Top 8 things to do in Prince Edward Island National Park

Prince Edward Island National Park runs in a narrow strip for about 37 miles (60 km) along the island’s north shore, facing the Gulf of St. Lawrence: long beaches of pale sand backed by grassy dunes and low cliffs of red sandstone, with salt marshes, ponds and woods behind them. The Gulf water here is often called the warmest north of the Carolinas in late summer, and the park is where much of Atlantic Canada goes to the beach. It also holds Green Gables, the farm that inspired Anne of Green Gables. These are the eight outings we would put first. The order starts with what the park is known for, then goes by what an outing gives back for the time and effort it takes. Distances are approximate; times are our estimates and do not include stops.

Rip currents form off these beaches, especially near sandbars and after storms. Swim at the supervised beaches, where lifeguards are on duty in July and August, and stay out when the waves are up. The dunes are fragile and hold the coast together: stay on the boardwalks and marked paths, and keep away from the edges of the red cliffs, which are soft and crumble without warning. Parts of some beaches close in summer to protect nesting piping plovers.

1. Spend a day at Cavendish Beach

Cavendish is the park’s busiest and best-known beach, a broad stretch of sand below rolling dunes, with the red cliffs running west from it toward North Rustico. In midsummer the shallow water warms to around 70°F (21°C). There are lifeguards, changing rooms and showers, and the main campground is a short walk away. Walk west along the cliff-top road at the end of the day to watch the sun go down over the Gulf and turn the sandstone a deeper red.

Allow: a day
Start: Cavendish Beach, at the end of Gulf Shore Parkway West in Cavendish
When: July and August for swimming; June and September for quiet walks
Suits: everyone

2. Cross the floating boardwalk to the Greenwich dunes

Greenwich, on a peninsula at the east end of the park, is the wildest part of it, and its dunes are the most remarkable. They are parabolic dunes, shaped like great horseshoes, which the wind is slowly pushing inland over the woods. The Greenwich Dunes Trail runs through fields and woods, then crosses Bowley Pond on a floating boardwalk to the dunes and the beach beyond. Few people walk the whole of it, and you may have the beach to yourself.

Distance: about 3 miles (4.8 km) round trip
Allow: 1.5 to 2 hours
Start: Greenwich Interpretation Centre, at the end of Route 313 past St. Peters
When: late May to September, when the boardwalks are in place
Suits: most walkers

3. Visit Green Gables

Lucy Maud Montgomery grew up in Cavendish, and this green-and-white farmhouse, which belonged to her grandfather’s cousins, became the home of Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables, published in 1908. Parks Canada furnishes the house as the book describes it, with exhibits on Montgomery’s life in the barns. Two short trails from the house lead along Lover’s Lane, through the Haunted Wood and on to the site of the house where she lived with her grandparents, wandering through the same woods she wrote about.

Allow: 1.5 to 2 hours
Start: Green Gables Heritage Place, on Route 6 in Cavendish
When: May to October. There is an admission charge.
Suits: everyone

4. Cycle the Gulf Shore Way

A paved path for walkers and cyclists runs beside the shore road through much of the park, separate from the traffic. The eastern stretch, between Dalvay and Brackley, is the finest: it passes beaches, salt marshes, ponds full of birds and the lighthouse at Covehead, with the Gulf in view most of the way. The land is nearly flat, so it suits all ages. Bicycles can be rented in Cavendish, Brackley and Charlottetown.

Distance: about 6 miles (10 km) each way between Dalvay and Brackley
Allow: 2 to 3 hours
Start: Dalvay or Brackley, on Gulf Shore Parkway East
When: June to September
Suits: everyone

5. Stop at Covehead Lighthouse

This small white lighthouse with its red trim stands on the dunes at the mouth of Covehead Harbour, and it is one of the most photographed on the island. Below it, lobster and tuna boats come and go through the channel to the wharf, and gulls, terns and cormorants follow them. The beach beside it is usually quieter than Brackley and Stanhope on either side. It is an easy stop on the Gulf Shore Way.

Allow: 30 minutes
Start: Covehead Lighthouse, on Gulf Shore Parkway East between Brackley Beach and Stanhope Beach
When: all year; early morning and evening for light and boats
Suits: everyone

6. Take tea at Dalvay-by-the-Sea

Alexander MacDonald, a Standard Oil executive, built this rambling summer house in 1896, beside a lake just back from the shore. It has been a hotel since 1932 and stands inside the park, owned by Parks Canada and run by a private operator. Even if you are not staying, you can have afternoon tea or a meal in the old house, walk around Dalvay Lake, then cross the road to Dalvay Beach.

Allow: 1 to 2 hours
Start: Dalvay-by-the-Sea, on Gulf Shore Parkway East at the east end of the Brackley section
When: the hotel and dining room open from late spring to early fall
Suits: everyone

7. Walk the Homestead Trail

Behind the beaches at Cavendish, this gravel trail loops through farm fields, woods of spruce and maple, and the edge of New London Bay, past the overgrown sites of early homesteads. It is shared by walkers and cyclists and makes a quiet half day away from the crowds on the sand. There are shorter and longer loops, so you can turn back when you like.

Distance: loops of about 5 to 7.5 miles (8 to 12 km)
Allow: 2 to 3 hours on foot; 1 to 1.5 hours by bicycle
Start: Cavendish Campground
When: June to October
Suits: everyone

8. Walk the Cavendish Dunelands Trail

This trail crosses the great dune field behind Cavendish Beach, much of it on a boardwalk that floats across a freshwater pond in a hollow between the dunes. It shows how the dunes and the marram grass that holds them work together, and how fragile they are. Watch for red foxes, which hunt in the dunes, and for great blue herons in the pond. It is a good walk for families on a windy day when the beach is less inviting.

Distance: about 2.5 miles (4 km) round trip
Allow: 1 to 1.5 hours
Start: Cavendish Beach, or the Dunelands parking area on Gulf Shore Parkway West
When: late May to September, when the boardwalks are in place
Suits: everyone

Before you go

This list covers what stays the same from year to year. Beach supervision, plover closures and trail work are posted by Parks Canada on its own site. The link is on our Prince Edward Island National Park guide, with the map and how to get there.