Confederation Trail

Confederation Trail is Prince Edward Island’s main long-distance recreational rail trail, built on a decommissioned railway right-of-way. The main trail runs west to east from Tignish to Elmira for about 273 km, with additional branch trails that extend the overall system.

Because it follows an old rail alignment, grades are minimal and the path is rolled stone dust (rail-trail ballast covered with stone dust). The route is predominantly flat, with gradients reported as never exceeding 2%.

Typical walking and hiking conditions are straightforward: you’re generally on dirt/stone-dust tread rather than an uneven singletrack corridor. The trail system is marked with kilometre posts and directional/interpretive signage, and it includes resting spots such as benches and picnic-table shelters.

A practical way to plan sections is around the island’s named stretches of the main trail (for example: Tignish to O’Leary, O’Leary to Wellington, Wellington to Hunter River, Hunter River to Morell, and Morell to Elmira). Many walkers do it as multi-day segments using nearby communities for resupply and lodging.

This trail is explicitly non-motorized for most of the year; winter use shifts when the PEI Snowmobile Association leases it from December 1 to March 31. Horses are not allowed on the trail, and it’s managed as a multiuse linear park with ongoing interpretive and wayfinding infrastructure.

The rail-to-trail conversion began after railway abandonment on December 31, 1989, with the trail developed through the 1990s and completed from Tignish to Elmira in 2000. The overall experience leans historic/educational as well as hiking-focused, with interpretive panels running along the route and branches.

More information: Wikipedia, The Island Walk | PEI's Island Walk is Waiting For You!, Confederation Trail | Tourism PEI