Confederation Trail

When Prince Edward Island's railway was abandoned in 1989 Islanders were quick to notice a unique opportunity. The idea of a tip-to-tip shared use walking and cycling trail in the summer and a snowmobile trail in the winter was born. With beautiful rolling hill scenery, quaint villages and broad bay seascapes, the Confederation Trail is Prince Edward Island's portion of the Trans Canada Trail.

The 435 kilometres of rolled stone dust trail has gentle gradients which never exceed 2% (up or down). This Island wide exploration corridor is ideal for visitors of all fitness levels. The Main Trail starts in Tignish at kilometre 0 and ends in Elmira at kilometre 273. Branch trails extend into the heart of Charlottetown and to the waterside communities of Souris, Georgetown, Montague, Wood Islands, Murray River and Murray Harbour, plus the link to the Confederation Bridge in Borden-Carleton. Along the trail, you will find a convenient selection of accommodations, food and services.  Not all accommodations are directly on the trail and do require roadway travel.  For safety concerns please check with the accommodation providers regarding distance.  While exploring the trail, take advantage of the opportunity to discover the many charming villages along the way.

The Confederation Trail is a geocaching hotspot with over 1600 geocache sites along the route. Also, PEI's 110 kilometre portion of the International Appalachian Trail begins in Borden-Carleton, after hiker's are shuttled across the Confederation Bridge they mainly hike on the Confederation Trail until its exit point at the Wood Islands ferry terminal. Prince Edward Island is rich in picturesque scenery, cultural and musical talent, culinary delights and Canadian heritage. This wonderful piece of Canada has countless adventures to offer and is best explored by bicycle or foot along the Confederation Trail.

Confederation Trail Map

For a more detailed map of the Confederation Trail, download our PDF.

Tip-to-Tip

• Tignish to O'Leary (45 km easy to moderate)
• O'Leary to Wellington (45 km easy to moderate)
• Wellington to Hunter River (65 km moderate to hard) Please Note: Tree trimming is being done from the Kinsmen Road to Travellers Rest near Summerside. The Trail is open but please use caution. Posted May 8, 2018.
• Hunter River to Morell (65 km moderate to hard)
• Morell to Elmira (54 km moderate)

Branch Trails

• Emerald to Borden-Carleton (18 km easy)
• Cardigan Junction to Montague (10 km easy)
• Royalty Junction to Charlottetown (8 km easy)
• Mt. Stewart to Georgetown (39 km moderate)
• New Harmony Junction to Souris (8 km easy)
• Stratford to Murray Harbour (80 km moderate)

Please Note: Due to early spring conditions there are some surface washouts and snow in a few locations on the Confederation Trail. The washouts should be marked but may not be fixed for a week or two. Please use caution. (Posted May 3, 2018)

Please Note: The Confederation Trail between Route 24 and Route 211/Newton Cross Road is CLOSED due to a culvert collapsed along this section, it will be fix very soon. (Posted May 4, 2018)

Discover five road cycling itineraries!

How distances are marked along the Trail

The total length of the Confederation Trail is 435 km. The tip-to-tip Trail distances are marked from West to East, with Tignish being 0 km and Elmira 273 km. A number of Branch Trails off the main route lead to the coast and they are numbered from 0 km at the Junctions, increasing to the end of the Branch.

There are six Junctions: Emerald, Royalty, Mt. Stewart, New Harmony, Cardigan and Wood Islands North. The Murray Harbour Branch starts at 0 km at Joseph A. Ghiz Memorial Park in Charlottetown and terminates in Murray Harbour at 80 km.

Access to the Trail

Activity on the Confederation Trail is limited to walkers and hikers, wheelchairs, cyclists and runners in the summertime. During the winter months (December 1 – March 31), the PEI Snowmobile Association has exclusive rights to the Confederation Trail.

Confederation Trail Guide to PEI

The Confederation Trail Guide will help you plan your cycling vacation on the Confederation Trail. The guide includes accommodations which are part of the Cyclists Welcome Program. Participants of this program take the needs of cyclists into consideration and make their properties welcoming and easy for cyclists.

Browse the Confederation Trail Guide or download it as a PDF.