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Charlottetown Victoria Row, street, old buildings

Charlottetown - Mt Stewart Loop (68 KM)

This is an easy to moderate all-day ride, starting in downtown Charlottetown’s Victoria Row and leading to the small village of Mt. Stewart. The terrain on this road is fairly easy, following quiet paved roads with lovely river and farm views. Only one or two hills demand a moderate workout.

Charlottetown, church, statue, backlit

Charlottetown - Mt. Stewart Route (68KM) Directions:

0.0 With Province House to your left, ride on Richmond Street away from Victoria Row.

0.1 Turn left on Prince Street, the second street on the left.

0.2 Turn right at the traffic lights onto Grafton Street.

0.9 Turn left onto the Charlottetown Branch of Confederation Trail, which begins at the Joseph A. Ghiz Memorial Park. Even though you are still in the city, the Trail soon passes fields and farm buildings on the right - this is an Agriculture Canada research farm.

2.9 Cross Belvedere Avenue with caution and continue on Confederation Trail. The Charlottetown Farmers Market is on the left just before this busy cross street. The market is a wonderful place to stop on Saturday before 2:00 pm. There is a great selection of prepared food as well as fresh produce, and many local people traditionally enjoy Saturday breakfast or lunch at the market. Next the trail passes the Atlantic Veterinary College and the University of Prince Edward Island Campus on the left.

5.4 Stop at Mt. Edward Road. At the traffic lights, follow the directional signs to cross the Arterial Highway. Be sure to use the crosswalks, then pick up the trail again.

5.7 Follow the Confederation Trail out to Royalty Junction.

8.9 Bear right at a fork in the Trail, following the sign to Mt. Stewart, 27 kilometres.

9.9 Cross Route 15 in Brackley. This is one of the busiest roads between Charlottetown and the PEI National Park.

14.8 Cross Route 25 in York. Continue straight ahead on the Trail unless you would like to visit Vesey's Seeds Ltd. There will be more crossroads over the next 10 kilometres; just stay on the Trail.

27.0 Cross Route 2 with caution and continue on Confederation Trail for another eight kilometres. If you prefer, you could turn left here and ride to Mt. Stewart on Route 2. It is safe enough because of the wide, paved shoulder. From the Trail, you will soon catch glimpses of the Hillsborough River to the right. The last few kilometres of Trail before Mt. Stewart pass through marshland with more views of the river. The marshes are quite lovely, but bring mosquito repellent if you want to stop and savour the scene.

35.8 Turn right onto Route 22. Just before this turn there is a picnic gazebo on the right, and the In The Mix Bakery is located in the Eco Centre. (A left on Route 22 will take you in less than 400 metres to the intersection with Route 1. There is a convenience store with groceries on this corner).

36.3 Cross a bridge over the Hillsborough River.

36.4 Turn right onto Mt. Stewart Road. This is still Route 22. You now ride over gently rolling terrain, with lovely views of the Hillsborough and Pisquid Rivers below to the right.

39.4 Turn right at a crossroad onto Fort Augustus Road, PEI 21, following the sign to Stratford. Enjoy coasting downhill to a bridge over the Pisquid River, and then climb back up. Stay on Route 21 for nearly 25 kilometres, until you reach Route 1 just across the Hillsborough River from Charlottetown. The scenery is a patchwork quilt of fields and woods draped over gently rolling hills.

44.8 After the intersection with Route 213, in less than a kilometre, you'll pass an imposing Catholic church on the left and a sign saying "Welcome to Fort Augustus; We Are Teamed with County Monaghan, Ireland." On right is the Fort Augustus Recreation Centre.

49.5 Keep right to stay on PEI 21. Route 215 merges from the left.

52.9 Bear right to stay on Route 21; the left goes to Donagh. In Johnston's River, as you draw closer to Charlottetown, there are more suburban-style homes scattered here and there among the farms. Traffic may gradually increase.

57.8 Calvin Presbyterian Church of Mermaid is on the right.

60.1 Turn right, staying on Route 21 to Stratford; Route 251 goes straight to Bethel and Crossroads.

62.6 Enter the Town of Stratford. There is now a good paved shoulder on which to ride.

64.2 Bear right at a fork onto Route 1 West. (If you were to bear left at this fork, you would quickly come to a busy strip of stores and supermarkets on Route 1.) On the right immediately after the fork is Robert Cotton Memorial Park and Trail. Soon you will see Charlottetown across the river.

64.9 Begin crossing a causeway and bridge over the broad Hillsborough River. There can be a great deal of traffic, but with wide lanes with good shoulders, it is quite safe. Be careful when you get off on other side of the bridge.

65.9 Continue straight at the traffic lights after the bridge, onto Grafton Street. Use caution. There are seven lanes of traffic getting on and off the bridge, and the right lane is for right turns only. Consider walking your bike through this busy intersection. .

66.7 Turn left at a traffic light onto Weymouth Street, following the sign to the Visitor Information Centre. (You could continue straight on Grafton Street to Province House and Victoria Row where the ride started. However, the last few blocks of this route pass by the Visitor Information Centre on the waterfront and through some interesting, older parts of Charlottetown.)

67.0 Turn right at traffic lights and a T intersection onto Water Street. The Charlottetown Visitor Information Centre will be on the left about 50 metres after the entrance to the Railroad Yard Parking Lot. You may wish to visit the Visitor Information Centre and the nearby shops.

67.8 Turn right onto Queen Street.

68.1 Turn right into Victoria Row, the pedestrian mall where this ride began.

68.3 Reach the end of Victoria Row where this ride began.

Please note that many roads do not have paved shoulders and caution should be used in these areas. Helmets are mandatory while cycling on Prince Edward Island.

Exterior of Charlottetown homes

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