The best way to explore Prince Edward Island

The walk is free to use. But the maintenance of signage, the website, etc. is not free. The government provides some subsidies, but Guptil said it also relies on volunteers and donations.

“A woman from Ottawa did the walk in June and is now raising funds for banks along the route,” he said. “She has raised funds for 16 benches so far, mostly from her friends in Ottawa. In PEI we met more than a dozen people who agreed to place benches on their properties along the route. It’s very moving and typical of PEI.”

David Mitchell, 39, began vacationing in PEI as a child and moved there at age 14 in 2001. He had never heard of The Island Walk before his retired parents began exploring it in 2023. Inspired Because of the positive impact this had on his vitality and fitness, he decided to run one section of the trail’s 32 sections – around 21.5 miles on average – every day in July 2024 to raise money for The Island Walk and banks. PEI foods.

It ended up being much more than he expected, in a good way.

“I’ve seen a lot of PEI,” he said, “but nothing like these trails. The number of different communities you touch, the number of different viewpoints you see, and the people you meet along the way, there really is no experience like it. I thought I had a good idea of ​​what we have to offer as an island. But my expectations were simply shattered. The people you meet have really interesting stories and everyone is very kind, very happy to be there moving their bodies, and they are happy to see you there too.”

Mitchell, a resident of Cardigan, P.E.I., who spent his career in the military and traveled extensively, said the views of farm fields, landscapes and seascapes were among the most beautiful he had seen anywhere.

I cycled some sections of the trail with friends and family in August. The first was in Central PEI, from Kensington to Summerside and back. The route is concurrent with the Confederation Trail, an old railroad converted into a recreational trail dedicated to packed rock dust, perfect terrain for an easy walk or stroll.

Kensington is an ideal starting and finishing point for an island walk, tour or run. There are the fantastic bagel and coffee sandwiches at the C&B Corner Cafe across from the train station to fuel up before heading out and the very popular Island Stone Pub for a burger and cold drink to refuel after a day on the trail.

We met at Kensington Station, the former site of a train station on the now-defunct PEI Railroad, and headed southwest toward Summerside, eight miles away. A moment after getting on the trail, we passed several trailside picnic tables just behind the Frosty Treat Dairy Bar and made a mental note of this for the return trip.

From there we passed potato fields and other farmland on the flat trail. There are several road junctions in and around Kensington, but after that there are long stretches in between. Despite being a little busier on weekends, the trail was never crowded.

This mostly wooded section of the trail offers great views of farmers’ fields and significant protection from the ever-present PEI winds and strong summer sun. The slope is mostly flat with long sightlines. We often spent 15 to 20 minutes pedaling at an easy pace without passing another person in any direction. Where trails cross highways, traffic is generally light, making crossing fairly easy.

If you pass through Summerside on a Saturday morning, the farmers market offers excellent local food, coffee, and crafts. Their vendors are an impressive array of talented local characters. One such character is Ranald MacFarlane, owner of Pleasant Pork in Fernwood, PEI, a self-described “small farmer with a big mouth.” Friendly tourists are sometimes invited to his Saturday night bonfire/BBQ at the farm.

“I’ll feed you for free, but you need to bring your own drink,” he told me.

I recommend the hot dogs.

When we got back to Kensington, I continued alone on the trail along Irishtown Road through stunning views of potato fields pastures and oceans, leaving the trail in Spring Valley towards our cottage, never tiring of the red earth, green fields, ocean blue, and open skies.

Our second tour on the eastern tip of the Island was more challenging. We biked the Souris Road (waypoint 24) east past waypoint 23 in Elmira to the East Point Lighthouse and back along the Confederation Trail. It was about 37 miles or so.

We parked in the public parking lot on the Souris promenade, where there are shops, a restaurant and even public bathrooms. From there we pedaled northeast, up and down long hills to East Point Lighthouse, stopping occasionally to grab a snack or watch the ferry embark on the 5-hour trip across the North Atlantic to Quebec’s Magdalen Islands.

Leaving Souris, there were few cars on the road, making the ride even more pleasant. The lighthouse is a popular tourist attraction as it is the easternmost point on the island and the place where the Northumberland Strait meets the Atlantic Ocean. Locals say it’s where the sun rises and the tides meet.

It was a great place to get off the bikes and rest your legs. We visited the crafts store and were amazed by the well-preserved 157-year-old, 18-meter-high lighthouse. It is also a popular spot for bird watchers.

To get back to Souris, we opted for the less challenging Island Walk/rail trail, which we chose in front of the PEI railroad museum in Elmira. The views were serene, less grand than those from the road, but we had had enough of the hills. We occasionally cycled past other cyclists or travelers sitting on trailside benches, but we had the trail more or less to ourselves.

Every kilometer was a delight. This winter, I will warm myself with memories and plot next summer’s outings.