TRAIL DETAILS

Confederation Trail - Fredericton to Milton

Touring Region — Charlotte's Shore
Trail Location — Queens County

Trail Quick Facts
Difficulty Rating: 1.5 
Length: 23.4 km
Structure: Point-to-Point
Marked:
Island Trails Approved:
Environment: Rural
Wilderness
Surface Type: Crushed Aggregate
The Confederation Trail is Prince Edward Island's portion of the Trans Canada Trail. It is a rail trail constructed on the bed of the former Prince Edward Island Railway which opened in 1875 and closed in 1989.  Islanders were quick to notice a unique opportunity and the idea of a tip-to-tip shared-use walking and cycling trail was born and the final link is now in place.  The trail covers almost all of the former rail routes, including the "Tip-to-Tip" route from Tignish to Elmira (273 km).  Branch trails extend the trail to over 350km including Borden-Carleton (18 km); the Charlottetown spur (8 km); the Georgetown branch (39 km); the Montague spur (10 km); the Souris spur (9 km); and Iona to Murray Harbour (36 km).  The entire trail is owned and managed by the province of PEI as a part of the Provincial Parks system.

Approximate Time to Complete —  6 hours
Times are estimated assuming that the average person travels 4km/hr.
Time should be added for significant elevation gain/loss.
Associated Trails or Sections
Information & History
Km 147.4 - Fredericton Station is tucked quietly into this landscape.  The old station sits sadly beside the trail without much purpose but is in surprisingly sturdy yet.
Deep woods, hedgerow and open fields are interspersed over this section through the hills and hollows of central Queens.  This is the rural landscape that showcases the many shades of green of PEI that attract our visitors.  One is in the countryside, yet habitation is usually visible in the distance poking through the trees. The last remaining bridge over a farm road crossing exists at Hazel Grove.  Black foxes have been seen in the area.

Km 154.5 - A steel railway bridge crosses the Hunter River which then parallels the trail into the community.  Peeper frogs make their presence known here in spring.   A succession of wildflowers decorates the meadow beyond.  The trail rises as it reaches the former station area in the community.  A connecting trail down a steep set of steps crosses the water to the Central Queens school property.  Beaver in the stream have left pointed poplar stumps over 8" in diameter adjacent to the trail.  Bagnall's Pond is visible through the trees.
Birch, maples, berry trees, a few spruce, beech, alder and willow make up the mixed edge of the trail.  It is glorious in mid-fall but also in early spring when colours are fresh.  Fireweed is common in disturbed soil along the edge where it is known to replace nitrogen in the soil.  Apple trees are evident here and there but the orchards of earlier times are mostly gone.  Closer to ground level, red-berry elder, serviceberry, raspberry, blackberry and chokecherry feed a host of birds and likely a few trail users.
Leaving the parking area in the quiet village of Hunter River, the large white church stands out high on the hill looking back to the west.  Toward Darlington, the hollows and high built-up trail sections become more dramatic.  It is in these areas that remnant stands of old Acadian forest remain, including maple, hemlock and red spruce.  One beautiful stand of large sugar maple is beside the trail.  
Trestles were used in earlier times to cross some of the valleys but the structures were eventually filled in to provide the high vistas offered to trail users today.  The highest one in the province is in this area--close to 80' above adjacent fields.  Cuttings were made through the tops of some hills to reduce the elevation of the rails although they posed snow problems in winter.  Many of the cuttings had names although not all of them have been located.  Included are Lower Winsloe, Argyle, Watt's, Jewell's and Curtis cuttings.  Photos exist showing trains in them with snow banks high above the cars on each side.
Strong efforts at sustainable agriculture are being made in the province but some fields are still seen in this area ploughed down the slopes rather than across.  Croplands in the area are generally in grain or potatoes.
Milkweed is found here and in scattered clumps along the trail through central Queens and eastern Prince counties.  It is known almost exclusively along the trail in PEI.

Km 169.7 - Approaching Milton is the first of two bridges over tributaries to the North River.  This one, with a shelter, features an interpretation site using the Discovery Program panels of the Trans Canada Trail.  Native upland trees, plants, birds and animals are included in the program.  Wild animal scat is consistently evident on the trail and those who travel quietly or early or late in the day may be rewarded by a glimpse.   
The bridge, built in 1945 (if you lean over the side, it is etched into the face of the abutment) crosses one of the cold-water streams that make ideal habitat for fish.  They are fed by ground-water and kept cool by overhanging branches all summer.  For the same reasons they are productive spawning areas.
The second bridge, this one with a concrete deck, was built in 1950 and is just a short distance from route 248 in Milton.  Three trail parking areas (Milton, Hunter River and Fredericton) were constructed in 2001, the start of an on-going program.

Shelters: km. 149.7, 153.8, 158.5, 164.5, 167.9
Albums
Confederation Trail »
Friday, August 31, 2007  (44 images)