Appalachian Trail, PEI
93 mi (150 km)
We think it’s pretty exciting that you can walk a section of the IAT on Prince Edward Island. It begins at the Confederation Bridge and follows the Confederation Trail through the central part of the island then heads south along the Dromore Woodlands Trail and ends at Wood Islands Ferry.
The IAT is a great choice for
- Thru-hikers seeking to complete the International Appalachian Trail. North American sections begin in Maine and run through New Brunswick, Quebec, PEI, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. It continues beyond into Europe and North Africa.
- People who like to brag (just kidding, sort of)
Greenwich Dunes Trail
4 mi (6 km)
This is the one trail you MUST walk, even if you’re here for the longer trails. To miss this unique trail would be a travesty in our opinion. It’s an easy path that includes open meadow, forest, a floating boardwalk through the most amazing dunes and ending with a beach that you can walk for miles. Combine Greenwich Dunes with Tlaqatik Trail which offers excellent views of St. Peter’s Bay and includes interpretive panels telling the history of this area. These trails are within Prince Edward Island National Park which charges admission when they’re open (June-September) but you can still access the trails during off-season (free but no washrooms).
Greenwich Dunes Trail is a great choice for
- EVERYONE, most especially families with small children or those who need an accessible trail
- Social media influencers — if you simply must have that epic photo, this is the trail
Homestead Trail
6 mi (10 km) or 4 mi (6 km)
The Homestead Trail would be my second choice for a pretty day hike. It begins at Cavendish Campgrounds and you can add more by walking the trails towards the Lake of Shining Waters and Cavendish Dunelands Trail. We much prefer Homestead over Gulf Shore Way West (which is what the Island Walk covers) because Homestead is on crushed gravel and isn’t on a road. A section of this trail was still being repaired when we visited but is scheduled to reopen in summer.
Homestead Trail is a great choice for
- Anyone visiting Anne of Green Gables Heritage Center who wants a good walk. Skip the Haunted Woods and Lover’s Lane at the heritage center (hurricane damage has left those paths quite sad).
Basin Head Provincial Park to Bothwell Beach
4 mi (6.4 km)
Any beach on PEI is worth walking but we especially like this one on the east coast. Even if the park is closed you can still access Kingsboro Beach and turn left to walk towards Bothwell Beach. There are excellent facilities here so it’s a great place for families or picnics in the summer. Other beaches to walk along the eastern shore include Sally’s Beach and Red Point Provincial Park.
Black Pond Trail and Little Harbour Beach
2.6 mi (4 km)
Another nice beach walk on the east coast, this trail offers a quiet walk for bird lovers along with some dunes and views of forested red cliffs. There are no facilities here so even in summer I imagine this place remains pretty quiet.
East coast beach walks are a great choice for
- Anyone with a car — you won’t be able to reach these via public transit and the long-distance trails don’t cover these
- Leisure walkers who want to wander along a beach
Winter River Trail
3.7 mi (6 km)
One of the most popular trails on Prince Edward Island, partly due to its close proximity to Charlottetown but also because of its natural beauty and wildlife. Expect to see significant tree damage for awhile but still a lovely walk.
North Cape Nature Trail
2 mi (3.5 km)
Also called Black Marsh Nature Trail, this is a boardwalk in the far northwestern part of PEI most notably recognized for its giant windmills. Expansive coastal views are your reward for driving the distance to get here and this path is part of The Island Walk (waypoints 9-10).
North Cape Trail is a great choice for
- Those who only have time to walk 1 or 2 sections of The Island Walk
- Those with a car who want a good trail to explore northwest PEI
Boughton River Nature Trail
5.5 mi (8.9 km)
The Boughton River trail is a series of loops that are connected so you can make this a short or long day hike. The path takes you along the river and through forest and you’ll get to see a diverse array of plants. This trail is on the eastern side and easy to pair with a beach walk.
Victoria Park and Charlottetown Waterfront
Victoria Park is a wonderful walk in Charlottetown where you can enjoy beautiful waterfront views, people watch, have a picnic and stroll through a light thicket of trees. Connect this park with a walk through old Victorian neighborhoods and follow the waterfront of Charlottetown.
Hurricane Fiona and PEI Forests
Hurricane Fiona hit Prince Edward Island in September 2022 and while it damaged many buildings the most devastating long term loss was what it did to the trees. We visited 8 months after the storm and while many structures were already repaired or currently undergoing repair, the forests were decimated. For this reason you’ll see very few forest trails in this article. Restoration efforts are already being made by local organizations such as the Macphail Woods Ecological Forestry Project, Southeast Environmental Association and Island Trails so there is hope for PEI’s wooded areas but it will be a long recovery. For updates on national park openings and conditions, click here. For a good article about trail recovery, click here — it’s simply astounding how quickly they are moving with recovery efforts!
PEI Walking Tour Operators
Having walked Prince Edward Island on our own, I can now say without a doubt that you should consider using a tour operator if you want to walk The Island Walk or if you want to visit without a car. These are the tour operators we recommend:
Bill and Mary Kendrick are the pros at creating experiential tours on Prince Edward Island. They offer full package or self-service itineraries for The Island Walk, basic transportation services and an array of experiences (falconry, horseback riding and more).
Outer Limit Sports offers cycling or walking packages for walking The Island Walk (including the entire walk) and they can create custom itineraries.
MacQueen’s is cycling only and covers the Confederation Trail and The Island Walk.
This Nova Scotian tour operator offers a 6-day self-guided or guided walking holiday that highlights the best of PEI.
If you want some company or insider stories while walking Charlottetown, then book a 2-hour walking tour with lifetime PEI resident Jamie Kelly.
Advice for walking Prince Edward Island
Hopefully we’ve convinced you to visit Prince Edward Island and do some walking. So here’s some last advice for when you book your trip.
- Bring a hat and sunscreen, shade is rare on PEI, and be prepared for bugs.
- Bring a hooded jacket or something to protect ears from the wind, especially for beach walks.
- Bring shoes that are best for walking on hard surfaces. Thick-cushioned athletic shoes worked better than hiking boots for me.
- Washrooms are far and few along the trails and even women using pee funnels will find it difficult to find places to step off trail for relief. Map out the washrooms each day and take advantage of any available facility you pass. Gas stations are your most reliable source. Visitor’s centers have nice washrooms but they’re inside so if the building is closed then you’re out of luck.
- Don’t be shocked by the PEI bridge toll you’ll pay when leaving the island ($35 USD).
- Stay in a local inn or book some type of excursion where you get to meet people. Find out what we did by reading our travel diary for PEI.
